View source for Ellesmere Port

{{Short description|Town in Cheshire, England}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2018}}
{{Use British English|date=April 2021}}
{{Infobox UK place
|country                  = England
|official_name            = Ellesmere Port
|type                     = Town
|coordinates              = {{coord|53.279|-2.897|display=inline,title}}
|london_distance          = {{convert|170|mi|km|abbr=on}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://boulter.com/gps/distance/?from=53.279+-2.897&to=51.507+-0.127&units=m|title=Coordinate Distance Calculator|work=boulter.com|access-date=8 March 2016}}</ref>
|london_direction         = SE
|population               = 65,430
|population_ref           = (Built up area, 2021)<ref>{{cite web |title=Towns and cities, characteristics of built-up areas, England and Wales: Census 2021 |url=https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/housing/articles/townsandcitiescharacteristicsofbuiltupareasenglandandwales/census2021 |website=Census 2021 |publisher=Office for National Statistics |access-date=8 August 2023}}</ref>
|unitary_england          = [[Cheshire West and Chester]]
|lieutenancy_england      = [[Cheshire]]
|region                   = North West England
|constituency_westminster = [[Ellesmere Port and Bromborough (UK Parliament constituency)|Ellesmere Port and Bromborough]]
|post_town                = ELLESMERE PORT
|postcode_district        = CH65, CH66
|postcode_area            = CH
|dial_code                = 0151
|os_grid_reference        = SJ4175
|static_image_name        = Civic Hall, Ellesmere Port.jpg
|static_image_caption     = Ellesmere Port Civic Hall
}}
<!-- start of article -->
'''Ellesmere Port''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|ɛ|l|z|m|ɪər}} {{respell|ELZ|meer}}) is an industrial port town in the [[Cheshire West and Chester]] borough in [[Cheshire]], England. Ellesmere Port is on the south-eastern edge of the <!--geographically and historically, but not administratively-->[[Wirral Peninsula]], {{convert|6|mi|km|0|abbr=off|spell=on}} north of [[Chester]], although not part of the [[Metropolitan Borough of Wirral|Wirral]]  administratively or [[Merseyside]]. It is on the bank of the [[Manchester Ship Canal]]. In the [[2021 United Kingdom census|2021 census]], the built up area had a population of 65,430.

The town was originally established on the [[River Mersey]] at the entrance to the [[Ellesmere Canal]].  As well as a service sector economy, it has retained large industries including [[Stanlow Refinery|Stanlow oil refinery]], a chemical works and the [[Vauxhall Motors]] car factory. There are also a number of tourist attractions including the [[National Waterways Museum, Ellesmere Port|National Waterways Museum]], the [[Blue Planet Aquarium]] and [[Cheshire Oaks Designer Outlet]].

{{TOC limit|2}}

==History==
[[File:Ellesmere-port-stanlow.jpg|left|thumb|
[[Ellesmere Port Dock]] at the [[Manchester Ship Canal]] looking towards the [[Stanlow Refinery]] ]]
The town of Ellesmere Port was founded at the outlet of the never-completed [[Ellesmere Canal]], named after the town of [[Ellesmere, Shropshire]]. The canal (now renamed) was designed and engineered by [[William Jessop]] and [[Thomas Telford]] as part of a project to connect the rivers [[River Severn|Severn]], [[River Mersey|Mersey]] and [[River Dee, Wales|Dee]]. The canal was intended to be completed in sections. In 1795 the section between the [[River Mersey]] and the River Dee at [[Chester]] was opened. However the canal was not finished as first intended; it never reached the River Severn. Upon re-evaluation, it was decided that the costs to complete the project were not projected to be repaid because of a decrease in expected commercial traffic. There had been a loss of competitive advantage caused by steam engine-related economic advances (nationally, regionally and locally) during the first decade of the canal's construction.

The 1793 act authorising the canal's construction referred to its connection to the Mersey being "at or near Netherpool". In the event, the canal's northern end was not built in the [[Township (England)|township]] of Netherpool, but in the neighbouring township of Whitby to the east.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Hanshall |first1=J. H. |title=The History of the County Palatine of Chester |date=1817 |page=88 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wsYHAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA88 |access-date=5 February 2025}}</ref> The settlement which grew up at the canal basin was known both as 'Ellesmere Port' and 'Whitby Locks' at first.<ref>{{cite web |title=Sheet LXXX NW Northwich |url=https://maps.nls.uk/view/257403451 |website=National Library of Scotland |publisher=Ordnance Survey |access-date=5 February 2025 |date=1842}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Ellesmere Port |url=https://epns.nottingham.ac.uk/browse/Cheshire/Eastham+%26+Stoke/53283641b47fc4085600093d-Ellesmere+Port |website=Survey of English Place-Names |publisher=The English Place-Name Society |access-date=5 February 2025}}</ref>

