Posted:  Monday 4 October 2010

Manchester Area Associates
take a walk on the Wirral, based on Irby

- Monday 4th October -

After the wet weather of the last few days I expected the worse, but what a beautiful day it turned out to be for the ten members of the group that made the journey to Irby.

After a cup of coffee at a local eatery we set on the five-mile trek around part of the Wirral Peninsula, a truly beautiful part of the country.

We head off across the fields taking in views across the Dee Estuary and the Welsh Hills.

From here we go into Thurstaston Common and on to the trig point on Thurstaston Hill.

The views from here were wonderful, to the right we could see all the way across Liverpool Bay and the Leasowe Lighthouse and to the left across to north Wales and the Great Orme at Llandudno.

Then came the tricky part of the walk over sandstone steps and rocky outcrops, but as ever we overcame the obstacles helping each other out along the way.

It then became easier as we passed through a wood of silver birches and on into Royden Park and past Hill Bark Mansion, a house with an interesting history.

Set in 250 acres of beautiful parkland and overlooking the Dee estuary across to the hills of north Wales the house was originally built in 1891 - on Bidston Hill in Birkenhead - for the soap manufacturer Robert William Hudson.
WHO?  (We came across one of his ads at Beamish.)
Germany's Kronprinz Wilhelm was so impressed with the house that in 1913 he built a copy for himself at Potsdam.  The famous Potsdam Agreement was signed there at the end of World War two.
Hill Bark was sold in 1921 to Sir Ernest Royden and in 1928 was moved to its present site brick by brick - finally being completed in 1931.
The house has loads of interesting features.  As it is now an hotel it might be worth a visit one day.

From here it's onward to walk down the main road with no footpath for 20 minutes to eventually enter Arrowe Park and back to the outskirts of Irby.

The walk then took us through Harrock Wood via Pensby, following a delightful stream and next over some stepping stones and back into Irby.

We rounded off a great day with a welcome cuppa at the same eatery and said our goodbyes before setting off home.

As ever my thanks to all who came on the walk:- Neville Oates, Elaine Rickman, Eric & Brenda Johnson, Charles & Mavis Bretnall, Ian & Angela Beardow, Chris & myself, and of course Bengi the dog.

Heres to next time.

Regards, Cyril Heap.

(ph  04/10/2010)

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