Originally a standalone village, Woolton was incorporated into Liverpool in 1913. The area was referred to as "Uluentune" in the Domesday Book, with the name translating as "farm of Wulfa".[7] Shortly after the Domesday survey, which was completed in 1086, Woolton became part of the Barony of Halton and Widnes. In 1189, a charge was granted by John, Constable of Chester, to the order of Knights of St. John of Jerusalem, a religious order who protected the routes for Christians on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. The Knights held land in Woolton for over 350 years, until it was confiscated from them in 1559 by Queen Elizabeth I. The manorial rights to Woolton passed from Queen Elizabeth to James I, who sold them to William Stanley, 6th Earl of Derby. Woolton then passed to Isaac Green, then his daughter, then her son Bamber Gascoyne of Childwall (MP for Liverpool 1780–1796 and an ancestor of longtime University Challenge host Bamber Gascoigne),[7] and is now owned by the Marquess of Salisbury.
Housing is primarily detached and semi-detached, although some terraces survive in Woolton Village (the centre of the suburb). Pubs in the area include The Cobden, The Elephant, The Grapes, The Victoria, and The White Horse, with more within walking distance. Other notable buildings include the Victorian public swimming baths and the public library, which was converted from a Methodist chapel but closed in 2012 as part of Liverpool City Council's cost-cutting measures.[citation needed] Woolton has a number of churches, including St Mary's (Catholic), St Peter's (Anglican), and St James's (Methodist). The Catholic schools St Francis Xavier's and St Julie's are also located in Woolton.
Numerous sites of interest associated with the Beatles can be found in Woolton, most notably John Lennon's childhood home at 251 Menlove Avenue and the children's care home Strawberry Field, both of which are just one street away from each other. It is also generally believed that Lennon first met Paul McCartney during a fêteatSt Peter's Church in Woolton on 6 July 1957.[8] The churchyard additionally houses the graves of Eleanor Rigby and Lennon's uncle, George Toogood Smith, with whom he lived at 251 Menlove Avenue for much of his childhood.[9]
