Wirral Wanderer
Imagine this. A almost completely off-road loop taking in tarmac, bridleway, Sustrans path and even the odd bit of beach trail. Add in breathtaking coastal scenery, industrial history, a restored 1950’s railway station, nature reserves, seal colonies, quiet beaches, Welsh mountain views and seaside resorts. Then top it off with an iconic ferry ride to end at a World Heritage site in the 2008 European Capital of Culture. Where in the world could one 25 mile ride give you all of this? The answer is the little known gem of the Wirral Way, linked up with some great coastal riding, a short rail journey and a fantastic ferry crossing of the River Mersey. I started the ride in Liverpool City Centre and Central Station, where a quick 20 minute journey on the Wirral Line towards Chester/Ellesmere port gets you to Hooton station. From the station forecourt you turn left onto the road and over the bridge. Then just after the bridge on the left there is a small gap in the wall and a signpost. A singletrack switchback path takes you down to the trail and the very beginning (or end) of the Wirral Way. The Way has been built on the former Cheshire Lines Railway which used to service both the former mining communities in and around Neston and Burton, as well as the resorts of Parkgate and West Kirkby. The line, like many smaller branch lines, fell into disuse and disrepair and was reborn as the linear Wirral Country Park and long distance trail, now incorporated into Sustrans’ NCN route 56.
The start of the trail between Hooton and WillastonThe first part of the route is classic rails to trails stuff with separate surfaces for horses and bikes, keeping trial conflicts to a minimum. The day of my ride was a changeable day with dramatic skies and the odd rain shower, but still the eastern end of the trail was well populated with walkers, horse riders and cyclists.
The first stopping off point on the route comes after only a few miles and is a real time warp moment. Willaston’s Hadlow Road Station is a pure homage to the age of steam, a full restored village station from the 1950’s. A section of track is still intact in front of the lovingly restored station house complete with period interior and signal box. The station is a nostalgic reminder of the Wirral Way’s former life as a working railway. I wanted to linger but I’d barely warmed up from the start of the ride and had a lot of ground to cover.
The timewarp railway station at Hadlow Road Back on the bike and the trail delved in and out of the patches of lush Cheshire countryside, passing through deep sandstone cuttings, past the backs of small villages and occasionally yielding glimpses of the Dee Estuary and the Flintshire hills beyond.
There are a few road crossings and short road sections to deal with on the Way. The first of which is at Parkgate, which provided a great opportunity to take a slight detour, turning left onto the road down toward’s Parkgate’s unique and wonderful seafront. ‘Seafront’ is a slighlty misleading term. Parkgate was a thriving upper class resort in Victorian times until the Dee Estuary’s waters lost their battle with the sediment and the whole coastline from Neston, through Burton to Parkgate, became a marsh stretching more than halfway across the Estuary, leaving only a few deeper channels toward the Welsh coast.
Erm, where's the sea gone? Parkgate's eerie but captivating seafront turned marshland Parkgate still has a beautiful ‘seafront’ with ice cream parlours and mussel sellers, great pubs and a unique atmosphere. However, the ice cream and shellfish would have to wait for another day, as it was on with the trail and my next stop at Thursaston Common. Between Parkgate and Thurstaston, the trail takes on a more bridleway, mountain-biking feel, with rock, sandy sections and the odd ford to contend with here and there. There are also some great little bridges which have been made into pieces of community art. Before I knew it, I’d arrived at the Thursaston Common Nature Reserve – with sandy cliffs overlooking the Dee Estuary and a great place for families tackling the Wirral Way to stop for lunch.
The sweeping beach at Thurstaston with the Welsh coastline in the distance There’s a visitor centre with a bird hide and lots of info on the flora and fauna in the area, as well as the history of this dramatic Wirral coastline. I had a longer journey planned so carried on, but rather than heading back onto the Wirral Way behind the visitor centre, I dropped down the footpath steps onto the broad sweeping beach that had now replaced the marshland and took in the stunning views across the Dee to Wales. I found hard sand down near the water’s edge and was able to pedal along near the breakers, looking out across the water to small boats moored out in the channel. I then took the steep path up past the sailing club and onto the road heading inland before rejoining the Wirral Way on a path to my left.