Settlements had existed in the area since the writing of the [[Domesday Book]] in the 11th century, which mentions [[Great Sutton]],<ref name=OD>[https://opendomesday.org/place/XX0000/great-and-little-sutton/ "Great and Little Sutton"] at opendomesday; retrieved 21 September 2025</ref> [[Little Sutton, Cheshire|Little Sutton]],<ref name=OD/> Pool<ref>{{cite web|url=http://opendomesday.org/place/XX0000/nether-and-over-pool/|title=Place: [Nether and Over] Pool|publisher=Open Domesday|first=Anna|last=Powell-Smith|access-date=1 December 2015}}</ref> (now [[Overpool]]<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/compress/cu31924028139339/formats=ARCHIVE%20BITTORRENT,RAW%20CORNELL%20BOOK%20ZIP,DUBLIN%20CORE,METADATA,MARC,MARC%20BINARY|title=The place-names of the Liverpool district; or, the history and meaning of the local and river names of south-west Lancashire and of Wirral|first=Henry|last=Harrison|publisher=Elliot Stock|year=1898|access-date=23 December 2012}}</ref>) and [[Hooton, Cheshire|Hooton]].<ref>[https://opendomesday.org/place/SJ3679/hooton/ "Hooton"]   at opendomesday; retrieved 21 September 2025</ref><ref name=CHSS>{{cite web|url=http://www.cheshirearchaeology.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/HTS_Arch_Assess_EllesmerePort.pdf |title=Cheshire Historic Towns Survey, Ellesmere Port, Archaeological Assessment |publisher=Cheshire County Council |year=2003 |access-date=1 December 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208130423/http://www.cheshirearchaeology.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/HTS_Arch_Assess_EllesmerePort.pdf |archive-date=8 December 2015}}</ref>

The first houses in Ellesmere Port itself, however, grew up around the docks and the first main street was Dock Street, which now houses the National Waterways Museum. Station Road, which connected the docks with the village of Whitby, also gradually developed and as more shops were needed, some of the houses became retail premises. The main employer at this time was Burnell's Iron Works which had been set up at the end of the nineteenth century. This was followed by the setting up of the Mersey Ironworks factory by the Wolverhampton Corrugated Iron Company In 1905 who settled on Ellesmere Port as a way of exploiting the company's international trade through the nearby ports of Birkenhead and Liverpool. Initially 300 workers and their families came from [[Wolverhampton]] and the surrounding areas to work in the factory, settling in a specially built worker's village named “Wolverham”.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.roydenhistory.co.uk/eportwarmemorial/alsoserved/not_on_wm/griffiths_henry_and_e/griffiths_h%20and%20e.pdf|title=Wolverhampton Corrugated Iron Company|first=Mike|last=Royden|access-date=15 March 2021}}</ref> As the expanding industrial areas growing up around the canal and its docks attracted more workers to the area, the town itself continued to expand.

[[File:Ellesmere-port-lighthouse-1.jpg|thumb|Whitby lighthouse]]
[[File:Cottage Hospital - geograph.org.uk - 34849.jpg|thumb|Ellesmere Port Hospital]]
By the mid-20th century, thanks to the opening of the [[Manchester Ship Canal]] in 1894 and the Stanlow Oil Refinery in the 1920s, Ellesmere Port had expanded so that it now incorporated the villages of Great and Little Sutton, Hooton, Whitby, Overpool and Rivacre as suburbs. The town centre itself had moved from the Station Road/Dock Street area, to an area that had once been home to a [[stud farm]] (indeed, the former [[Ellesmere Port and Neston]] Borough Council officially referred to the town centre as Stud Farm for housing allocation purposes) around the crossroads of Sutton Way/Stanney Lane and Whitby Road.

The foundation stone for Ellesmere Port Civic Hall was laid by the Chairman of Ellesmere Port Borough Council, Horace Black, on 2 May 1953.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nwfa.mmu.ac.uk/default_twocolumn.php?skip=3045&Global=*&dates=&category=&ContentCounty=&Abroad=&Professional=&ProfCategories=&AmCategories=&AllPodCategories=&AvailableOnline=|title=The Laying of the Foundation Stone at the new Civic Hall|publisher=Manchester Metropolitan University|access-date=22 February 2021}}</ref> It was designed in the [[Modern architecture|modernist style]] and completed in 1955.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.epmsonline.co.uk/index.php/our-concerts/36-ellesmere-port-civic-hall|title=Ellesmere Port Civic Hall|publisher=Ellesmere Port Music Society|access-date=22 February 2021}}</ref> The [[Ellesmere Port Council Offices]] were constructed just to the southwest of the civic hall and completed in 1969.<ref>{{cite news |title=Borough of Ellesmere Port |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/ |access-date=6 September 2022 |work=Cheshire Observer |date=12 December 1969 |location=Chester |page=11 |quote=...at the new Municipal Offices, 4 Civic Way, Ellesmere Port...}}</ref>

In the 20th century, a number of new housing estates were developed, many of them on the sites of former farms such as Hope Farm and Grange Farm. Many estates consisted of both [[council housing]] and privately owned houses and flats.

