On the Wirral

Port Sunlight – housing styles

2010-07-20T15:28:00.000+01:00

Port Sunlight is a unique garden village on Merseyside, built in the late 19th Century by William Hesketh Lever (later Viscount Leverhulme) to house his soap factory workers at Lever Brothers which eventually turned into the global giant Unilever. Lever was a philanthropist with a passion for education, charity, industry, art and architecture and Port Sunlight is an enduring testament to the achievements of this remarkable man. The sheer scale of his philanthropy was unprecedented and the whole of Port Sunlight is now a Conservation Area and a major tourist attraction for Wirral. It is said by many to be the finest surviving example of early urban planning in the UK.

The village is set in 130 acres of beautifully maintained parkland with a mature treescape and plenty of floral displays. Approximately 900 houses have been built along with some larger "principal" buildings. Nearly every building in the village is Grade II listed. Lever employed over 30 different architects in the building of the village and the result is an intoxicating mix of architectural styles enhanced by the parkland setting giving tranquil scenes of great beauty.

St Bridget’s, West Kirby - Head-stops

2010-07-20T12:55:00.000+01:00

Like many church windows those of St Bridget’s, West Kirby, have decorative hood moulds, or drip stones, projecting above the windows to protect them from rainwater running down the walls. They end in what are generally called label-stops which, when resembling human heads, are often called head-stops.

Port Sunlight Memorial

2010-07-18T09:48:00.000+01:00

This memorial, erected by ‘his fellow workers, is dedicated to William Hesketh First Viscount Leverhulme, founder of Lever Brothers Ltd and of Port Sunlight.

It stands outside the Lady Lever art Gallery in Port Sunlight. For most of his life Dad worked for Lever Brothers or various associated shipping companies.

The wording on the column reads “The figures at the base of the memorial symbolise the three great interests in Viscount Leverhulme’s life; industry, education and charity – in its widest meaning.”

In fact there are four figures – the fourth obviously symbolising his other great interest – art. I wonder if it was added as an afterthought or if the stonemason who inscribed the column was given the wrong instructions?

The figure at the top of the column represents inspiration – the foundation of all human progress.

Brimstage Hall

2010-07-18T09:28:00.000+01:00

Standing at what appears to be the geographical centre of Wirral is Brimstage Hall which retains many of its original medieval features. The original hall was built within a fortified area with a moat and embankment and the hall itself dates from between 1175 and 1350, the oldest part being the tower house. The first recorded occupant was Sir Hugh Hulse and his wife Marjorie who were granted the right to build the Chapel on 11th February 1398, but the original structure was already in existence.

Further parts of the hall were added in the 16th and 19th centuries. The courtyard now contains a magnificent willow tree.

The Hall has been converted to house craft shops and businesses in its main courtyard and is seen as an important local landmark.

Dee View Inn - Lower Heswall

2010-07-04T13:56:00.000+01:00

Does exactly what it says on the tin - it's an inn with a view over the Dee!

An Edward VII letter box by the Dee View Inn.

The Parish Church of St Bridget, West Kirby

2010-07-03T23:39:00.027+01:00

The lych gate

It is hard to pinpoint how old St Bridget’s Church is, since it has been altered and added to over many centuries. Though we know that Christians worshipped here at the time of the first Millennium, the earliest parts of the building surviving and visible are the vestry doorway and some of the masonry north wall of the Lady Chapel which are of the early 14th century. For more details see the Church's website.

The tower is mainly 16th century, although built around an earlier core. There is a ring of 8 bells, 4 of them over 200 years old - a skilled team ring for Sunday morning services as well as weddings and other occasions. At one time my brother was a ringer here and he was married at St Bridget's.

There was a major restoration of the church in 1869/1870 by the architects Kelly and Edwards of Chester.

The Ring o' Bells, West Kirby

2010-07-02T15:31:00.000+01:00

A place of many happy memories!