The path braided and reformed right along it’s route, with the separate bridleway snaking through the trees while the hardpacked tarmac section stayed level, making the route ideal for all levels of rider. Pretty soon the Wirral Way came upon the outskirts of West Kirkby and ended all too soon at West Kirkby station. Less ambitious riders could end their journey here after around 11 miles and take the short train journey back to Liverpool, but I had decided to link up the Way with the dramatic coastal paths and promenades that stretched almost uninterrupted from West Kirkby, right around the coast to the Seacombe Ferry Terminal. First up as a great piece of beachside trail with wonderful, mini Moab style sandstone outcrops in the sand and stunning views of Hilbre Island with it’s seal colony, wildlife observatory and beyond, the Welsh coast stretching back to the horizon. On a clear day you can see range after range of Welsh hills, from the Clwyds in the foreground, through to the hills around the Conwy Valley, through to the higher, more rugged Snowdonia peaks that run toward the sea at Anglesey.
On the beach trail near Hilbre Island, West Kirkby At this point the ride had reached the Royal Liverpool Golf Course at Hoylake, and a small road detour takes you down the flank of the course and onto Hoylake seafront. Here another stunning vista greets you, this time partly natural and partly man made. Out at sea across Liverpool Bay, a squadron of sleek wind turbines sat in formation.
Fishing boats moored at Hoylake Beyond them, gas rigs out in Morecambe Bay and in the far distance – the sight of Blackpool Tower and the Big One rollercoaster. From here the route plys the sea wall, with more colourful boats, sweeping beaches, kite flyers and dog walkers and a keen breeze bringing in a menacing but dramatic sky as I approached New Brighton.
Perch Rock Battery at New Brighton (with 'Claud', bottom left, for scale!) New Brighton is a strange place with that ‘faded seaside glory’ feel but looking to the future as well as embracing it’s past. But the run down amusements that still draw in day tripping families are not the most prominent feature of the town’s seafront. Right on the trail is Fort Perch Rock, a sandstone fortress built in the 1860s to defend the crucial shipping going in and out of Liverpool. Now a war museum, the fort stands proud on the very top-left tip of the rectagular Wirral peninsula and is flanked by a stunning lighthouse further out on Perch Rock, which is dramatically partially submerged at high tide and battered by fierce waves.
New Brighton Lighthouse and a rather big sky After pausing for photographs I headed onto the home stretch along Wallasey promenade, which is lined with a good deal of pubs, great for summer refuelling stops. Then another corner was rounded and the iconic waterfront of Liverpool suddenly came into sight across the Mersey estuary – the Liver and Cunard Buildings at it’s centerpiece, the monolithic jutting Neo-Gothic tower of the Anglican Cathedral and the disc capped tower of St John’s Beacon behind.
The Liverpool waterfront from Seacombe Ferry A few miles into a stiff headwind and I arrived at the Ferry terminal for a well earned coffee in the café while I waited for my Ferry. Pretty soon the famous ferry pulled into the jetty and the best was truly saved for last – a breathtaking journey across the river with a rainstorm approaching from up river, to take me back to the starting point in Liverpool city centre.
The ride is rounded off with that most iconic of Liverpool sights - the Royal Daffodil ferry hoving into view and the Liver building looming across the river (all together now, 'So Ferry, 'cross the Mersey...') Route: Start Liverpool Central Station, Ranleagh Street – take the Wirral Line to Hooton – Exit the station forecourt and turn left onto Hooton Road – on the other side of the bridge turn left onto footpath signed Wirral Way – follow the Wirral Way all the way to West Kirkby, following the Sustran’s signs. At West Kirkby turn left onto the road and head for the seafront on Grange Road and then Dee Lane – take to the beach and follow the beach path until you reach a jetty near Red Rocks and Hoylake Golf Course – ride up the jetty and onto Stanley Road – Turn left onto the King’s Gap and follow the road onto the Promenade – Follow the promenade around the coast, through New Brighton rounding the corner onto the Mersey Estuary until you reach Seacombe Ferry Terminal – Take the ferry to Liverpool, alighting at the Pier Head.
Ride FactsDistance: 24.4 miles
Start and Finish: Liverpool Central Station
Surfaces: Tarmac, Gravel, Hardpack, Sand
Terrain: mostly flat coastal and former railway path
Bike: Hybrid or Hardtail MTB is ideal
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