Ellesmere Port, in more recent times has had an influx of immigrants from [[Liverpool]]. Thus demand for housing increased with the opening of the [[Vauxhall Motors]] [[Vauxhall Ellesmere Port|car plant]] in 1962. Opened as a components supplier to the [[Luton]] plant, passenger car production began in 1964 with the [[Vauxhall Viva (1963–1979)|Vauxhall Viva]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.factorytour.co.uk/ellesmereport/ |title=Ellesmere Port car factory- Vauxhall, Opel |publisher=Factorytour.co.uk |access-date=20 May 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120314155901/http://www.factorytour.co.uk/ellesmereport/ |archive-date=14 March 2012}}</ref> The plant is now Vauxhall's only car factory in Britain, since the end of passenger car production at the Luton plant in 2004 (where commercial vehicles are still made). Ellesmere Port currently produces the [[Vauxhall Astra]] model on two shifts, employing 2,500 people.

In the mid-1980s, the Port Arcades, a covered [[shopping mall]] was built in the town centre. By the 1990s, it was the retail sector rather than the industrial that was attracting workers and their families to the town. This was boosted with the building of the Cheshire Oaks outlet village and the Coliseum shopping park, which also included a [[Multiplex (movie theater)|multiplex]] cinema; prior to this since the closure of the cinema in Station Road, Little Sutton (King's cinema) and the Queen's cinema adjacent to Ellesmere Port railway station in the 1960s the town's only cinema had been a single screen in the EPIC Leisure Centre.

In August 2012, [[Marks & Spencer]] opened their largest store (apart from Marble Arch in London) on a site near the Coliseum shopping park.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://corporate.marksandspencer.com/stories/blog/mands-cheshire-oaks-store |title=M&S Cheshire Oaks Store|publisher=Marks and Spencer|access-date=27 April 2021}}</ref>

==Governance==
[[File:The Portal, Ellesmere Port.jpg|thumb|The Portal, Wellington Road: Main offices of Cheshire West and Chester Council]]
There is one main tier of local government covering Ellesmere Port, at [[Unitary authorities of England|unitary authority]] level, being [[Cheshire West and Chester Council]]. Most of the Ellesmere Port built up area is [[unparished area|unparished]], with the exception of the [[civil parish]] of [[Little Stanney]] on the south-eastern edge of the urban area.<ref name=electionmaps>{{cite web |title=Election Maps |url=https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/election-maps/gb/ |publisher=Ordnance Survey |access-date=5 February 2025}}</ref> Cheshire West and Chester Council has its main offices in the town, at the Portal on Wellington Road.<ref>{{cite web |title=Registered office address |url=https://www.cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk/residents/contact-us/registered-office-address |website=Cheshire West and Chester Council |access-date=5 February 2025}}</ref>

===Parliamentary representation===
At national level, Ellesmere Port is part of the [[Ellesmere Port and Bromborough (UK Parliament constituency)|Ellesmere Port and Bromborough constituency]].<ref name=electionmaps/> {{As of|2025}}, the constituency is represented by [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]] [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] (MP) [[Justin Madders]].

===Administrative history===
The site where Ellesmere Port was developed from the 1790s onwards lay within the [[Township|township]] of Whitby. The township was mostly in the [[ancient parish]] of [[Eastham, Merseyside|Eastham]] but partly in the parish of Stoke (now called [[Stoak]]). Both parishes formed part of the [[Wirral Hundred]] of Cheshire. Whitby village lay about {{convert|1|mile|km}} inland from the port, close to where the modern town centre later developed.<ref>{{cite web |title=Whitby Township / Civil Parish |url=https://visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10158102/boundary |website=A Vision of Britain through Time |publisher=GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth |access-date=5 February 2025}}</ref> From the 17th century onwards, parishes were gradually given various civil functions under the [[poor laws]], in addition to their original ecclesiastical functions. In some cases, including Whitby, the civil functions were exercised by each township separately rather than the parishes as a whole. In 1866, the legal definition of 'parish' was changed to be the areas used for administering the poor laws, and so Whitby became a [[civil parish]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Youngs |first1=Frederic |title=Guide to the Local Administrative Units of England: Volume II, Northern England |date=1991 |publisher=Royal Historical Society |location=London |isbn=0861931270 |page=xv}}</ref>

