| Noctorum | |
|---|---|
 Shops adjoining Townfield Close | |
  Noctorum Location withinMerseyside | |
| Population | 4,990 (2001 census)[1] |
| OS grid reference | SJ285875 |
| • London | 179 mi (288 km)[2] SE |
| Metropolitan borough | |
| Metropolitan county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | PRENTON |
| Postcode district | CH43 |
| Dialling code | 0151 |
| ISO 3166 code | GB-WRL |
| Police | Merseyside |
| Fire | Merseyside |
| Ambulance | North West |
| UK Parliament | |
| |
Noctorum is a suburb ofBirkenhead,Merseyside, England. Administratively it is within theMetropolitan Borough of Wirral as part ofClaughton Ward. Noctorum is in the north east of theWirral Peninsula, bounded by theBeechwood estate to the north,Claughton andOxton to the east and south east, and theRiver Fender andM53 motorway to the west.
Due to a redefining ofpost towns by the Royal Mail in 2003, Noctorum is identified as being withinPrenton (which is in fact a geographically separate suburb of Birkenhead). However, this change was purely for postal services and Noctorum remains a part of Birkenhead.
At the2001 census the population of Noctorum was 4,990.[1] For the2011 census no population figures specific to Noctorum were available. However the total population of Claughton Ward, which includes Noctorum, was 14,705.[3]
It has been suggested that the name Noctorum isOld Irish in origin, originallyCnocc Tírim, meaning "Dry Hill".[4] This may be in reference toBidston Hill,[citation needed] on which Noctorum is situated on its western slope. The name may long pre-date the Norse-Irish settlement in the early 10th century and go back to aHibernian settlement of the west coast in theSub-Roman period (early 5th century).[citation needed]
Noctorum appears asChenoterie (Norman French) in theDomesday Book.[5] "Chêne" (French for oak)may be used here, as in the Wirral hamlet ofLandican (Old Welsh/Brythonic) calledLandechene, the Oak Enclosure in the Norman French of Domesday Book.
Noctorum was atownship of theparish ofWoodchurch,[6] in theWirral Hundred. In 1866, Noctorum became a separatecivil parish until 1 April 1933, when the parish was abolished and merged with Birkenhead St Mary.[7] In the same year, Noctorum was subsumed into theCounty Borough of Birkenhead, within the county ofCheshire.[8][9] On 1 April 1974,local government reorganisation in England and Wales resulted in most of the Wirral Peninsula, including Noctorum, transfer from the county of Cheshire to the nascent county of Merseyside.
The population of Noctorum was recorded at 17 in 1801, 32 in 1851, 212 in 1901[8] and 473 in 1931.[10] In the 2001 census, it stood at 4,990.
Noctorum is in the northern part of the Wirral Peninsula, approximately 4.5 km (2.8 mi) south-south-east of theIrish Sea atLeasowe, 6.5 km (4.0 mi) east-north-east of theDee Estuary atCaldy and 4 km (2.5 mi) west of theRiver Mersey atTranmere. Noctorum is situated on the western side of theBidston toStoreton ridge, with the area at an elevation of between 10–60 m (33–197 ft) above sea level.[11]
Neighbouring places | |
|---|---|
Noctorum is within the parliamentary constituency ofBirkenhead. The current Member of Parliament isMick Whitley, aLabour representative. He has been the MP since 2019.
Atlocal government level, Noctorum is incorporated into theClaughtonWard of theMetropolitan Borough of Wirral, in themetropolitan county of Merseyside. It is represented onWirral Metropolitan Borough Council by three councillors.[12]
Noctorum Lane is the site of the Grade IIlisted buildings Mere Hall and Rathmore. Both large houses were designed byEdmund Kirby and built in the 1880s.[13][14]
Ridgeway High School and the Discovery City Learning Centre (containing Ridgeway Library) are situated within this suburb. There is also a largecouncil estate located here.
Upton railway station is the nearest station to Noctorum. It is located on theBorderlands line betweenBidston andWrexham.