Burton Church Clock

2010-05-06T12:36:00.000+01:00

Burton church c;lock is unusual in having only one hand. When it was made clocks were often so inaccurate that a minute hand was usueless. The clock had to be adjusted daily with the aid of a sundial (and there is a sundial in the churchyard).

Thornton Hough - Chimneys

2010-05-05T13:33:00.010+01:00

Although mention of Thornton Hough goes back as far as the Domesday Book the village is primarily Victorian, having been largely rebuilt and expanded in the 1880s by the third Lord Leverhulme, of the then Lever Brothers soap company, now the Unilever corporation. The buildings are mostly of mock Tudor design and this is reflected in the wonderful chimneys.

Thurstaston- Thor's Stone

2010-05-04T12:51:00.014+01:00

Thurstaston Hill is the location of Thor's Stone, a large sandstone outcrop and a place of romantic legend.

As children we enjoyed nothing better than scrambling up its various sides to the top - which in those days seemed very high indeed.

In the 19th century it was supposed that early Viking settlers may have held religious ceremonies here. A visit to the site by members of the British Archaeological Association in 1888 heard an account by Rev. A. E. P. Gray, rector of Wallasey, that the 'Thor Stone' was also known in the locality as 'Fair Maiden's Hall' and that children were "in the habit of coming once a year to dance around the stone". This part of Wirral was part of a Norse colony centred on Thingwall in the 10th and 11th centuries. However, geologists and historians are agreed that the rock is a natural formation similar to a tor, arising from periglacial weathering of the sandstone, which was later exploited by quarrymen in the 18th and 19th centuries. Whilst this is no less fascinating the local legend that it was a place of Viking meetings will undoubtedly persist.

In the middle of the 20th Century the Ramblers Association held a meeting at the Stone to press for extended rights of access to open land. A photo of that meeting shows that the immediate surroundings were open heathland whereas nowadays a substantial amount of Birch woodland has surrounded the Stone.

The hard way up!

Pensby - Dixie Dean

2010-05-03T12:29:00.000+01:00

Pensby has few claims to fame - it's best one being that the famous Everton FC footballer Dixie Dean played for Pensby Institute in his early days, on the fields at the side of Gills Lane. He was sold to Tranmere Rovers prior to movinmg on to Everton. The fee for the sale to Tranmere was the price of a new kit for the Pensby team.

William Ralph Dean (22 January 1907 – 1 March 1980), popularly known as Dixie, was an English football player and the most prolific goal-scorer in English football history, best known for his legendary exploits at Everton, where he spent most of his career.

In total, Dean scored 383 goals for Everton, in 433 appearances, an exceptional strike-rate,including 37 hat-tricks for Everton, With modern scoring rates being much lower, both that record, and the record of 60 League goals in a season, are unlikely to ever be broken. He was also known as a very professional player, having never been booked or sent off throughout his entire career despite suffering rough treatment and provocation from opponents.

He also made 16 appearances for England, scoring 18 goals, including two hat-tricks. Dean scored three against Belgium in May 1927 and then another three against Luxembourg 10 days later.

Dean died in March 1980 after suffering a Heart attack at Goodison Park, Everton's home ground, whilst watching a match against their closest rivals, Liverpool. The match finished 1-2. In 2001, local sculptor Tom Murphy completed a statue of Dean which was erected outside the Park End of the stadium at a cost of £75,000 carrying the inscription, "Footballer, Gentleman, Evertonian". In 2002 Dean became an Inaugural Inductee to the English Football Hall of Fame.

West Kirby - Coronation Gardens

2010-05-02T12:04:00.000+01:00

Woodchurch

2010-05-02T08:32:00.005+01:00

In the days when Woodchurch was fields! Mum standing in a cornfield near Woodchurch in Auguist 1937. (Photo by Dad).

