Parts of Sefton go back to the Domesday Book but the borough was officially formed on April 1, 1974.
From Southport in the north down to Bootle in the south, the area is a mix of lush coastline, farmland, industrial areas and villages. The building of the Liverpool-Southport railway in 1850 saw its popularity rise, with wealthy merchants and the emerging middle class moving to the coastline.
The borough was named after the ancient village of Sefton. When it was created, a name was sought that would not identify it with the former county boroughs of Bootle or Southport.
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Sefton's name, in Old Norse, means "the hamlet where the reeds grow" and the village was listed as "Sextone" in the Domesday Book. The Earl of Sefton was a title in the Peerage of Ireland created in 1771 for the 8th Viscount Molyneux.
The Molyneux family were important landowners in Sefton who settled in England after coming from France in the 1100s. The family held their seat at Croxteth Hall right up to 1972 when Hugh William Osbert Molyneux, the last of his line, died and Croxteth Hall was passed to Liverpool City Council.
The Molyneux family held a large moated manor and St. Helen's Church in Sefton Village without interruption from about 1100 to 1700 before they moved to Croxteth Hall. The moat of the old hall is still visible as scrub-covered wetland opposite the church which is Sefton's only Grade I listed building.
What about Sefton Park?
Confusing to some who don't live in the region, Sefton Park is not actually in Sefton. The Grade I listed park is the largest of Liverpool’s Victorian parks, notable for its boating lake and palm house, as well as being the location of many of Liverpool's biggest events throughout the year.
The site was once within the boundaries of the 2,300-acre Royal Deer Park of Toxteth but the land eventually came under the control of the Earl of Sefton.
The park was formed from agricultural land purchased in 1864 from Lord Sefton and Mr Livingstone for £250,000. It was officially opened by Prince Arthur in 1872 who dedicated it "for the health and enjoyment of the townspeople".
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