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Bootle,
the administration centre for Sefton, this area of Merseyside,
just four miles from Liverpool's city centre and part of its
urban area.
From
1799 the settlement supplied clear spring water to Liverpool
but in the early 19th century it began to grew as a fashionable
bathing resort on the sands of the estuary, much favoured
by the well-to-do.
However,
with the arrival of the Liverpool, Crosby and Southport Railway
in the 1840s, docks were soon constructed along the whole
length of the riverfront and the town became heavily industrialised.
During
World War II Bootle was a target for German air raids, with
around 90% of its houses damaged.
In the
post-War years large housing estates were built in land from
the town centre.
The docks
declined in importance in the 1960s and 1970s causing high
unemployment but since then numerous office developments have
helped provide new jobs.
The old
civic centre of Bootle still boasts some splendid Victorian
buildings to visit, including the Town Hall and Municipal
Baths. To the west of these is the Leeds and Liverpool Canal
and docks lining the Mersey Estuary.
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Bootle
