Summary
At the turn of the 19th century, Birkenhead was a modest village situated on the Wirral bank of the Mersey, sufficiently distanced from Liverpool’s industrial activities by the river. However, rapid developments occurred in the following decades when shipbuilder William Laird established his operations and developed the grand Hamilton Square. Subsequently, Birkenhead Park, recognized as the first publicly funded park globally, emerged, complementing Hamilton Square with its profusion of listed buildings.
The Mersey is renowned worldwide for its ferries, and visitors can trace the origins of this service at Birkenhead Priory, which received ferry rights from Edward II in 1318. Located in Birkenhead, one is conveniently positioned to explore the model village of Port Sunlight and the monuments perched atop Bidston Hill.
1. Hamilton Square
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The Scottish shipbuilder William Laird envisioned significant advancements for Birkenhead in the early 19th century and enlisted the services of Edinburgh architect James Gillespie Graham to design an impressive square. This Georgian masterpiece is adorned with the highest concentration of Grade I listed buildings of any such collection in the nation, following Trafalgar Square.
Hamilton Square, using Laird’s wife’s maiden name, is elegantly bordered by rows of sandstone townhouses, each unique in appearance. The project began in 1825 and lasted more than 20 years, culminating in 1847. It features the Town Hall (discussed later), Birkenhead’s cenotaph, a striking neo-Gothic tribute to Queen Victoria, and a statue of William’s son, John Laird, who was Birkenhead’s first MP and resided at No. 63 on the square.
2. Birkenhead Park
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Upon the completion of Hamilton Square in 1847, the world’s inaugural publicly funded park opened nearby. Spanning 230 acres and developed over seven years, Birkenhead Park served as an inspiration for New York’s Central Park. Its layout was conceived by Joseph Paxton, known for his work at Chatsworth, and features several monuments designed by Liverpool architect Lewis Hornblower.
Among these are the Neoclassical Grand Entrance and the Cricket Pavilion (1849), distinguished by triangular gables over its entrance. The Swiss Bridge is notable as the only covered bridge of traditional wooden construction in the nation, while the lakeside Roman Boathouse showcases a unique segmented arch for water access. In addition to this remarkable Grade I landscape, the park includes a contemporary visitor center, an expansive adventure playground, diverse sports facilities, and two fishing lakes.
3. Port Sunlight
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The verdant suburb of Port Sunlight was conceived by the “soap king,” William Hesketh Lever (1851-1925), who established a soap factory in the 1880s and developed a model village for his employees. Port Sunlight derives its name from a brand of soap produced by Lever and was constructed during a time when significant advancements were made to improve workers’ living conditions.
Reflecting the Medieval and Tudor craftsmanship of the Arts and Crafts movement, Port Sunlight contains 900 Grade II listed buildings, making it ideal for a walking tour. Visitors should begin at the Port Sunlight Museum, which offers insights into William Hesketh Lever and his vision for the village. The museum provides an opportunity to experience life in Port Sunlight during its early years, featuring a restored Edwardian worker’s cottage and information about the architects involved in the development of homes, key buildings, and parks.
4. Lady Lever Art Gallery
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Subsequently, William Hesketh Lever established an exceptional art museum in Port Sunlight in memory of his wife, Elizabeth Hulme. Lever donated his extensive collection of art and decorative arts, showcased within a distinguished Beaux-Arts building completed in 1922. The exhibitions reflect the tastes of the industrialist and those of affluent Victorians and Edwardians. The collection features numerous Pre-Raphaelite works, alongside significant pieces by renowned earlier artists such as Gainsborough, Reynolds, Constable, and Turner.
The gallery also includes an outstanding collection of English furniture, Chinese ceramics, and Wedgwood pottery, encompassing what may be the most comprehensive Jasperware collection globally. This impressive array of paintings, sculptures, and decorative arts is exhibited in five “Period Rooms,” which recreate the interiors of prominent mansions from that era.
5. Ferry Across the Mersey
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One of the quintessential Merseyside experiences is to take a ferry across the iconic river, accessible from the Woodside Ferry Terminal. Ferry rights were originally granted to the nearby Birkenhead Priory in the 14th century, and by the 18th century, Woodside became one of several embarkation points for numerous private ferries along the Wirral bank.
