14th March 2019 : Rock Ferry (mod)

I’ll call this ride “Wirral Old and New”. As so often happens, the forecast does not match reality on the day. As Storm Gareth was expected to bring 45 mph winds to The Wirral, only four riders appeared on a sunny morning at Ness Gardens. Steve T came to check on our well-being, but only for coffee today. 

Andy, Clive, and George were led north by me who promised them quiet, traffic free roads and cycle tracks, just to minimise any risk from the wind. After Little Neston, we rode north on The Wirral Way to Gayton, sheltered from the westerlies. On a recce a few weeks ago, I had discovered Wittering Lane and Pipers Lane in Lower Heswall that paralleled the Wirral Way taking us to the first of three climbs of the day, Oldfield Drive. Yes, there are some steep and rough gradients on the peninsula.

At the top, the Thurstaton cycle way took us to Irby and the first of the “Old” settlements, Thingwall, which takes its name from the Norse “ting vellir” or meeting place. It begs the question, was this a very important place in the 10^thCentury, similar to other European Viking capitals like Tynwald, Thingvellir or Tingwall the old capital of Shetland. 

North on Sustrans 56 through Woodchurch, then east over the M53 that took us to our 2^ndclimb onto the sandstone ridge at Noctorum, followed by a fast descent into Birkenhead Park. Designed by Paxton in 1847, it is the world’s oldest public park and has the UK’s only covered wooden footbridge (a la Suisse) where the other three riders posed for a photo.

Swiss Bridge - Birkenhead Park

Despite the headwinds, we were only five minutes late for our lunch stop at the ever-popular Refreshment Rooms. As usual there, everyone had a good lunch. Suitably fed and watered, we headed with the wind along the beach at Rock Ferry.

A monochrome study of Rock Ferry beach

At Port Sunlight, the other three had never ascended the Alpe de River Park, the newest park on Merseyside. Opened in 2014, it sits atop the old council rubbish tip, emitting methane that is converted on site into electricity. At the summit we only admired the views for a while as the wind was fairly fierce and chilly.

Continuing south along the banks of the Mersey, we passed through Eastham Country Park before traversing the Wirral back to Ness Gardens. A very enjoyable 35 miles but with three steep hills, it dropped our average speed to a pleasant 11mph.

See route map and/or gpx file download

BM

Photos by Macca

4th January 2018: Rock Ferry (mod)

Our first CER ride of the New Year saw 8 members meeting at Ness Gardens with Clive, Bob and Steve H coming just for coffee and N Y-well wishing.  Macca had promised a Wirral ride covering some previously un-ridden “roads” by CER and in anticipation, Ivan, Mike G, Steve T, Tom and Macca set off north to Parkgate.  This ride should have been billed as “Edwardians at leisure” as we soon arrived at the site of the outdoor swim baths; today it was packed, not with human “bird watchers” but with RSPB members all staring out onto the Estuary, hoping to see for raptors hunting vermin escaping the very high tide. (see photo)

Photos by Macca

Onwards and eastwards brought us flying past Raby Mere, the site of Edwardian pleasure gardens, boating lake and tea-rooms up until the late 1960s, if my childhood memory serves me correctly.  Continuing through Mill Park, followed by Carlett Park, we arrived on the banks of the very high Mersey at our 3rd Edwardian playground – the long gone zoo, bear-pit and pleasure gardens at Eastham Ferry.  In bright winter sun, we headed north to the 21st century equivalent at Port Sunlight River Park, built on a 15 year old landfill dump and opened in 2014 (see photo 2).

Hearing stomachs rumbling I called 15 minutes to the pub, at which the speed increased noticeably.  We cycled for the first time ever along the old Edwardian sandstone promenade at Rock Ferry, which usually has a 6 foot drop to the “beach”, where thousands came from Liverpool to sunbathe and swim.  Today, as you see from photo 3, we nearly had to swim ourselves.

The Refreshment Rooms looked after us as well as ever.  Only open 5 years, it has gained from early-on a deserved reputation for serving excellent food as well as local beer, both locally sourced.  Its “Mission Statement” posted in the Gents, even declares that staff are locally sourced.
Though I had previously promised by e-mail a ride of 70 odd kms, the accurate BBC weather app I always use showed we were due 80 kms westerlies from 2pm.  After a hurried lunch, I elected for the shortest route back to Ness as we set off straight into that headwind. Bebington Station, Sunlight village, Clatterbridge, Brimstage, Raby, Willaston, then up and over Mill Lane took us back to Ness; we still covered an enjoyable 58 kms. (Well I still think of myself as European) at an average 18 kph.

Macca