New Brighton - North Wirral Coast

Founded in 1830, Liverpool builder, James Atherton realised that steam-ferries now made this part of the Wirral accessible. He planned a seaside resort like those on the south-coast, including of course, Brighton.
Blackpool 'eat your heart out', among many attractions, most of which are long gone, New Brighton had one of the world's biggest open-air swimming-pools, a pier, a vast pleasure garden with fairground, monkey house, a ballroom and a tower taller than Blackpool's.
Starting our walk at the Welsh end of King's Parade, our eyes were drawn to Liverpool Bay and the wind-farm comprising 25 turbines...

King's Parade was built in the 1930s from land reclaimed from the sea using material excavated from the Mersey Tunnel. The old sea walls and coastline are visible on the right of the road.
Views across the mouth of the River Mersey enabled us to identify the Freeport at Seaforth...

We were greeted by the Aluminium Clown Statue as we entered New Brighton.

As we walked closer to the River, Perch Rock Lighthouse and Fort, were passed on our left. The lighthouse, because of radar, became redundant in 1973. Built on Black Rock, the most feared hazard on the inward trip to Liverpool, in 1830; it replaced a wooden construction with a light on it.
The lighthouse has often been hit by ships it was there to protect and guide. 90 feet tall it could be seen 15 miles away...

The Fort, Perch Rock Fort, is very close to the lighthouse and marks the River Mersey. Planned as part of England's defences against an invasion by Napoleon it wasn't completed until 1826 by which time Napoleon was already dead. It was altered in 1890 and its claim to 'fame' (I'm not sure if that is an appropriate word) is that the guns were only fired twice and then only as warnings; once at the start of WW1 and again at the start of WW2. It was also camouflaged as a tea room in WW2 with the top painted green to look like a lawn from above; 'Tea' was painted on the roof...

Turning through 90 degrees we walked along the promenade with views of Liverpool's famous waterfront...


Leaving the River we walked through Vale Park with flowers in full bloom...

Walking through the streets of New Brighton, past the railway station, we returned to King's Parade and down onto the beach before returning to the car.
About 4.5 miles, the walk had many interesting features and research enhances the experience. If I get time I'll add a map so that you can, if you want to, trace our steps.

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