Formby
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Formby is a town in Sefton, Merseyside, England on the Irish Sea coast. It is almost entirely residential, consisting mainly of 20th century semi-detached and detached housing. The remains of an early Victorian lifeboat station are slowly decaying on the beach.
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Geography
Formby is situated in the centre of the coastal area of Southwest Lancashire, thirteen miles North of Liverpool and seven miles South of Southport. Formby Point is a very important tip which marks the beginning of the channel into the Mersey Estuary from the Irish Sea. This is often marked on Maps of the British Isles, which otherwise omit much larger towns and settlements.
History
The 'by' at the end of the name suggests a Viking origin, although signs of settlement have been found predating this. At certain times, footprints of neolithic animals and humans are uncovered preserved in the layers of sand and mud.
Vikings and Formby The village of Formby was originally spelt Fornebei and means "village belonging to Forni". At that time Forni was a well known Norse family name. He could have been the leader of the invading expidition which took possession of this land. Today, in Norway, Oslo Airport is situated in a town called Fornebu. The familiar town name ending in by is from the Scandinavian byr meaning homestead, settlement or village.
The vikings were a race of people who lived in Denmark, Norway and Sweden. It is thought that it was in the middle of the 9th Century when Vikings mainly from Denmark or Danes invaded England. They probably left their homelands of Scandinavia because of overpopulation, tribal conflicts and a thirst for exploration for new resources, they sailed around the north of Scotland and settled on the Scottish isles, the Isle of Man and Ireland. It was from Ireland in about 960AD that these Norsemen or Vikings first came to the west coast of Lancashire, first trading or raiding and then settling. Tradition says that the Viking invaders failed to defeat the native Anglo-Saxons on the coast of Formby so they sailed inland, up the river Alt, and attacked from the rear. It is more probable that the Viking invaders simply found that the area was thinly populated so they took control without any blood being shed.
Biology
Natterjack.jpg
caption=Natterjack
Economy
It is famous for its production of asparagus. The beach is popular with day-trippers from Liverpool.
Transport
Formby has two railway stations, Formby and Freshfield, both on the Northern Line, and has direct rail connections to Southport, Liverpool and Hunts Cross.
External links
- Photos of Formby Point (http://y2u.co.uk/&002_Images/Formby%20Point%2001.htm)
- Formby station timetable (http://www.livedepartureboards.co.uk/ldb/summary.aspx?T=FBY) from National Rail's Live Departure Boards