Crosby & Blundellsands Through Time

This fascinating selection of photographs traces some of the many ways in which Crosby and Blundellsands have changed and developed over the last century.

Christened by the Vikings ''the village by the cross'', Crosby was a remote farming settlement until the advent of the railway. Little Crosby is still a village, but Great Crosby has been transformed into a leafy suburb of Liverpool. Recently, its centre has changed dramatically, but illuminating traces of its picturesque and historic past remain. Little Crosby retains its Catholic character and rustic look, with Crosby Hall, home of the Blundell family, an intrinsic part of the community. Blundellsands was founded by the Blundells in the late nineteenth century, designed on spacious lines for the affluent members of Liverpool society as a haven from the work place. They were attracted by the wonderful views over the shore from Liverpool to the Wirral, and the mountains of North Wales and the Irish Sea. It has successfully weathered the ravages of erosion and developers, and is now graced by the iron men of Antony Gormley''s Another Place.