The parish of Whitby was converted into an [[Urban district (England and Wales)|urban district]] called Ellesmere Port and Whitby in 1902.<ref>{{cite book |title=Annual Report of the Local Government Board |date=1902 |page=293 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HUswAQAAMAAJ&q=Ellesmere%20Port |access-date=4 February 2025}}</ref> The urban district was enlarged in 1910 to absorb the parishes of [[Netherpool]], [[Overpool]], Great Stanney, and [[Stanlow Island|Stanlow]]. In 1911, the civil parishes within the urban district were reorganised into two [[urban parish]]es: Ellesmere Port (covering the area of the abolished parishes of Netherpool, Overpool and Whitby), and Great Stanney, which absorbed the area of the abolished parish of Stanlow.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10492233  |title= Ellesmere Port and Whitby UD|publisher=Vision of Britain| access-date=23 March 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Kelly's Directory of Cheshire |date=1914 |page=330 |url=https://specialcollections.le.ac.uk/digital/collection/p16445coll4/id/235527/rec/3 |access-date=5 February 2025}}</ref>

The urban district was enlarged again in 1933 to take in the parishes of [[Childer Thornton]], [[Hooton, Cheshire|Hooton]], [[Ince, Cheshire|Ince]], [[Great Sutton]], and [[Little Sutton, Cheshire|Little Sutton]], with some adjustments to the boundaries with neighbouring parishes. The enlarged urban district was renamed from Ellesmere Port and Whitby to just Ellesmere Port at the same time. The parish of Ellesmere Port was enlarged to cover the whole urban district in 1950, and in 1955 the urban district was raised to the status of a [[municipal borough]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Ellesmere Port Urban District / Municipal Borough |url=https://visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10081610#tab02 |website=A Vision of Britain through Time |publisher=GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth |access-date=5 February 2025}}</ref>

[[File:Council Offices - geograph.org.uk - 34846.jpg|thumb|left|[[Ellesmere Port Council Offices]]]]
The borough of Ellesmere Port was abolished in 1974 under the [[Local Government Act 1972]]. The area had been considered for inclusion in the new county of [[Merseyside]], but it was decided instead to leave it in Cheshire as part of the new borough of [[Ellesmere Port and Neston]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Brand |first1=Jack |title=Local Government Reform in England 1888–1974 |date=2022 |publisher=Taylor and Francis |isbn=9781000631289 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2pRwEAAAQBAJ&dq=local%20government%20ellesmere%20port%20merseyside&pg=PT55 |access-date=5 February 2025}}</ref> Ellesmere Port was the largest town in the new borough, and was where the new borough council established its headquarters, using the former borough council's offices on Civic Way as its headquarters.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=58649|page=4534|date=26 March 2008}}</ref>

Ellesmere Port and Neston Borough Council was abolished in 2009, when local government across Cheshire was reorganised; [[Cheshire County Council]] was also abolished, and the three districts of [[Chester (district)|Chester]], Ellesmere Port and Neston, and [[Vale Royal]] merged to become Cheshire West and Chester.<ref>{{cite legislation UK|type=si|si=The Cheshire (Structural Changes) Order 2008|year=2008|number=634|access-date=14 January 2024}}</ref> The Cheshire West and Chester councillors representing the wards which cover Ellesmere Port act as [[charter trustees]] to preserve the town's civic traditions, including choosing one of their number to serve as the town's mayor.<ref>{{cite legislation UK|type=si|si=The Local Government (Structural Changes) (Miscellaneous Amendments and Other Provision) Order 2009|year=2009|number=837}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Ellesmere Port Charter Trustees |url=https://cmttpublic.cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk/mgCommitteeDetails.aspx?ID=601 |website=Cheshire West and Chester Council |access-date=5 February 2025}}</ref>

==Demography==
[[File:Joseph Groome Towers, Ellesmere Port (1).JPG|thumb|Joseph Groome Apartment blocks]]
[[File:Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Church, Ellesmere Port.JPG|thumb|Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Church]]
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Population since 1901<ref name=CHSS/>
! Year !! Population
|-
| 1901 || 10,366
|-
| 1911 || 10,253
|-
| 1921 || 12,891
|-
| 1931 || 18,267
|-
| 1951 || 32,653
|-
| 1961 || 44,681
|-
| 1971 || 61,637
|-
| 1981 || 63,315
|-
| 1991 || 31,378
|-
| 2001 || 64,100
|-
| 2011 || 61,090
|-
|}