Gayton Windmill

2010-05-01T12:18:00.000+01:00

Gayton Windmill, built of red sandstone and Wirral's oldest tower mill, ceased operation in 1875. It has since been converted into a private residence.

Gayton cottage

2010-04-30T00:30:00.000+01:00

A thatched cottage at Gayton in the 1930s - photo taken by Dad.

Burton - The Parish Church of St Nicholas – the interior

2010-04-29T10:34:00.028+01:00

This church dates mainly from the early eighteenth century but prior to the rebuilding of the church in 1721 there had stood three previous churches on this site – the first stone one being erected in 1086. All that remains of this church are two Norman scalloped capitals that can be seen in the porch as you enter the church.

Also in the porch, built into the North wall is this early 13th century coffin lid whose carving is in remarkable condition considering the church went through some periods of utter neglect.

The window at the far end of the North aisle dates to around 1300.

At one time, when someone of social standing died a hatchment board would be set up over their doorway for a year after which it was put in the local church. This hatchment is that of Richard Congreve who died in 1857.

Although it looks older the East window is early 20th century and is the work of Charles Eamer Kempe whose trademark – a small wheatsheaf – can be seen in the bottom left corner. The window shows the crucifixion between St Nicholas and St George.

St Nicholas was the patron saint of mariners – a reminder of Burton’s former maritime glory before the Dee silted up and left it high and dry.

This window dates from 1926.

These communion rails are the oldest in the Wirral; their twisted and carved balusters are Jacobean from the end of the 17th century.

Heswall – The Green Hut

2010-04-28T09:59:00.001+01:00

This was a holiday home on Heswall shore in an area known as The looms at the bottom of Banks Road – in a lane opposite what is now the car park. The Council tried to have these huts demolished in 1939 but the Ministry of health decided they were fit for use as holiday homes. Which is how we came to use them. These photos are from around 1947 but we also had a holiuday there in my lifetime.

We knew it as the Green Hut and pictured here are Mum, GB, Nana and Grandpa.

I’m not sure who the other boy is that is playing with GB or who appears on these other photos – including one with Dad, Mum, Aunty Maude and Grandpa.

In the foreground of this photo are Mum’s office colleague Joney and the unidentified boy.

Heswall shore

2010-04-28T09:43:00.000+01:00

During the last few hundred years the River Dee has silted up and nowhere is this more obvious than along the stretch from Burton to Heswall. At one time boats would sail from Burton, Parkgate and Heswall – some going as far as Ireland, others simply fishing in the estuary.

Within my lifetime the ‘shore’ at Heswall has gone from being a shell strewn beach with a long sandy shelf out to the main channel of the Dee to a grassy marsh with just one deep channel that boats can navigate at the highest tides.

Strewn around the shore on the grass are lots of boats. some of these have been abandoned for good whilst others are in working order and presumably used when the tide is right.

Maison by Emma Jane - Heswall

2010-04-28T00:27:00.002+01:00

GB's New Zealand blog has sometimes had little notices like the one below. This was outside the shop 'Maison by Emma Jane' in Heswall and is the first I can recall seeing around here. Perhaps we'll soon go the whole hog and start painting our buildings.

Arrowe Park - The Boy Scout Jamboree 1929

2010-04-24T08:23:00.000+01:00

In July / August 1929 Dad, then aged 22, went to see the Boy Scouts Jamboree held at Arrowe Park on the Wirral, Cheshire. Fifty thousand scouts, representing the youth of 43 nations camped on the park with overspill sites at Overchurch and Upton for an additional 10,000 British scouts. It was the largest ever gathering of international youth to date. Atrocious weather turned the ground in a quagmire but didn’t seem to dampen the spirits too much. Miles of railway sleepers and fencing had to be laid down as pathways. It also didn’t stop Dad from taking photos.

