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Has any one noticed the horses names above the shops at Moreton Cross?

The small bit of research I did has revealed that the shops were financed by the races.
In short......If a horse won then a house/shop was built and the horses name put as a plaque on the building??

Is this a myth?

Any one else know anything??

Ive never heard about this, I have a book about Moreton, one of a series however so it could be in another one, I will have a look for any info later, will also ask me uncle who knows a lot about Moreton and it's history next time I see him.

Interesting stuff, will keep me eye peeled for these next time am out and about there!

I just did a Google search......Nothing turned up

Down to just local knowledge maybe?

The names are up there...."Some" have been painted over but still there...

I know there used to be a major racecourse at Leasowe. Lord Derby used to organise races there. Maybe there's a connection?

Wasn't there a racecourse on the RH side of the road between Upton Cross and Moreton many moons ago ?

Wow i didn't know that

Just updated the title with race course so its easier to find

I think that this means there was at least 4, now vanished racecourses on the Wirral:

1. The big one near Leasowe (I remeber reading about this in one of John Boumphry's books.

2. Hoylake races, which is now the golf course http://www.merseysideviews.com/Wirral%20Views/Hoylake/index.htm

3. The one on the farmland below Storeton Woods

http://books.google.com/books?id=HUHKY-rqwg0C&pg=PP9&lpg=PP9&dq=storeton+racecourse&source=web&ots=lXhFbbLnzr&sig=-v57Wu-33VlSfe1wxhzCG8B5vvo#PPA75,M1

4. Also referred to in this book is one between Raby and the Chester highroad

They must of been horse mad in the 19th Century!

The one near leasowe was where the Grand National started before it was moved to Aintree.

I've read that there was a course in upton somwhere, even saw a black and white photo...but as usual what that book was or went too god knows.

we were told at school that the races on leasowe forshore were the blue prints for what we know today as the derby which is now run at epsom.aintree has always been a national hunt course where as the races run at leasowe were flat races .if you look into the history of leasowe castle you find some info on the leasowe races.as mentioned in an earlier post the earl of derby founded the leasowe races and he basically built the castle to accomodate upper class race goers.it was the earl of sefton who founded aintree and they still run a couple of races to honour his name to this day.The Grand Sefton and the Earl of Sefton Stakes...

Im sure the names of the horses on the shops where winners that local jockey Titch Mason rode. One was called Kirkland and his house which used to be the old cattery next to cadburys was named after it.Will check though i know his great grand daughter.I also understood that the first grand national was run on the Leasowe race course.

thanks leliann - shows us ppl of the wirral we do have somethin to be proud of haha

WOW

Got the following from the offical history of national hunt racing and there is no mention of leasowe in regards to the grand national:: There is much debate among historians regarding the first official race held and most who have trawled the newspaper libraries of the United Kingdom now prefer the idea that the first running was in 1836 and was won by The Duke. This same horse triumphed again in 1837, while Sir William was the winner in 1838. These races have long been disregarded because of the belief that the 1837 & 1838 runnings took place at Maghull and not Aintree. In the last twenty years, several race historians have unearthed indisputable evidence that these three races were all run over the same course at Aintree and were regarded as having been Grand Nationals up until the mid 1860s. To date though, their calls for the Nationals of 1836-38 to be restored to the record books have been ignored. The first Grand National at Aintree was in 1839 and was won by the aptly named horse, Lottery.

got this fromk wikipedia hope this helps:::Leasowe Castle was built by Ferdinando Stanley, 5th Earl of Derby - a patron of Shakespeare - in 1593, possibly (though this is disputed) as an observation platform for the Wallasey Races which took place on the sands in the 16th and 17th centuries, and which are regarded as a forerunner of the Derby races. Ferdinando's brother William, the 6th Earl, was described as a noted sportsman and is remembered as a keen supporter of the Wallasey races.