The [[2011 United Kingdom census|2011 census]] records 27,134 households in Ellesmere Port, with 40.9% of the population aged between 30 and 59. It lists the [[ethnicity]] of the town as 95.2% White British, 0.8% White Irish, 1.6% White Other, 0.8% mixed ethnicity, 1.1% Asian, 0.2% Black and 0.1% other. 97.8% speak English as a first language.<ref name=2011census>{{NOMIS2011|id=E35001428|title=Ellesmere Port Built-up area|access-date=27 April 2021}}</ref>

==Religion==
According to the 2011 census, the main religion of Ellesmere Port is Christianity with 72.1% of the population. 20% have no religion, 6% are unspecified, 0.4% are Muslim, 0.2% are Buddhist, 0.1% Hindu and 0.2% other.<ref name=2011census/>

==Landmarks==
[[File:Entrance to the Blue Planet Aquarium, Ellesmere Port.jpg|thumb|Blue Planet Aquarium]]
[[File:A very wet day at Cheshire Oaks shopping centre - geograph.org.uk - 951025.jpg|thumb|Cheshire Oaks shopping centre]]
*[[Blue Planet Aquarium]], largest aquarium in the UK 1998–1999
*[[Cheshire Oaks Designer Outlet]], largest outlet village in the UK 1995–present, largest outlet village in Europe 1995–1998. It is the location of the UK's largest artificial Christmas tree, {{convert|90|ft|m}} tall and {{convert|32|ft|m}} wide<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.chesterfirst.co.uk/news/117002/cheshire-oaks-bosses-plan-huge-christmas-event.aspx |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130420055837/http://www.chesterfirst.co.uk/news/117002/cheshire-oaks-bosses-plan-huge-christmas-event.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-date=20 April 2013 |title=Cheshire Oaks bosses plan huge Christmas event |newspaper=The Chester Standard |publisher=NWN Media Ltd |date=24 October 2012 |access-date=24 November 2012}}</ref>
*The Coliseum Retail Park, retail outlet located next to Cheshire Oaks Outlet
*Ellesmere Port Hospital, located in Whitby <ref>NHS, [https://www.nhs.uk/Services/Hospitals/Overview/DefaultView.aspx?id=917 Ellesmere Port Hospital], accessed 25 May 2022</ref>
* Ellesmere Port Sports Village, a £15 million sports village opened in late 2015
*[[Marks & Spencer]], second largest store in the UK
*[[National Waterways Museum, Ellesmere Port|National Waterways Museum]], largest canal boat collection in the world
*[[Stanlow Oil Refinery]], second largest industrial space in the UK
*Whitby Hall, listed Victorian building in [[Whitby Park]] and home of '''Theatre Porto''', formerly Action Transport Theatre company<ref>{{cite web |last1= |first1= |title=Hello, We Are Theatre Porto |url=https://theatreporto.org/hello-we-are-theatre-porto/ |website=Theatre Porto |access-date=27 March 2023 |date=1 January 2023}}</ref>

==Geography==
Ellesmere Port is located at the southern end of the <!--geographically and historically, but not administratively-->[[Wirral Peninsula]], in the county of Cheshire. Its suburbs include [[Overpool]] to the north west, [[Westminster, Ellesmere Port|Westminster]] to the north, Rossmore to the north east, with Whitby and Wolverham to the south.

{{Geographic location|width=auto
|title = '''Neighbouring places'''
|Northwest = [[Eastham, Merseyside|Eastham]]
|North = [[Garston, Liverpool|Garston]]<br />''(across [[River Mersey]])''
|Northeast = [[Hale, Halton|Hale]]<br />''(across [[River Mersey]])''
|West = [[Ledsham, Cheshire|Ledsham]], [[Willaston, Cheshire West|Willaston]]
|Centre = Ellesmere Port
|East = [[Elton, Cheshire|Elton]], [[Helsby]]
|Southwest = [[Capenhurst]]
|South = [[Backford]], [[Chester]]
|Southeast = [[Stoak]], [[Thornton-le-Moors]]
}}

===Parks and green spaces===
* [[Whitby Park]]
* [[Rivacre Valley|Rivacre Valley Local Nature Reserve]]
* Stanney Woods Nature Reserve

==Media==
Local news and television programmes are provided by [[BBC North West]] and [[ITV Granada]]. Television signals are received from the [[Winter Hill transmitting station|Winter Hill]] TV transmitter.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://ukfree.tv/transmitters/tv/Winter_Hill |title=Full Freeview on the Winter Hill (Bolton, England) transmitter|date=May 2004 |publisher=UK Free TV |access-date=21 November 2023}}</ref> With its close proximity with [[North Wales]], [[BBC Wales]] and [[ITV Cymru Wales]] can also be received from the [[Moel-y-Parc transmitting station|Moel-y-Parc]] TV transmitter.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://ukfree.tv/transmitters/tv/Moel_Y_Parc |title=Full Freeview on the Moel-Y-Parc (Flintshire, Wales) transmitter|date=May 2004 |publisher=UK Free TV |access-date=21 November 2023}}</ref>

