Historically part of Lancashire, Bootle’s proximity to the River Mersey and the industrial city of Liverpool to the south saw it grow rapidly in the 1800s, first as a dormitory town for wealthy merchants, and then as a centre of commerce and industry in its own right following the arrival of the railway and the expansion of the docks and shipping industries.
The docks made Bootle a target for bombing during the 2nd World War and much of the area was destroyed. Redevelopment of the docks and old dockland areas is beginning to see the area being brought back to life.
Today the HSE has offices in the town and celebrities from the area include Keith Chegwin (TV Presenter) & Tom O’Connor (comedian) as well as several well-known footballers Jamie Carragher and Steve McManaman
Litherland was mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Liderlant and its name is a hybrid from Old Norse hlið/hlith-ar which means “slope” and Old English land “land”.
Litherland remained a poor area until the arrival of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal in 1774, this brought the area into the modern world, originally providing a safe route through Lancashire from Liverpool to Wigan, and eventually in 1816 through to Leeds.
Unfortunately Bootle & Litherland is the only division without a Division Standard at present.
