Hamilton Square, Birkenhead.
Considering it's size the Wirral Peninsular has a wealth of cultural venues which include several protected areas, ancient monument sites, art galleries, museums and heritage centres
PORT SUNLIGHT VILLAGE
The area's largest cultural venue by far has to be Port Sunlight Village, a village built for the workers of the Sunlight Soap factory by entrepreneur and philanthropist William Hesketh Lever between 1885 and 1914.
The entire village of Port Sunlight is grade II listed and offers the visitor a myriad of different types of houses, a museum, a heritage centre, the Gladstone Theatre,the prestigious Lady Lever Art Gallery, a 19th century church, a school house and a once famous local arts centre, Hulme Hall, now a conference centre and wedding venue.
Port Sunlight village is located at CH46 4XB.
WIRRAL MARITIME HERITAGE TRAIL.
The Wirral Peninsular is steeped in maritime history.The area along the River Mersey waterfront is dotted with historic ferry crossings and former ship building and dockland buildings.
These once vital ferry crossings - there were once eleven in all - are evident in the names of some of the local areas such as Eastham Ferry, Seacombe Ferry, Egremont Ferry and Monk's Ferry the site of the very first river crossing service back in 1150. All these areas are now accessible by way of the area's Wirral Maritime Heritage Trail, a River Mersey waterfront walkway between the former Eastham Docks and Eastham Lock - which heralds the start of the Manchester Ship Canal - and the former, popular Victorian holiday resort of New Brighton, which take in all the aforementioned ferry crossings and the once important dockland and shipbuilding areas on the Wirral side of the River Mersey.
For a list of famous ships built at Birkenhead please read my article on this page -
HAMILTON SQUARE.
Situated in Wirral's county town of Birkenhead is an area second only to Trafalgar Square in London for having the most listed buildings in one place.
Hamilton Square was the brainchild of shipping magnate William Laird who commissioned Scots architect Gillespie Graham in 1826 to design this picturesque square of Georgian town houses built around a central park.
The name Hamilton was Laird's wife's maiden name.
The area consists of four rows of town houses which encompass a park containing a cenotaph,a monument and statue of William Laird's son, John Laird - Birkenhead's first member of parliament and founder of the Cammell Laird shipping empire.
At the head of the park entrance stands the former town hall and Wirral Museum which was built much later in the century in 1887.
Also in the square is William Laird's former house situated at number 63 Hamilton Square and a few metres up the road stands the Hamilton Square Railway Station built in 1886.
Hamilton Square is located at CH41 5FR.
FERRY 'CROSS THE MERSEY.
Known the world over and synonomous with the history of the City of Liverpool, this famous ferry service was actually started by Benedictine Monks who lived at Birkenhead Priory during the twelth century.
The ferry operates between Seacombe Ferry Terminal 2 and Woodside Ferry Terminal 3 on the Wirral side of the River Mersey and travels to Liverpool Pier Head on the Liverpool side of the River Mersey. For centuries this vital ferry service was the only way to cross the two mile wide river, but since the opening of the Mersey Tunnels, the ferry has been largely used as a tourist attraction. The guided ferry trip takes around fifty minutes and includes a trip around the former docklands of the area and takes in the World Heritage Site of the Liverpool skyline.
Both Ferry Terminals also house a shop and cafe.
Woodside Ferry Terminal 3 - CH41 6DU. Tel - 0151 639 0609. The site is served by way of a pay and display car park. Also situated here is the U - Boat Story exhibition.
Seacombe Ferry Terminal 2 - CH44 6QY. - Tel - 0151 639 0609.The site is served by way of a free car park. Also situated here is the Spaceport Exhibition Centre.
SPACEPORT.
Is a venue of several, interactive, space themed exhibits situated at the Seacombe Ferry Terminal. A must see fantasy venue for children and adults alike.
Victoria Place,
Seacombe.
CH44 6QY.
Tel - 0151 330 1333.
PARK GATE.
Park Gate is a village situated on the peninsula's border with the county of Cheshire. The village has, since Roman times, been an important port and ferry service to the City of Chester and an important embarcation point for Wales and Ireland by way of the River Dee.
Today the sea rarely comes up to the seafront other than on the highest of tides, which is a local tourist attraction in it's own right, and the area is now part of the River Dee Estuary Nature Reserve which contains 100 kilometres of salt marshes which have become a local haven for bird watchers.
The area is also reknowned for it's home made ice cream and the village's main street has an array of interesting historical buildings.
The village can also boast a famous, historical, regular visitor in Lady Emma Hamilton, infamous mistress of Lord Horation Nelson. Lady Hamilton was born in nearby Ness in 1765 and it is known that she regularly visited Park Gate in order to bathe in the sea water and to use the local ferry service.
ART GALLERIES.
Lady Lever Art Gallery.