Local radio stations are [[BBC Radio Merseyside]] on 95.8 FM, [[Capital North West & Wales]] on 97.1 FM, [[Heart North West]] on 105.4 FM, [[Smooth Radio North West]] on 100.4 FM, and [[Dee Radio]] on 106.3 FM.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk/news-and-views/incidents/weather-disruptions/radio-stations|title=Radio Stations|website=Cheshire West and Chester Council|access-date=21 November 2023}}</ref>

The town is served by the local newspaper, [[Chester and District Standard]] (formerly The Ellesmere Port Standard).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.britishpapers.co.uk/england-nw/ellesmere-port-standard/|title=The Ellesmere Port Standard)|date=12 August 2013|website=British Papers|accessdate=21 November 2023}}</ref>

==Transport==
===Road===
Ellesmere Port is located near the interchange of the [[M56 motorway|M56]] and the [[M53 motorway|M53]] motorways. The [[A41 road]] between [[Birkenhead]] and [[Chester]], also passes through the area. The M56 carries the [[European route E22|European Route E22]] in this area.

===Buses===
There is a bus station in the town centre with frequent services to [[Chester]], [[Liverpool]], [[Runcorn]], [[Elton, Cheshire|Elton]], [[Helsby]], [[Frodsham]], Birkenhead and [[Neston]]. There are also services to [[Mold, Flintshire|Mold]], [[North Wales]] operated by Stagecoach. Occasional National Express coaches serve the bus station. Most services are operated by [[Stagecoach Merseyside & South Lancashire]] with one service operated by Helms of Eastham and another by Arrowebrook Coaches.

===Rail===
[[Ellesmere Port railway station]] is on the [[Wirral line]] of the [[Merseyrail]] network and has a train service to Chester via Hooton and also Liverpool via Birkenhead. The line was [[Railway electrification in Great Britain|electrified]] from [[Hooton railway station|Hooton]] to Ellesmere Port by [[British Rail]] in 1994. There is also an infrequent [[Ellesmere Port–Warrington line|service to Warrington]].

===Canal===
The [[Manchester Ship Canal]] joins the Mersey estuary north-west of Ellesmere Port at [[Eastham, Merseyside|Eastham]], but the town is also the northern terminus of the [[Shropshire Union Canal]] (which used to exchange goods with seagoing boats at what is now the National Waterways Museum).

==Sports==
[[File:Ellesmere Port Greyhound Stadium (1).JPG|thumb|Ellesmere Port Greyhound Stadium]]
Speedway racing operated at [[Ellesmere Port Stadium]] in Thornton Road in the mid to late 1970s and in the 1980s; from March 2013 to spring 2014, the stadium was back in use for greyhound racing. [[Ellesmere Port Gunners]] raced in the lower tier Leagues. The Gunners' best season was their last, 1985, when they won the National League championship. The campaign was marred by a career-ending injury sustained by inspirational captain Joe Owen. Owen was hurt in a track crash at Birmingham. Ellesmere Port Town F.C. was once of town's main football team before the founding of Vauxhall Motors F.C. in 1963. Ellesmere Port Town F.C. was founded in 1948 and folded in 1973. The club's main achievements were playing in the Northern Premier League (The 7th tier in the English Football Pyramid) and reaching the F.A. Cup First Round in the 1971–1972 season, losing 3–0 to Boston United. [[Vauxhall Motors F.C.]] are the local football team.

In 2009 [[Eddie Izzard]] and his run around the UK for [[Sport Relief]] saw him pass through Little Sutton village centre and Hooton. The footage is only minutes long however.

In 2012 Ellesmere Port played host to the [[Paralympic Flame]] as part of the Paralympic Torch Relay celebrations. [[West Cheshire College]]s campus in Ellesmere Port was one of the drop off points for the flame as well as the EPIC leisure centre and the David Lloyd Leisure Centre. Events included sporting demonstrations and the parade of the Paralympic flame.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.chesterfirst.co.uk/news/115678/ellesmere-port-welcomes-paralympic-flame.aspx |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130419233046/http://www.chesterfirst.co.uk/news/115678/ellesmere-port-welcomes-paralympic-flame.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-date=19 April 2013 |title=Ellesmere Port welcomes Paralympic flame |newspaper=Chesterfirst |publisher=NWN Media |date=30 August 2012 |access-date=23 November 2012}}</ref>

Construction began in January 2014 for the new multimillion-pound Sports Village in Stanney Grange which initially was to incorporate an Olympic sized swimming venue (now smaller), tennis courts, football pitches and other sport halls, and will be the new home of [[Cheshire Phoenix]], the local professional [[British Basketball League]] team from the start of the 2015/16 BBL Championship season. The village is situated on site of the old Stanney High School by Cheshire Oaks, the Coliseum and M&S.

