The origins of a Wirral village have been found to be around 6,000 years older than Stonehenge and the Egyptian pyramids.

A series of new boundary signs are to be unveiled next week proclaiming the township of Greasby contains the earliest dated settlement in western Britain – and one of the oldest in the country.

The work that led to the latest ‘dating’ of Greasby began with excavations near Greasby Copse between 1987 and 1990 by archaeologists from the Museum of Liverpool.

The team uncovered a substantial settlement with stone floor, pits, large working hollows and a fireplace together with over 12,000 early stone tools. At that time, the site was dated at 7000 BC or earlier and ascribed to the Mesolithic period.

However, as a result of the proposals for the signs to celebrate Greasby’s significant historical status, Ron Cowell, curator of Prehistoric Archaeology at the Museum of Liverpool, raised further funds for carbon dating of hazelnut shells found in the stone hearth.

This revealed that the remains were even earlier than previously estimated and dated from around 8,500 BC.

Councillor Jeff Green, chair of the Wirral West Constituency Committee, says: “We are proud to have one of the oldest confirmed settlements in the country on our doorstep and delighted to have been able to support the signage project with funding.

“Now everyone who visits or passes through Greasby will know the significance of the village.”

The unveiling of one of the five signs will be at 11am on Thursday 28 September outside the Premier Inn on Greasby Road.

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