The Poulton Research Project

Wallasey has a long and varied history; a past that stretches back into the mists of time. A lot of research has been undertaken into the more recent past, but very little in respect of more distant times.

Some 6,500 years ago nomadic hunters and fishermen began to settle down in the area. Small family groups evolved into the first farmers. Close by the Y.M.C.A several sites have yielded prehistoric 'finds', ranging from flint arrowheads to stone hammers.
Zig Zag Road, Longland Road, Rake Lane Cemetery and Maddock Road are just a few of the places that have provided tantalising glimpses of Wallasey's prehistoric past.

During the Roman period Wallasey lay between the two known sites of Irby, to the south, and the important Roman trading port of Meols, to the north-west.
Roman coins have surfaced in Rice Hey Road. One is dated 161-181 AD, the reign of Marcus Aurelius (the Emperor depicted at the beginning of the film 'Gladiator', starring Russell Crowe). Were such coins lost by a merchant travelling between Meols and the Roman fortress at Chester? Or by a soldier patrolling the Wirral peninsula?

However, all of the artefacts have been 'chance finds', mostly surfacing in the late 19th - early 20th century. They provide only hints as to how people might have populated the area.

It is with the arrival of the Saxons, followed by that of the Vikings, that Wallasey's history becomes a little clearer. The name Wallasey is Saxon in origin. Translated literally it means 'The Island of the Strangers/Foreigners' i.e. non-Saxons. When the Saxons arrived in N. Wirral, they recognised the area as a place exclusively settled by Britons or Celts. Such people were known as the 'walesi', or 'walea'. It is where the name Wales originates from.

In time a group of Vikings fled Dublin and settled on the Wirral under their leader Ingimund, around 902/3 AD. The rocky coastline, marshes and creeks of the Wallasey area would have been a familiar landscape to the new arrivals. Also, the 'ley', or island, would have been much more accessible from the sea than from the land.

Many place-names are of Scandinavian origin: Kirkby, Leeskirk, the Breck and Meols are but a few in the area. Meols originated as the Viking 'Melr', meaning sandbank.
In 937, the Battle of Bromborough took place. Vikings from Dublin, under King Anlaf, landed on the Wirral, probably at 'friendly' Wallasey.

Wallasey is mentioned in Domesday Book, the great land survey commissioned by William the Conqueror and completed in 1086. However, its history during the Medieval period is little known, apart from the township of Liscard.

The excavation at the Y.M.C.A was directed by the Poulton Research Project on behalf of the Aspire Trust Limited. With the knowledge that 'finds' had surfaced from nearby locations, it was hoped that the 'dig' might shed some light on Wallasey's distant past, particularly in the light of the Y.M.C.A.'s original field-name, 'lntak', which in itself is of Norse or Viking origin.

What did the 'dig' reveal?

Many finds were recovered from the excavation. These included pottery, metalwork and animal bones, particularly pig and cattle. Most originated from the 19th century, during the Victorian period.

Much of the pottery confirmed the fact that the site was once part of an ornamental garden adjacent to the current Y.M.C.A. However, one piece of pottery was totally different to anything else that was found. It was unglazed and dated from the late 1190's, the reign of King Richard the Lionheart.

Although the excavation produced few real clues as to the site's history, the fact that finds have been unearthed at nearby locations, suggests that more is still to be discovered. It is only a matter of time before new discoveries are made, discoveries that will undoubtedly help to fill in the gaps and extend and enrich Wallasey's long and varied history.