Some of the Polish contingent

The Jamboree celebrated 21 years of the founding of the boy Scout movement by Lord Baden Powell. The event took months of preparation - sending out invitations, arranging transport, preparing the campsite which was one mile long and half a mile wide - needed for visiting scouts. Thought had to be given not only to accommodation but also to the provision of meals and medical facilities. A hospital under canvas was set up and Cheshire Girl Guides helped the medical staff. Shops were set up, a post office too and a bank for currency exchange. Arrangements were made for the publishing of a camp newspaper, the Daily Arrowe, of which 55,000 copies sold daily. The Times made regular reports on the event. The general public was allowed in at certain times and was treated to displays of handicrafts, bridge building, first aid and gymnastic skills. The Prince of Wales, representing King George V spent a night there under canvas and the roar of welcome when he arrived was heard many miles away.

The United States contingent laid on a Sioux wardance for the Prince – ‘complete with warpaint and feathers’- and presented Birkenhead with a totem pole.

Scouts from Finland

Almost continuous entertainment was provided as the youths sang their native songs and laid on plays for their fellow scouts.

Sudan on the march

The Bengalese contingent marching.

The event ended with a march past.

A French Scout

There was much talk of world peace among that great league of nations at Arrowe Park and at the end Lord Baden Powell, hatchet in hand, announced: "Here is the hatchet of war, of enmity, of bad feeling, which I now bury in Arrowe." He then drove the hatchet into a barrel of arrows. Ironically, ten years later, many of those youngsters would be involved in fighting World War II.

Arrowe Park in April

2010-04-18T00:48:00.013+01:00

Arrowe Park corner.

Fishers Lane, Pensby

2010-04-16T15:47:00.000+01:00

Daffodils in the woods and Magnolia and Camelia in the gardens tell us it's April.

Irby Hall

2010-03-23T12:11:00.000Z

Irby Hall, on the site of an ancient manor house of Chester Abbey, is early 17th century, with some reconstruction in 1888.

A high earth bank - just visible to the left - and the remains of a deep moat are reminders of times when marauding Welshmen were slightly more of a problem than they are today. Recent excavations nearby in Irby have uncovered the remains of a settlement dating from Iron Age and Roman times.
(Information from - http://www.allertonoak.com/merseySights/WirralTI.html )

There are stories of an underground tunnel leading to Thurstaston so as the early occupants could escape via the River Dee should there be a need.

The Anchor Inn, Irby

2010-03-20T00:17:00.000Z

Externally The Anchor is one of the oldest buildings in Irby village but it has been modernised internally. It is part of a pub chain and the food reflects that being reasonably priced and pleasant. The biggest attraction in the summer is the outdoor beer garden whilst in the winter it is the fire!

The view from The Anchor window.

Warm and cosy by the pub fire.

Thingwall cottages

2010-03-18T07:04:00.000Z

The settlement of Thingwall was recorded in the Domesday Book as Tuigvelle, and has been variously known as Fingwalle (1180); Thingale (circa 1250); and Thynghwall (1426). The name indicates that it was once the site of an assembly place.

The old village of Thingwall has been swallowed up by modern development but there are a few old sandstone cottages around.

Traditional buildings in the area are constructed of locally quarried yellow sandstone but these two eighteenth century ones in Whaley Lane have been whitewashed. Several small sandstone quarries once existed in the area including one at the top of the appropriately named Quarry Lane. Little evidence of these quarries now exists as the land has been redeveloped for housing or for the construction of an above ground fresh water reservoir.

Burton Village

2010-03-16T07:39:00.000Z

A couple of shots of Burton village in the early 1960s.

Fishers Lane, Pensby

2010-03-14T08:09:00.000Z

On Fishers Lane, Pensby, there is a small wood. In fact, it is so small it hardly deserves the name of a wood – a small copse would be a better description. But it provides a lovely piece of green and a home for a number of bird species and the occasional mammal like the Grey Squirrel.

In January it also provided a delightful scene in the snow.

Ashton Park, West Kirby

2010-03-12T08:15:00.000Z

Jo and I went around Ashton Park, West Kirby, in mid-February. There were dozens of ducks and geese around.

Canada Goose

Coots

Mallards

Little white ducks!

Moorhen

Tufted Duck

Mayor and Mayoress

2010-02-25T08:42:00.000Z

The Mayor and Mayoress of Wirral

Landican

2010-02-23T12:57:00.000Z

Landican Lane / Road runs between the ASDA store at the M53 junction 3 and the Thingwall Road East corner of Arrowe Park.

I had a walk along Landican Lane, which becomes Landican Road at the hamlet of Landican, on 30th January 2010. It was a lovely sunny day with crisp air and ice on the puddles. I wasn’t passed by a single car on the whole walk.

I wasn’t passed by a bicycle either – despite this being part of the National Cycleway.

This is one of a thousand mile-posts erected by the Royal Bank of Scotland to mark the creation of the cycle network.

There are always horses to be found in the fields off Landican Lane. That day they were well wrapped up against the cold.

The hamlet is comprised of a few houses and some farm buildings.

A remarkably quiet corner of Wirral near one of the busiest of Wirral roads and shops.

Arrowe Park in the Autumn

2009-11-17T18:33:00.000Z

Visit Wirral

2009-11-09T02:46:00.000Z

I’ve lived on The Wirral for 5 years now and only just discovered a brilliant website – Visit Wirral. It has the latest news, places to go and a comprehensive ‘What’s On’ page which if you search (leaving the dates untouched) it brings up a remarkable variety of events taking place in the area. Well done Wirral Council for a super website.

Arrowe Hall - Wirral

2009-11-05T17:07:00.000Z

In 1807, Liverpool shipowner and slave trader John Shaw bought Arrowe House Farm and the surrounding land. On his death in 1829 it came into the ownership of his nephew, John Ralph Nicholson Shaw, who built Arrowe Hall, a Grade II listed mansion built in the Elizabethan style, in 1835 and had the grounds landscaped to form a country estate, with parkland, a lake and workers' cottages.

The Hall was extended on several occasions in the later 19th century. The property was handed down to Captain Otho Shaw, a world traveller and collector, who housed numerous items there. Arrowe Hall and Park were acquired by Lord Leverhulme in 1908, who subsequently sold the estate to Birkenhead Corporation in 1926. The building was sold by the local council in 1997 and now houses a private care centre.

Bidston Mill - Wirral

2009-11-04T16:59:00.000Z

Another photo of Bidston Mill - this time it is from the later 1960s.

House Clearances - Oxton, Wirral

2009-11-03T16:57:00.001Z

This chap is going up in the world...

Honey Pot Cottage, Heswall - Wirral

2009-10-21T16:40:00.000+01:00

This lovely house with its equally delightful name is on Telegraph Road, Heswall. I don't know how old this row of cottages is but the present owners of Honey Pot Cottage obviously look after it.

Bidston Mill - Wirral

2009-10-20T16:33:00.000+01:00

This is a black and white photo I took of the Mill on Bidston Hill in the early 1960s.

This brick built tower mill replaced a wooden 'peg' mill that was destroyed by fire in 1793, and was used to grind corn into flour for 75 years up until 1875. Although access was difficult for a horse and cart laden with sacks of grain or flour the top of the hill was the ideal place to catch the wind. In fact, it is believed that there has been a windmill on this site since 1596.

In this style of windmill the top or 'cap' could be turned so that the sails would face the wind, from whichever direction it was blowing. You can still see the large wooden chain-wheel which was used to slowly turn the roof around by a rack and gear system. The last miller to work in the mill was a Mr. Youds. Fortunately he did not meet the same fate as one of his predecessors. In those days there were two doors on opposite sides of the mill. As the sails could face any direction, and came close to the ground there were times when one door could not be used. The miller must have forgotten the position of the sails and he used the wrong door, was struck by the heavy wooden sail and killed.

With the introduction of steam powered mills, windmills felt into disuse. During the 1890's Bidston Hill was purchased from Lord Vyner for public use and in 1894 a Mr. R.S. Hudson paid for Bidston Windmill to be restored. Further work has been carried out over the years, most recently by the present custodians Wirral Council.

The Cherry Orchard – Arrowe Park – Wirral

2009-10-13T06:35:00.000+01:00

The Cherry Orchard pub and restaurant stands at the entrance to Arrowe Park and is surrounded by beautiful trees of every description, including, of course, some cherry trees.

One October day I took advantage of a few minutes stop there to take in the beauty of the leaves on the cherry trees. Their colours ranged from green through yellow to deep reds.

Sweet Shop - Heswall - Wirral

2009-10-04T08:35:00.000+01:00

Sadly the sweet shop in Heswall is now only a memory...

Hilbre Island – Wirral

2009-10-03T07:09:00.000+01:00

Middle Eye and the town of West Kirby from Hilbre Island.

The Wirral Peninsula has three islands just off-shore - Little Eye, Middle Eye and Hilbre Island. In the late 1970s I walked out to the islands at low tide and watched the wading birds on its shores and the seals swimming in the sea around it.

The above photos show various Plovers, Knot, and Dunlin.

A Dunlin on the red sandstone rocks of Hilbre Island.

The Hilbre (pronounced HILL-bree) Islands Local Nature Reserve is contained within the Dee Estuary on the north west coast of England. The Dee Estuary is a Site of Special Scientific Interest, a Special Protection Area, a Ramsar Site which is a Wetland of International Importance and a candidate EU Special Area of Conservation. The three tidal islands, Little Eye, Middle Eye and Hilbre Island and the surrounding foreshores, are the freehold property of, and managed by, the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral.

Middle Eye and the town of West Kirby from Hilbre Island.

Hilbre Island is approximately 47,000 square metres in area, and lies about 1.6 km from Red Rocks, the nearest part of the mainland of the Wirral Peninsula. The island's name derives from the dedication of the medieval chapel which was built on the island to St. Hildeburgh, an Anglo-Saxon holy woman, after which it became known as Hildeburgheye or Hildeburgh's island . The other two islands are called Middle Eye (or in older sources Middle Island), which is about 12,000 m² in size and Little Eye, which is considerably smaller. All three islands are formed of red Bunter sandstone. The main island and Middle Eye are several hundred yards apart with Little Eye being nearly 1 mile away from the main island.

The islands are tidal and can be reached on foot from the mainland at low tide. This is a popular activity with tourists, especially during the summer months. Until the end of the 1970s, there was a route from Red Rocks in Hoylake, but this has now been closed because of the danger of being caught by the tide and visitors are advised to set out from the town of West Kirby. Little Eye and Middle Eye are both unpopulated, but Hilbre Island has a few houses, some of which are privately owned, and some where the warden of the islands lives. There is a small 10 foot high solar-powered lighthouse on the islands now operated by Trinity House.

Middle Eye and the town of West Kirby from Hilbre Island.

What this blog is about

2009-10-02T19:19:00.000+01:00

This month I get a bus pass. “So what” you may ask. So I get to travel around Merseyside free (off-peak, of course). One of my ambitions is to take advantage of this and get out and about a lot more.

It may seem strange to start a new blog when I already have so many but I am really just aiming to rationalise them a bit. My Pensby Blog will now be primarily about my garden and its wildlife visitors.

Although I have given The Wirral the main spot in the title I will branch out into the rest of Merseyside as and when I get the chance. Merseyside is divided into five districts – Wirral, Liverpool, Knowsley, St Helens, and Sefton. Each post that I do will have the name of the district at the end of its title. However, the Wirral postings will not be confined to the Wirral Borough Council area. Rather, they will cover the whole of the Wirral Peninsula.