Editing Seacombe

{{Short description|District of Wallasey, England}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2019}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2025}}
{{for|the similarly-spelled and -pronounced surname|Secombe}}
{{Infobox UK place
| country                  = England
| official_name            = Seacombe
| static_image_name        = Seacombe Ferry terminal 201710.jpg
| static_image_caption     = The front of the Grade II listed ferry terminal
| coordinates              = {{coord|53.409|-3.029|display=inline,title}}
| population               = 15,387
| population_ref           = ([[United Kingdom Census 2011|2011 Census]]Ward)
| metropolitan_borough     = [[Metropolitan Borough of Wirral|Wirral]]
| metropolitan_county      = [[Merseyside]]
| region                   = North West England
| constituency_westminster = [[Wallasey (UK Parliament constituency)|Wallasey]]
| post_town                = WALLASEY
| postcode_district        = CH44
| postcode_area            = CH
| dial_code                = 0151
| os_grid_reference        = SJ316908
| london_distance          = {{convert|179|mi|km|abbr=on}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://boulter.com/gps/distance/?from=53.409+-3.029&to=51.507+-0.127&units=m|title=Coordinate Distance Calculator|work=boulter.com|access-date=6 March 2016}}</ref>
| london_direction         = SE
| iso_code                 = GB-WRL
}}

'''Seacombe''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|s|iː|k|ə|m}}) is a district of the town of [[Wallasey]], on the [[Wirral Peninsula]], [[England]]. Administratively, Seacombe is a [[ward (country subdivision)|ward]] of the [[Metropolitan Borough of Wirral]] in [[Merseyside]]. Before [[Local Government Act 1972|local government reorganisation]] on 1 April 1974, it was part of the [[County Borough]] of Wallasey, within the geographical county of [[Cheshire]]. At the [[United Kingdom Census 2001|2001 Census]], the population of Seacombe was 15,158, (7,081 males and 8,077 females),<ref name=2001census>{{citation|url=http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadKeyFigures.do?a=3&b=5941374&c=seacombe&d=14&e=16&g=362085&i=1001x1003x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1211633569532&enc=1|title=2001 Census: Seacombe|publisher=Office for National Statistics|access-date=24 May 2008}}</ref> increasing to 15,387 (7,554 males, 7,833 females) at the Census 2011.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadKeyFigures.do?a=7&b=13689478&c=Rock+Ferry&d=14&e=62&g=6352177&i=1001x1003x1032x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1433183875167&enc=1|title=Ward population 2011|access-date=1 June 2015}}</ref>

==History==
Seacombe is mentioned in the [[Domesday Book]] of 1086 as Seccum.<ref>{{harvnb|McIntyre-Brown|Woodland|2003|p=86}}</ref>

In 1845 [[George Turnbull (civil engineer)|George Turnbull]] was the civil engineer who designed and built the Seacombe Wall sea defence that helped drain the marshes behind the town.

Seacombe was originally a terminus for the [[Wirral Railway]]; however, passenger services ended on 4 January 1960 and all services on the line terminated on 16 June 1963. Much of the line to [[Seacombe railway station|Seacombe station]] was used as the approach road to the Kingsway Tunnel.

==Geography==
Seacombe is situated to the north-east of the Wirral Peninsula, adjoining the [[River Mersey]] to the east. Seacombe is less than {{convert|4|km|mi|abbr=on}} south-south-east of the [[Irish Sea]] at [[New Brighton, Merseyside|New Brighton]] and about {{convert|11|km|mi|abbr=on}} east-north-east of the [[Dee Estuary]] at [[Caldy]]. The area is at an elevation of between {{convert|0-18|m|ft|abbr=on}} above sea level.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.osola.org.uk/elevations/|title=SRTM & Ordnance Survey Elevation Data in PHP|access-date=6 November 2016|archive-date=27 June 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130627005017/http://www.osola.org.uk/elevations/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

{{Geographic location|width=auto
|title = '''Neighbouring places'''
|Northwest = [[Egremont, Merseyside|Egremont]]
|North = [[Seaforth, Merseyside|Seaforth]]<br />''(across [[River Mersey]])''
|Northeast = [[Vauxhall, Liverpool|Vauxhall]]<br />''(across [[River Mersey]])''
|West = [[Poulton, Merseyside|Poulton]]
|Centre = Seacombe
|East = [[Liverpool]]<br />''(across [[River Mersey]])''
|Southwest = [[Birkenhead]]<br />''(across [[Great Float|East Float]])''
|South = [[Birkenhead]]<br />''(across [[Great Float|East Float]])''
|Southeast = [[Liverpool]]<br />''(across [[River Mersey]])''
}}

==Notable features==
Seacombe is dominated by three landmarks. The first of these is one of the terminals for the [[Mersey Ferry]], the legendary "Ferry 'cross the Mersey" described by [[Gerry & The Pacemakers]]. The ferry travels in a triangular route between the Seacombe, [[Woodside, Merseyside|Woodside]] and [[Liverpool]] [[Pier Head]] terminals. The second landmark is the parish church of St Paul. The third is a building housing some of the ventilation systems for the [[Kingsway Tunnel]], a colossal structure which faces the river. It consists of two huge grilles which resemble stereo speakers, and a central concrete flue-like structure. This building has an almost identical counterpart on the Liverpool side of the river.

