Merseyside

Merseyside, as its name suggests straddles the Mersey estuary in North West England very near to the borders of Wales. The county was created in 1974 out of the southern coastal strip of Lancashire and the northern part of the Wirral peninsula formerly part of Cheshire.

Geography

Most of the county is situated at the southwestern end of the Lancashire plain. The plain is not quite flat leading to some rolling hills which give a pleasant scenic effect. The Mersey estuary separates this plane from the Wirral Peninsula, again an area of rolling hills between the Mersey and Dee estuaries. From the western Wirral the mountains of North Wales can be seen in the distance.

Cities and Towns

You cannot mention Merseyside without mention of the City that dominates the county Liverpool, the sxth largest city in England and still a major port, however there are several major town in Merseyside, Birkenhead, Wallasey, St Helens, Southport, Kirkby, Crosby, Formby and Widnes. The county give a mix of industrial towns and seaside resorts.

The A6 and M6 in Merseyside

The A6 does not enter Merseyside, however the A49 which was for a long time used as an alternative to the A6 from Preston to London touches the very east of the county. The M6 follows the route of the A49 and like that road just touches the eastern fringe with two junctions, 23 & 24 in the county.

Merseyside contributes to the M6's traffic, particularly south of Junction 22 the M62 the main southern junction for Liverpool.