Lancashire:
The earliest recorded history commences with a deed concerning Far Banks, made in the reign of Henry II in 1154. It relates to a Guide House for travellers who forded the River Ribble from the Fylde to North Meols. At this time the area was on the most northern fringe of the ancient division of West Derby and the local area was called meles, meaning sand dunes.
The area was isolated to the north and west by the Ribble estuary, to the south by a chain of barren sand hills, to the east by a lake called Martin Mere – which at the time was the largest lake in England covering 3,132 acres (12.67 km2).
The biggest coastal disaster in the area was in 1719 when 5,000 acres of the Ribble estuary, from Crossens to Hesketh Bank and Tarleton were flooded, when the sea banks broke. A total of 47 houses were carried away by the tidal flood. Nine people drowned and cattle, sheep and crops were lost.
'Banks' is believed to have been named for the many artificial embankments built in the north of the village to protect it from winter floods from the River Ribble and the tide. The old embankments can be seen when entering Banks at Marsh Road and at the end of George's Lane. However, these embankments became redundant when the River Ribble retreated in the 1900s and larger ones are in place further north creating more farmland. Local people refer to the village as Bonks /ˈbɒŋks/; retained from the Middle English pronunciation.
Banks is a large coastal village in Lancashire, England. It lies south of the Ribble estuary and four miles (6 km) north-east of Southport. The village is administered by West Lancashire Borough Council, and by North Meols parish council for parochial matters. It is in the South Ribble parliamentary constituency. According to the 2001 census, the population of Banks was 3,792.
Banks is the largest of the villages in the parish of North Meols on the West Lancashire coastal plain. Like most of them, it was primarily an agricultural community due to the excellent soil, although there was fishing activity for many years. Production of flowers and vegetables is common on the farms surrounding the village; however the proximity of Southport and Preston have led to Banks' expansion as a dormitory town for commuters.
Governance:
Banks is part of the South Ribble parliamentary constituency and represented by the Conservative MP Lorraine Fullbrook .
Banks is one of the two remaining villages within the historical civil parish of North Meols. At local government level, North Meols is administered by West Lancashire Borough Council. North Meols is currently represented by the Conservative John Baldock, and the Conservative Paul Blane.
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