==Notable people==
[[File:Herbert williams.jpg|thumb|upright=0.65|130px|[[Sir Herbert Williams, 1st Baronet]], 1924]]
[[File:John Prescott on his last day as Deputy Prime Minister, June 2007.jpg|thumb|upright=0.65|130px|[[John Prescott]], 2007]]
The following people are natives of Ellesmere Port, or have lived there for a period of time.
* [[Arthur Goddard (engineer)|Arthur Goddard]] (1921–2022) was in charge of the Land Rovers engineering development from 1947 to 1957, went to the Little Sutton Primary School
* [[Charles Bronson (prisoner)|Charles Bronson]] (born 1952) also known as ''Charles Salvador'', is an English criminal and ''"most violent prisoner in Britain"'' lived in Ellesmere Port in his early teens

===Politics===
* [[Sir Herbert Williams, 1st Baronet]] (1884 in Hooton – 1954) Conservative MP for [[Reading (UK Parliament constituency)|Reading]] 1924 to 1929, for [[Croydon South (historic UK Parliament constituency)|Croydon South]] 1932 to 1945 and for [[Croydon East (UK Parliament constituency)|Croydon East]] 1950 to 1954
* [[John Prescott]] (1938–2024) ex-Deputy Prime Minister attended the Grange Secondary Modern School in 1948.
* [[Tony Woodley, Baron Woodley]] (born 1948), was Joint-General Secretary of [[Unite the Union|Unite]], lives locally
* [[Andrew Miller (politician)|Andrew Miller]] (1949–2019) former Labour MP for [[Ellesmere Port and Neston (UK Parliament constituency)|Ellesmere Port and Neston]] from 1992 to 2015. 
* [[Beverley Hughes]] (born 1950 in Ellesmere Port) Labour MP for [[Stretford and Urmston (UK Parliament constituency)|Stretford and Urmston]] and former government minister

===Creative arts===
[[File:Ian Prowse.jpg|thumb|upright=0.65|130px|[[Ian Prowse]], 2010]]
[[File:Lee Latchford-Evans promo.jpg|thumb|upright=0.65|130px|[[Lee Latchford-Evans]], 2009]]
* [[Edgar Foxall]] (1906 in Ellesmere Port – 1990) was an English poet whose work features in one of the [[Penguin poetry anthologies]], ''Poetry of the Thirties'' (1964).
* [[Lillian Beckwith]] (1916–2004) author, born and grew up in Ellesmere Port the daughter of a grocer as chronicled in her book ''About My Father's Business''
* [[Russ Abbot]] (born 1947), musician, actor and comedian. 
* [[Mike Singleton]] (1951–2012) an English teacher in Ellesmere Port, then a British video game designer 
* [[Ian Prowse]] (born 1964) singer, songwriter formerly of [[Pele (English band)|Pele]] and [[Amsterdam (band)|Amsterdam]] grew up in Little Sutton
* [[Mark Leckey]] (born 1964), artist, makes items incorporating themes of nostalgia and anxiety, went to school locally
* [[Stevie Riks]] (born 1967 in Ellesmere Port) an English comedian and impressionist, comedy writer, voice-over artist and multi-instrumentalist musician. 
* [[Stove King]] (born 1974 in Ellesmere Port) an English musician, formerly the bassist for the rock band [[Mansun]]
* [[Lee Latchford Evans]] (born 1975) an English singer, dancer, stage actor, kickboxer and personal trainer, member of pop group [[Steps (group)|Steps]] grew up here.
* [[Evian Christ|Joshua Leary]] (born 1989), electronic musician and hip-hop producer known by his stage name [[Evian Christ]].
* [[Pele (English band)|Pele]] (active 1990 to 1996) were an English indie rock band, formed in Ellesmere Port
* [[Hooton Tennis Club]] (formed 2013) a four-piece indie-rock band including James Madden and Callum McFadden who grew up in the area.
* [[Oranj Son]] (formed 2015) a dream-pop indie band, formed in Ellesmere Port.

