Whitby Village in the late 19thc.

Welcome to the Ellesmere Port Local History Pages. This project began in 2000 in the Whitby High School where pupils researched local subjects within the module Expansion Trade and Industry. Co-ordinated by Mr M.W. Royden, this original work has been added to by subsequent Year 9 classes each Autumn term. The site was redesigned and relaunched in October 2007.

Whitby is actually much older than Ellesmere Port. Around 1000 years older in fact. The name means the White Farm or settlement, and was Norse Viking in origin. The original name for Ellesmere Port in the late 1790s was Whitby Locks as it was the nearest village of significance. Click here for an introduction to aspects of the later history of the village.

Three Whitby pupils are currently working on a short film documenting the origins of Ellesmere Port in the 1790s. Centered on the coming of the canal and the settlement around the dock estate, site visits have already taken place to gather essential material. When completed, it will hopefully be used in the classroom for teaching purposes and may also be available as a download on this site late 2007. Watch this space!

This work is based on Whitby Old Hall which was first built in 1637 and was later demolished in 1962. A second hall was constructed in the 1860s and still stands today in Whitby Park. This interesting article discusses both halls and the Grace family who owned both houses.

Great Sutton is a village that has been slowly absorbed into into Ellesmere Port since the building of the Manchester Ship Canal. It is at least 1000 years old, as it was mentioned in the Domesday Book as part of the parish of Eastham, which it remained in until the early 20th century. Click here to read about its development and population study.

In many cities land was set aside at the end of the Second World War to erect temporary housing to cater for the hundreds of families displaced due to the damage caused by the Blitz. Prefabricated housing, as it was known, was constructed in the factory, roaded to the site and swiftly erected. Intended to have a shelf life of only a few years, the Ellesmere Port site in Rivacre still thrives and is affectionately know as 'Tin Town' due to the original construction and appearance back in the aftermath of war. Read in detail about a Year 9 study carried out in 2003.

Bowaters Mills are a familiar sight to locals, but a manor house with remains dating back to the 13th century had to make way for the construction of the factory in the 1920s. This article traces the fascinating history of Poole Hall and the site.

In 2000 Hooton Park Trust was formed with the aim of forming a Trust to oversee and manage the restoration of the remaining WW1/2 hangars on the former RAF airfield at Hooton Park. The aim is to restore the buildings and the site itself as valuable historic artefacts in their own right. But how did the airfield come to be there and what can still be seen today? This article looks at the history of this site complete with a site visit by our researchers.

Ever wondered what all the symbols mean on the Borough Coat of Arms? And the similarity to our own school badge? You will find all the answers here. Click here for a detailed explanation and illustrations.