Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• the fery house on Wyrale shore c.1536 Leland

• ferry from Liverpool to Birket Wood 1628 Sheaf

• the Woodside Boats 1714 ib

• the Woodside House 1757 ib

• the Woodside Ferry, the Woodside Ferry House 1806 1824 Lawton

• Woodsyde 1621 ChCert

• the Woodside 1707 Sheaf

• Woodside 1818 ib

• boscus de Birkeheued, Birkehedwod 1347 ChFor

• Berket-wood 1621 Orm2 1656 Sheaf 1628

• Birkett Woodd 1645 ib

Etymology

( 100–329892 ) , 1842 OS , the fery house on Wyrale shore c.1536 Leland,ferry from Liverpool to Birket Wood 1628 Sheaf, the Woodside Boats 1714 ib, the Woodside House 1757 ib, the Woodside Ferry , the Woodside Ferry House 1806 ib, 1824Lawton , v. ferja, hūs, bāt, named from the localityWoodsyde 1621ChCert , the Woodside 1707 Sheaf, Woodside 1818 ibet freq , 'beside the wood, the side of the wood', v. wudu, sīde, inturn named from the old wood of Birkenhead, boscus de Birkeheued ,Birkehedwod 1347ChFor , Berket-wood 1621 (1656) Orm2, 1628Sheaf, Birkett Woodd 1645 ib , cf. Lytle Oldwoode Coppes , Oldwoode Coppes 1545 ib , Ouldwoode 1645 ib , Little Wood , Wood 1824Lawton , v. wudu , ald , copis . Presumably this was the birch - wood which gave Birkenhead its name . The priory of Birkenhead worked a ferry over Mersey under letters patent dated 1311 ( Orm 2 ii 458 , 463 , cf. 1318 Pat 108 , 1330 ib 505 ) requiring the provision of a lodging - house for passengers .