Moreton, Merseyside

Moreton is also known for being the home of the Burton's factory, and now owned by Duke Street Capital.[11] This factory was also the producer of Cadbury's biscuits. Manor Bakeries, the former Cadbury's cakes department, (now owned by Premier Foods Group) is located in the town at Reeds Lane, near to Leasowe railway station.

Moreton is also home to Typhoo Tea, with the factory which manufactures Typhoo, being located next to the Burton's factory.

The Bristol-Myers-Squibb Pharmaceutical Research Institute

Until the 1990s, Bristol-Myers Squibb was also a major employer to the local workforce, with a large factory located on the opposite side of Reeds Lane to Burton's, next to Leasowe Station. However, in the mid-90s, manufacturing was moved out of Moreton which led to the closure of the factory. At the same time, there was actually heavy investment into modern drug development and research labs on the site, which are still operated by Bristol-Myers Squibb. In 2009, the company provided further investment into the site.[12]

The Tarran Way Industrial Estate is mainly home to various car repair facilities, and other light industry businesses.

Dantec is the UK's biggest manufacturer of composite hoses, which are used in the transfer of petrochemicals. The company was established in 1969,[13] and the business is situated on Tarran Way.[14]

Della Robbia Pottery used local red clay from Moreton. Barker and Briscoe Brickworks[15] was situated on Carr Lane, 1 mile (1.6 km) west of the centre of the village.

Moreton Christ Church CofE Primary School, located on Upton Road, is a Church of England school that educates around 400 pupils in ages 4–11. It was opened, as the 'Moreton Church of England School', in 1861 in the centre of Moreton. It was established in its current location in 1974.

Other schools include Sacred Heart Primary School, Lingham Primary School, Eastway Primary School, Sandbrook Primary School, Foxfield School (formerly St Thomas Becket Catholic School demolished around 2012/13), Orrets Meadow Special School and Clare Mount Specialist Sports College (formerly Moreton Middle School).

Christ Church, situated on Upton Road

Moreton has various religious establishments, though all of Christian denominations. The most substantial building is the Church of England's Christ Church[16] on Upton Road, which was built in 1863 and replaced an earlier building known as a chapel-of-ease. This earlier building had been pulled down by 1690, and was then within the parish of Bidston.[17] The church, vicarage and school were built at a cost of £8,000, paid for by a donation from William Inman,[18][19] with the church being designed by Cunningham and Audsley.[20][21] The church has a spire, and used to have a rectory which was demolished in 1922.[18] Christ Church became a Grade II listed building in 1987.[21]

The other significant churches include Sacred Heart Catholic Church and the Moreton Methodist Church. The smaller establishments include the Moreton Presbyterian Church, the Moreton Christian Assembly, the Moreton Baptist Church and a building belonging to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Moreton Library is situated on Pasture Road,[22] with a nearby youth club and boxing club.[23][24] A dance club is further along Pasture Road,[23] near to Moreton Shore and the lighthouse. The 4th Moreton Scout Group is situated on Upton Road.

The Coach & Horses public house

Public houses include the Coach & Horses Inn which opened in 1928,[23] The Grange, The Mockbeggar Hall, which is a branch of JD Wetherspoon, The Farmers Arms, The Sandbrook and The Armchair. Former pubs included the Morton Arms, noted for its incorrect spelling, although it is thought to be an external source and not intended as Moreton, the Millhouse (demolished 2018) and the Plough Inn (demolished).[23]

Parks include Lingham Park and Upton Park. Meanwhile, Ditton Lane Nature Reserve is towards the coast, along with the North Wirral Coastal Park. In the North Wirral Coastal Park, Leasowe Lighthouse was built in 1763 and is the oldest brick-built lighthouse in Britain.[25][26] The lighthouse was built because of the sandbanks just offshore. It has been restored and is open to the public at times.

The Moreton Hills Golf Centre has a driving range which is situated adjacent to the Tarran Way Industrial Estate.[27] Moreton Football Club was on Upton Road, and is now based at Sandbrook Lane, as Sandbrook FC.[23][28]

Moreton is situated at the roundabout junction of roads from Bidston (the A553), Leasowe (the A551), Meols (the A553) and Upton (the A551). The A5027 Upton bypass continues into Junction 2a of the M53 motorway, known as Moreton Spur, to the south of Moreton.[29][30][31]

Moreton witnessed the world's first commercial passenger and mail hovercraft service. A Vickers-Armstrong VA-3 hovercraft was operated by British United Airways and ran from Leasowe embankment to Rhyl in North Wales.[32] The service commenced on 20 July 1962.[32] However, due to varying reasons including bad weather and technical difficulties the service was cancelled after its final journey on 14 September 1962.[32]

There are two stations serving Moreton, these are Moreton and Leasowe. Both stations are on the West Kirby branch of the Wirral Line and have direct electric services, operated by Merseyrail, to West Kirby and Liverpool Central via Birkenhead. Both Leasowe and Moreton offer park and ride facilities. A third station has been proposed to serve the Town Meadow / Millhouse areas but this is currently seen as a long term project by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority.