Wirral Country Park

Wirral Country Park
Wirral Country Park
	The site of Kirby Park railway station, now given over to the Wirral Way.
	Wirral Country Park Shown in Merseyside
Type	Public park
Location	Station Road; Thurstaston ; Merseyside ; CH61 0HN
Coordinates	53°20′33″N3°8′44″W / 53.34250°N 3.14556°W
Created	1973
Operated by	Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, Cheshire West & Chester
Open	All year
Status	Open

Last updated November 05, 2024

The Wirral Country Park is a country park on the Wirral Peninsula, England, lying both in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral in the county of Merseyside and in the borough of Cheshire West & Chester in the county of Cheshire. It was the first designated country park in Britain, opening in 1973.^[1]^[2]

The park is located along the Wirral Way, which follows the trackbed of part of the former Birkenhead Railway route from West Kirby ^[3] to Hooton.^[4] The old line, which closed in 1962, follows the estuary of the River Dee for 7 miles (11 km) between West Kirby and Parkgate then heads inland, across the Wirral peninsula, to Hooton.

There are two visitor centres along the Wirral Way, one near the site of Thurstaston railway station, at Thurstaston, and the other at the preserved Hadlow Road railway station, in Willaston.

History

Work began on the park in 1969, and the park was formally opened in 1973 by Lord Leverhulme. The park's creation followed a successful campaign by Captain Lawrence Beswick DSM, which prompted the necessary investment from the Countryside Commission.

Construction of the park required the removal of 30 miles (48 km) of railway track and accompanying sleepers, the digging and forming of drainage channels, levelling and consolidation of thousands of tons of gravel or ballast, and the removal of some brick-built road bridges. Some of the few remains of the original railway line are the old station platform at Thurstaston, the preserved 1950s-era railway station at Hadlow Road, Willaston, a number of bridges and occasional railway incline signs indicating the degree of climb or descent.

Wildlife

The park is home to badgers and foxes and to ten species of butterfly. The Dee estuary is home to populations of ragworm, lugworm, and cockles which support various species of bird in the area, including common redshanks, common shelducks, northern lapwings, skylarks, meadow pipits and common terns. During high spring tides visitors may also catch a glimpse of certain birds of prey such as peregrines, hen harriers and day-hunting short-eared owls.

Sports and recreation

Wirral Country Park is popular with ramblers and offers numerous walks, three being of particular note. First is the stretch of shoreline running a couple of miles from Thurstaston Beach to Heswall Beach, a popular route for horse riders as well. Second is The Wirral Way, a 13-mile (21 km) walk from West Kirby to Hooton. The country park itself lies along the Wirral Way towards the middle of this route.^[5] Third is a 3.5-mile (5.6 km) circular Heswall Dales and fields walk,^[6] via a small valley known as 'The Dungeon'.

The Wirral Coastal Walk is a well-known route within Merseyside, passing through Wirral Country Park and encompassing some of the aforementioned walks.^[7] It is organised as an annual event by the Rotary Club, with over 5,000 taking part in 2008. The walk follows the Wirral coastline from Seacombe Ferry on the River Mersey to Thurstaston Country Park on the River Dee, a distance of 15 miles (24 km). The annual event has become a popular way for local charities and organisations to raise money for their cause.

Wirral Country Park is popular not only for its wildlife and country walking, but also cycling, horse riding, kite flying, quad biking and paragliding. The 12.2-mile (19.6 km) Wirral Way is popular with cyclists, especially at weekends. Part of the Wirral Endurance Ride, a horse-riding event in the Endurance GB National Championship, is held along the Wirral Way.^[8]

Gallery

The pond at Thurstaston Visitor Centre
Inside Thurstaston Visitor Centre
The former Thurstaston railway station
Wirral Country Park at Station Road in Parkgate

Related Research Articles

West Kirby is a coastal town in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, Merseyside, England. In the north west of the Wirral Peninsula and at the mouth of the River Dee, the town is contiguous with Hoylake and historically within Cheshire.

Pensby is a large village on the Wirral Peninsula, in Merseyside, England. It is located 1.5 miles (2.4 km) to the north of the town of Heswall and approximately 0.5 miles (0.80 km) to the south west of Thingwall. Historically within Cheshire, the area is part of the Pensby and Thingwall Ward of the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral and is in the parliamentary constituency of Wirral West.

Heswall is a coastal town in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral in Merseyside, England. It was historically part of Cheshire and is located on the Wirral Peninsula.

The Hundred of Wirral is the ancient administrative area for the Wirral Peninsula. Its name is believed to have originated from the Hundred of Wilaveston, the historic name for Willaston, which was an important assembly point in the Wirral Hundred during the Middle Ages. The ton suffix in a place name normally indicates a previous use as a meeting location for officials. During its existence, the hundred was one of the Hundreds of Cheshire.

Irby is a village on the Wirral Peninsula, in Merseyside, England. The village covers an area of 20 square kilometres. To the north of Irby lies the associated hamlet of Irby Hill. It is part of the Greasby, Frankby and Irby Ward of the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral and is within the parliamentary constituency of Wirral West.

The Wirral Peninsula, known locally as the Wirral, is a peninsula in North West England. The roughly rectangular peninsula is about 15 miles (24 km) long and 7 miles (11 km) wide, and is bounded by the Dee Estuary to the west, the Mersey Estuary to the east, and Liverpool Bay to the north.

West Kirby railway station serves the town of West Kirby in Merseyside, England. The station is the terminus of the West Kirby branch line, which is one of the two branches of the Wirral Line on the Merseyrail network. There is a central island platform between two terminus tracks and two parallel sidings for out-of-use electric multiple units. A second station, which was the terminus of a branch line from Hooton, lay to the east of the Wirral Line station; it was closed in 1962.

Caldy is a small, affluent village on the Wirral Peninsula, Merseyside, England, south-east of West Kirby. It is part of the West Kirby & Thurstaston Ward of the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, and is in the parliamentary constituency of Wirral West. At the time of the 2001 Census, Caldy had 1,290 inhabitants, of a total ward population of 12,869.

Thurstaston is a village and former civil parish, in the Wirral district, in Merseyside, England, on the Wirral Peninsula. It is part of the West Kirby and Thurstaston Ward and the parliamentary constituency of Wirral West. The village lies on the A540 road between Heswall and Caldy, although it extends some distance down Station Road to the Wirral Way and the River Dee estuary.

Hadlow Road railway station is a Grade II listed heritage railway station and museum in Willaston, on the Wirral Way footpath. It has been restored to have the look and feel of the day the station was permanently closed to passengers in 1956. It has an authentic ticket office, waiting room and telephone box. Formerly the museum was a working railway station on the single track Hooton to West Kirby branch of the Birkenhead Railway, on the Wirral Peninsula, Cheshire. The station is owned by Cheshire West and Chester Council, and Friends of Hadlow Road Station (FHRS) help to maintain and develop the station as a community resource.

Caldy railway station was a station on the single track Hooton to West Kirby branch of the Birkenhead Railway, on the Wirral Peninsula, England.

Kirby Park railway station was a station on the single track Hooton to West Kirby branch of the Birkenhead Railway, on the Wirral Peninsula, England.

Willaston is a large village situated on the Wirral Peninsula, in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester, Cheshire, England. Centred on a village green, it is located between Neston and Ellesmere Port, less than a mile south of the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral boundary. It is located very closely to Eastham and Bromborough and just a short distance away from Neston. At the 2001 Census, the total population of Willaston and Thornton ward was 4,913.

Cheshire West and Chester is a unitary authority area with borough status in Cheshire, England. It was established on 1 April 2009 as part of the 2009 local government changes, by virtue of an order under the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007. It superseded the boroughs of Ellesmere Port and Neston, Vale Royal and the City of Chester. The remainder of the ceremonial county of Cheshire is composed of Cheshire East, Halton and Warrington. Cheshire West and Chester has three key urban areas: Chester, Ellesmere Port and Northwich/Winsford.

Thurstaston railway station was a station on the single track Hooton to West Kirby branch of the Birkenhead Railway, on the Wirral Peninsula, England. The station served the village of Thurstaston situated to the north east.

Parkgate railway station was a station on the single track Hooton to West Kirby branch of the Birkenhead Railway, on the Wirral Peninsula, Cheshire, England. The station served the village of Parkgate.

Neston South railway station was a station on the single track Hooton to West Kirby branch of the Birkenhead Railway, on the Wirral Peninsula, Cheshire, England. The station served the town of Neston.

The Birkenhead Railway was a railway company in North West England. It was incorporated as the Birkenhead, Lancashire and Cheshire Junction Railway (BL&CJR) in 1846 to build a line connecting the port of Birkenhead and the city of Chester with the manufacturing districts of Lancashire by making a junction near Warrington with the Grand Junction Railway. The BL&CJR took over the Chester and Birkenhead Railway in 1847, keeping its own name for the combined company until it shortened its name to the Birkenhead Railway in 1859. It was taken over jointly, on 1 January 1860, by the London and North Western Railway (LNWR) and the Great Western Railway (GWR). It remained a joint railway until nationalisation of the railways in 1948.

Heswall railway station was on the Birkenhead Railway route between Hooton and West Kirby. It served the town of Heswall between 1886 and 1956.

National Cycle Network (NCN) Route 56 is a Sustrans National Route that runs from Chester to Liverpool. The route utilises country lanes, a former railway trackbed, a coastal path and a seaside promenade.

References

↑ "Wirral Country Park". Metropolitan Borough of Wirral. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
↑ "About the park". Wirral Country Park Friends Group. Archived from the original on 3 December 2008. Retrieved 29 March 2008.
↑ 53°22′24″N3°06′32″W / 53.3732°N 3.109°W / 53.3732; -3.109
↑ 53°17′51″N2°58′39″W / 53.2976°N 2.9774°W / 53.2976; -2.9774
↑ The Wirral Way: Wirral, Visiting Thurstaston, retrieved 9 February 2009
↑ "Heswall Fields and Dales Walk: Wirral". AllertonOak Mersey Walks. Archived from the original on 23 January 2010. Retrieved 13 July 2009.
↑ "Wirral Coastal Walk: Wirral". The Rotary Club of North Wirral. Archived from the original on 9 May 2009. Retrieved 13 July 2009.
↑ Ride Schedule Details: Wirral, Endurance GB, retrieved 9 February 2009

External links

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[Metropolitan_Borough_of_Wirral-1] "Wirral Country Park". Metropolitan Borough of Wirral. Retrieved 29 November 2018.

[Wirral_Country_Park_Friends_Group-2] "About the park". Wirral Country Park Friends Group. Archived from the original on 3 December 2008. Retrieved 29 March 2008.

[3] 53°22′24″N3°06′32″W / 53.3732°N 3.109°W / 53.3732; -3.109

[4] 53°17′51″N2°58′39″W / 53.2976°N 2.9774°W / 53.2976; -2.9774

[5] The Wirral Way: Wirral, Visiting Thurstaston, retrieved 9 February 2009

[6] "Heswall Fields and Dales Walk: Wirral". AllertonOak Mersey Walks. Archived from the original on 23 January 2010. Retrieved 13 July 2009.

[7] "Wirral Coastal Walk: Wirral". The Rotary Club of North Wirral. Archived from the original on 9 May 2009. Retrieved 13 July 2009.

[8] Ride Schedule Details: Wirral, Endurance GB, retrieved 9 February 2009

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Wirral Country Park

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