Travel: weekend walk.
Byline: George DaviesWhere is it? An area boarded by the old Wirral villages of Upton, Bidston and Claughton. The Bidston Hill part was purchased by public subscription and is now a public park.
How to get there? By car: car parkat Tam O'Shanter Urban Farm. By bus: most buses pass through the three villages. By train: Bidston and Upton stations.
What is the attraction? A historically interesting walk over a varied terrain and some wonderful views of Wirral and Liverpool.
How long is it? A circular walk of 4.5 miles and can be joined at various points en route.
Let's go: From Tam O'Shanter cross the field south, then left along the King George Way to the park entrance. Cross over Upton Road and follow Bidston Road past the Wirral Ladies Golf House, turn right at the footpath sign and cross the golf course to Noctorum Lane. Follow the lane to Budworth Road, then turn right passing Noctorum Road and along West Road to West Close.
Proceed north along the footpath opposite the close until it reaches the Thermopylae Pass, turn left and follow the pass to near its Upton entrance. Turn right and walk up the yellow brick path through Bidston Court gardens until reaching the terracing. Climb the steps up the terrace to the large semi-circular walled patio belonging to the old house (removed and rebuilt at Royden Park and now known as Hillbark).
Walk towards the back wall, turn right, then follow the roadway to the footings of the old garages. After descending steeply back to the Thermopylae Pass, go left along the pass to Upton Road. Carefully cross the road into the woods opposite, then follow the footpath through the woodland and then over gorse covered rocks until reaching Vyner Road North.
Cross the footbridge then turn immediately left down the steps to Bidston Woods. Follow the path through the woods until it reaches Eleanor Road and then along the road past Bidston Hall and Bidston Old Farm to Bidston Village Road.
Shortly after turning right, cross over Boundary Road and follow the stone wall on the right to its end.
Turn right, then walk through the Rhododendron Gardens to near Brow Road. Cross Boundary Road and follow the path opposite until reaching the house on the left.
The path to the right passes to the site of an old cockpit and through the trees can be seen the club house reputedly won by the turn of a card (hence the name). Continue on the path until it reaches the top entrance of the woods. Close by can be seen the carved outline of a horse's head.
Going left the path follows a wall on the right and than past the old lighthouse until reaching the impressive twin-domed, now-defunct Bidston Observatory.
Follow the rocky path on the crest of the hill, with its excellent views of Merseyside, until it reaches the old and well preserved windmill. Walk down the path to the left of the mill which leads to a vehicle barrier on Vyner Road North. Cross over and walk through the pine woods back to Tam O'Shanter Urban Farm.
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| Title Annotation: | Features |
|---|---|
| Publication: | Daily Post (Liverpool, England) |
| Date: | Oct 12, 2002 |
| Words: | 526 |
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