Seacombe was also home to [[Spaceport (Seacombe)|Spaceport]], a space-themed visitor attraction situated near the ferry terminal. Spaceport was opened on 26 July 2005 by [[Merseyside Passenger Transport Executive|Merseytravel]] Chairman Cllr Mark Dowd. It closed at the end of 2019 due to large financial losses.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Tyrell |first=Nick |date=2019-07-24 |title=Spaceport set to close after years of huge financial losses |url=https://www.wirralglobe.co.uk/news/17790785.spaceport-set-close-years-huge-financial-losses/ |access-date=2024-04-25 |website=Wirral Globe |language=en}}</ref> In November 2022 a new children's attraction, [[Eureka! Science + Discovery]] opened at the same site and welcomed 100,000 visitors in its first year.<ref>{{Cite web |last=birkenhead.news |date=2023-11-16 |title=Eureka! Science + Discovery celebrates first birthday and 100,000th visitor |url=https://www.birkenhead.news/eureka-science-discovery-celebrates-first-birthday-and-100000th-visitor/ |access-date=2024-04-25 |website=Birkenhead News |language=en-GB}}</ref>

[[Wallasey Town Hall]] is situated in Seacombe. It is a [[Grade II listed]] building. During [[World War I]] it was used as a military hospital. 

Seacombe is also the location of Guinea Gap Baths. It is the oldest swimming pool in the Wirral, with the first swimming club being founded in the 1890s.  It was originally filled with sea water, being so close to the River Mersey.<ref>[http://wallaseyswimmingclub.co.uk/Guinea_Gap_History.php  Guinea Gap Baths, Wallasey Swimming Club]</ref>

The nearest school to Seacombe Ferry is Riverside Primary School.  The school has over 200 pupils and over 25 staff.  The school's [[Latin]] motto is ''Da Totem Habes!'', translated as ''Give it all you've got!''

==Popular culture==
The area was immortalised in the title of "Party Seacombe", an instrumental by [[George Harrison]] on his ''[[Wonderwall Music]]'' album.  

[[Michael Portillo]] lived briefly in Seacombe in 2003 for the BBC TV programme ''When Michael Portillo became a Single Mum'', which saw the former Conservative MP experience life as a single parent (he also worked in the Asda superstore in Wallasey).<ref>{{citation|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3110657.stm |title=Portillo learns perils of childcare|publisher=BBC News|date=30 July 2003|access-date=19 July 2009}}</ref>

== Notable people ==
Falkland Road in Seacombe, which runs from Brighton Street to Liscard Road, is the birthplace of the writer, peace campaigner and philosopher [[Olaf Stapledon]], (1886 - 1950), author of ''[[Last and First Men]]'' and ''[[Star Maker]]''. Stapledon's birth certificate gives his place of birth as "Poolton (sic) - cum - Seacombe". The prominent Welsh dramatist, literary critic and politician, [[Saunders Lewis]], was born in 61 Falkland Road on 15 October 1893. [[Marjorie Cottle]], pioneer female motorcyclist was born in the town in 1900.

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

===Sources===
*{{cite book|first1=Arabella|last1=McIntyre-Brown|first2=Guy|last2=Woodland|title=Cross the Mersey: 850 years of the famous Mersey ferries|year=2003|location=Birkenhead|publisher=Garlic Press Publishing Ltd.|isbn=9781904099031|oclc=224115571}}

==Further reading==
*{{cite book|title=The History of the Hundred of Wirral|first=William Williams|last=Mortimer|year=1847|publisher=Whittaker & Co.|location=London|url=https://archive.org/stream/historyhundredw01mortgoog#page/n338/mode/2up|id=pp297-299}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Seacombe}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20140330081402/http://player.bfi.org.uk/player/watch-snowdrop-ferry-at-seacombe-1901-150651630/ZkMnM4ZjoIr3Ze2tJ4898SROodce7tGh  Short film of passengers at Seacombe Ferry in 1901]
{{Wallasey}}
{{Populated Places in Wirral Borough}}
{{Wirral Street Car}}
{{Mersey ferries}}

[[Category:Towns and villages in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral]]
[[Category:Wallasey]]