Knowsley

Knowsley, metropolitan borough, north-west England. Knowsley is located in the metropolitan area of Merseyside, south of Lancashire and west of St Helens. From the local government reforms of 1975, until 1986, Knowsley was administered by the metropolitan county council based in Liverpool. As a result of the Local Government Act 1985, the metropolitan county councils were abolished. The county council's functions devolved to Merseyside's five metropolitan district councils: Knowsley, Liverpool, St Helens, Sefton, and Wirral. The police authority is the Merseyside Police, with headquarters in Liverpool. A Crown Court sits in Liverpool.

Knowsley comprises the urban centres of Huyton (the administrative centre), Whiston, Kirkby, Prestcot, and Halewood, as well as several small villages. It contains a large industrial park and is famous for its Safari Park, part of the estate of the Earl of Derby. Population 150,468 (2001).