A lifetime collection of fine art, objet d'art and furniture of the wife of William Hesketh Lever, Elisabeth Hulme, can be found in this grade II listed building which was built after her death by her husband in 1922, situated at Port Sunlight.
The collection includes furniture from the couple's former residence in Bolton, objet d'art found on their extensive European and Asian tours and several oil and watercolour paintings by both famous and local artists.
Port Sunlight.
CH62 5EQ.
Williamson Art Gallery.
This purpose built venue which opened it's doors to the public in 1928 houses a vast collection of watercolours and oil paintings both by local and other British artists. The venue also houses a fine collection of locally made pottery - Della Robbia - and hosts several visiting exhibitions, lectures and concerts.
Slatey Road,
Birkenhead.
CH43 4UE.
Tel - 0151 652 4177.
MUSEUMS
Fort Perch Rock.
Built between 1825 and 1829 at the head of the River Mersey on Liverpool Bay to defend the Port of Liverpool during the Napoleonic wars, this grade II listed former defence battery is now a military artefacts museum and local attraction.
Wallasey Marine Promenade,
New Brighton.
CH45 2JS.
Chapter House Chapel Museum.
This grade II listed Anglican chapel was once the Chapter House of Birkenhead Priory, the oldest building on the Wirral Peninsula. Today the chapel is home to a museum dedicated to the history of the priory and it's subsequent settlement of which the town of Birkenhead evolved. The museum is open to the public on Saturdays and Sundays between 10.00 and 16.00hrs and from Monday to Friday by appointment only by contacting the Williamson Art Gallery on 0151 652 4177.
Admission is free.
Priory Street,
Birkenhead
CH41 5JH.
Charles Dawson Brown museum.
This small museum is annexed to St Bridget's Church in the seaside town of West Kirby and houses a collection of ancient, stone carvings and artefacts found in and around the Wirral Peninsula. The museum was founded in 1892 by local benefactor and cotton merchant Charles Dawson Brown who once lived in the town.
Visiting is by appointment only by ringing the museum curator on 0151 625 1234.
St Bridget's Road,
West Kirby.
CH48 7HL.
National Waterways Museum.
A heritage centre dedicated to a bygone age whih boasts a unique collection of historic narrow boats used on the canals and industrial waterways of Britain.The museum is situated on an arm of the Shropshire Union Canal at Telford Quay and is situated opposite the vast Stanlow Oil Dock.
Also available at the museum are local canal boat trips and Manchester Ship Canal cruises.
Pier Road,
Telford Quay,
Ellesmere Port.
CH65 4FW.
Tel - 0151 355 5017.
The U - Boat Story.
View the workings of and witness how life was, onboard a W.W.II, German, U.Boat submarine.
Woodside Ferry Terminal.
Woodside.
CH41 6DU.
Tel - 0151 330 1000.
The Wilfred Owen Story.
Follows the life and works of one of Wirral's most famous resident's WWI poet, Wilfred Owen.
34, Argyll Street,
Birkenhead.
CH41 6AE.
Tel - 0753 937 1925.
Wirral Transport Museum and Tramway.
During Birkenhead's industrial heyday, the town became the first in Europe to adopt a public tramway service.
Birkenhead's prominent place in the history of public transport is celebrated by way of the Wirral Transport Museum which as well as housing a fine array of trams also exhibits buses, cars and motorbikes and has a fully working model railway.
Although the museum is situated on Taylor Street, access to the museum is actually located outside Woodside Ferry Terminal, where visitors are picked up by a 1901 tram and transported to the museum building situated a mile away.
1 Taylor Street,
Birkenhead.
CH41 1BG.
THEATRES.
The Wirral Peninsula is served by way of several theatres, below is a list of their locations.
Floral Pavillion.
An 800 seat theatre and conference centre situated in the former seaside resort of New Brighton, this newly opened theatre hosts a large programme of events throughout the year.
The venue is served by an impressive coffee shop and a panoramic lounge which sports stunning views out across the River Mersey, the Irish Sea and the Liverpool skyline.
Marine Promenade,
New Brighton.
CH45 2JS.
Box Office Tel - 0151 666 0000.
Gladstone Theatre.
Situated in the Grade II listed village of Port Sunlight and run by the amateur dramatic company The Port Sunlight Players since 1921, this venue puts on four shows a year.
Greendale Road,
Port Sunlight.
CH62 4XB.
Box Office Tel - 0151 643 8757.
Little Theatre.
This old and established theatre situated in Birkenhead celebrates it's 80th year of productions in 2011.
Grange Road West,
Birkenhead.
CH41 4BY.
Box Office Tel - 0151 647 6593.
Pacific Road Arts Centre.
Home of the Wirral Youth Theatre, this popular venue presents plays and musical performances throughout the year for all ages.
1 Pacific Road,
Birkenhead.
CH41 1LJ.
Info Line - 0151 647 0752.
Box Office tel - 0151 666 0000.