===Sport===
[[File:StanCullisStatue.jpg|thumb|upright=0.65|130px|[[Stan Cullis]], statue outside [[Molineux Stadium]]]]
[[File:Ian Bowyer.jpg|thumb|upright=0.65|130px|[[Ian Bowyer]], 2009]]
[[File:20150502 Lattes-Montpellier vs Bourges 001.jpg|thumb|130px|[[Johannah Leedham]], 2015]]
* [[Sam Chedgzoy]] (1889 in Ellesmere Port – 1967) footballer, played 279 times for [[Everton F.C.|Everton]] between 1910/1926.
* [[Joe Mercer]] (1914 in Ellesmere Port – 1990) [[England national football team|England]] football player and manager, led [[Manchester City F.C.|Manchester City]] as 1968 First Division champions,  won the [[FA Cup]] (1969), [[League Cup]] (1970) and [[European Cup Winners' Cup]] (1970).
* [[Stan Cullis]] (1916 in Ellesmere Port – 2001) former [[Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.|Wolverhampton Wanderers]] player and manager, he played football for Cambridge Road School and Ellesmere Port Boys.
* [[Michael Ainsworth]] (1922 in Hooton – 1978) an English cricketer who played his county cricket for Worcestershire
* Sir [[Doug Ellis]] (1924–2018), business entrepreneur and [[Aston Villa F.C.|Aston Villa]] chairman.
* [[Dave Hickson]] (1929–2013) footballer, played for [[Everton F.C.|Everton]] and [[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]], and was ambassador for [[Everton F.C.|Everton]]
* [[Ralph Gubbins]] (1932 in Ellesmere Port – 2011) footballer who played 279 games  
* [[Joe Mercer (jockey)|Joe Mercer]]  OBE (1934–2021) known as ''Smokin' Joe'', a race horse jockey, rode 2,810 winners 
* [[Brian Maxine]] (1938–2024), known as ''Goldbelt'', a professional wrestler and cabaret artist
* [[Tony Coleman]] (born 1945 in Ellesmere Port) an English former footballer who made 250 pro appearances
* [[Mick Wright (footballer, born 1946)|Mick Wright]] (born 1946 in Ellesmere Port) former footballer, played 282 games for [[Aston Villa F.C.|Aston Villa]]
* [[Geoff Davies (footballer)|Geoff Davies]] (born 1947 in Ellesmere Port) former footballer, played 305 pro games 
* [[Graham Turner]] (born 1947 in Ellesmere Port) is former [[Shrewsbury Town F.C.|Shrewsbury Town]] and [[Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.|Wolves]] manager
* [[Ian Bowyer]] (born 1951 in Little Sutton) footballer, played 628 games, mainly for [[Nottingham Forest F.C.|Nottingham Forest]]
* [[Paul Jones (footballer, born May 1953)|Paul Jones]] (born 1953 in Ellesmere Port) footballer played 626 games including 445 for [[Bolton Wanderers F.C.|Bolton Wanderers]]
* [[Barry Siddall]] (born 1954 in Ellesmere Port) former football goalkeeper, played 640 games
* [[Neil Whatmore]] (born 1955 in Ellesmere Port) footballer played 440 games including 277 for [[Bolton Wanderers F.C.|Bolton Wanderers]]
* [[Colin Woodthorpe]] (born 1969) footballer, grew up and went to school locally, played 693 games.
* [[Rob Jones (footballer born 1971)|Rob Jones]] (born 1971) former footballer played 260 games, mainly for [[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]], grew up in the town.
* [[Phil Hardy (footballer)|Phil Hardy]] (born 1973), footballer who played 349 games for [[Wrexham A.F.C.]]
* [[Chris McCready]] (born 1981 in Ellesmere Port), former footballer who played 327 games
* [[Tony Martin (darts player)|Tony Martin]] (born 1981 in Ellesmere Port) Professional darts player and Team GB soft tips darts captain. 
* [[Anastasia Dobromyslova]]  (born 1984) former Women's World Professional Darts Champion, lives in the town.
* [[Johannah Leedham]] (born 1987 in Ellesmere Port) Team GB women's basketball captain for London 2012
* [[Paul Butler (boxer)|Paul Butler]] (born 1988 in Ellesmere Port) an English professional Bantamweight boxer and a former IBF Bantamweight champion

==See also==
*[[Listed buildings in Ellesmere Port]]
*[[Ellesmere Port and Neston (UK Parliament constituency)]]
*{{portal-inline|Cheshire}}

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{commons category-inline|Ellesmere Port}}<br />
{{Wikivoyage inline|Ellesmere Port}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20130721145119/http://www.ellesmereportpioneer.co.uk/ Local Newspaper]

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{{Cheshire, Cheshire West and Chester}}
{{Cheshire}}
{{Ellesmere Port}}

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[[Category:Ellesmere Port| ]]
[[Category:Towns in Cheshire]]
[[Category:Port cities and towns of the Irish Sea]]
[[Category:Former civil parishes in Cheshire]]
[[Category:Unparished areas in Cheshire]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1795]]