This terminal connects to the railway network at Hamilton Square and is also integrated with a heritage tram line operating on weekends and during school holidays. The ferry ride to Pier Head in Liverpool lasts approximately ten minutes; however, for a more scenic experience, a 50-minute River Explorer Cruise is available, featuring commentary and splendid views of the Liverpool skyline.
6. Wirral Transport Museum
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Birkenhead was home to Europe’s first street tramway, established by the American transport entrepreneur George Francis Train. This line commenced operation in 1860, extending from Woodside near the ferry terminal to Birkenhead Park. Although the original line ceased operations in the early 20th century, a heritage tramway was reestablished in the 1990s.
The Wirral Transport Museum opened concurrently in a magnificent Victorian twin-level stable and features a collection of vintage trams, historic buses (including the exceptional 1943 Guy Arab and 1943 Leyland Titan), cars, motorcycles, and the 1950s Green Goddess fire engine. Additionally, the museum houses a model railway and a replica of a massive movable crane that operated at Bidston Dock, which closed in 1997.
7. Wirral Tramway
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From the stop located on Taylor Street outside the Wirral Transport Museum, visitors can board a heritage tram for a scenic 1.1-kilometer journey to the Woodside Ferry Terminal. The tram service operates a fleet of nine vintage trams, with most of them on display at the museum, including the only standard gauge ex-Lisbon tram (1930) globally.
The tram line runs throughout the year on weekends from 12:45 to 16:45, and additionally operates from Wednesday to Friday during school holidays. Departures are timed to coincide with ferry departures at Woodside, occurring on the half-hour. Ticket prices are £2 for adults and £1 for children.
8. Birkenhead Priory
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Merseyside’s oldest surviving structure, the Benedictine Birkenhead Priory was established approximately midway from the Mersey in the mid-12th century. After obtaining ferry rights from Edward II in 1318, the monks were entrusted with the original regulated ferry across the Mersey. Like all monasteries in England, the Birkenhead Priory was dissolved under the reign of Henry VIII in the 16th century.
The current priory chapel occupies what was formerly the chapter house, while the upper level houses a scriptorium containing a chapel dedicated to the 19th-century Royal Navy training ship HMS Conway. A small museum is also present, recounting the site’s extensive history and the purpose of the surviving structures. Additionally, the tower of the demolished 19th-century parish church of St Mary has been preserved as a memorial to the 99 sailors who perished aboard HMS Thetis, which was constructed at Birkenhead’s Cammell Laird shipyard and tragically sank during trials in June 1939.
9. Williamson Art Gallery & Museum
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The artistic treasures of Birkenhead are housed in a neo-Georgian building located in Claughton. Established in 1928, the Williamson Art Gallery & Museum was funded by John Williamson, then director of the Cunard Steamship Company. Its collection ranks among the best in the region: it includes Victorian paintings by recognized academic artist Albert Joseph Moore and seascape artist Philip Wilson Steer, along with a wealth of watercolors, drawings, and prints.
Moreover, Birkenhead’s Della Robbia Pottery, a prominent figure of the Arts and Crafts movement in the late 19th century, is well represented alongside Liverpool’s locally produced soft-paste porcelain from the latter half of the 18th century. The Maritime Gallery features an extensive collection of antique ship models, reflecting the heritage of the former Cammell Laird shipyard, Mersey Ferries, and other vessels that frequented the river.
10. U-Boat Story
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The River Explorer Cruise ticket includes access to an outdoor museum showcasing the German submarine U-534. This submarine was built for the Kriegsmarine in 1942 and was sunk by an RAF bomber in Denmark’s Kattegat on May 5, 1945, coinciding with a partial surrender of German troops in Denmark by Admiral Dönitz.
Of the 52 crew members, only three did not survive. The sub was rediscovered in shallow waters in 1986 and was raised to the surface in 1993. Prior to its relocation to a permanent site near Woodside Ferry Terminal, the submarine was dismantled into five sections, which are currently displayed in a manner that allows visitors to view its interior through glass partitions. Informational signage and audiovisual displays convey an understanding of the experiences aboard, and among the preserved items is a rarely seen Enigma machine.
11. Spaceport
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This well-attended attraction in Seacombe is dedicated to astronomy and space exploration, featuring temporary exhibitions, interactive galleries, and a 360° planetarium. In early 2019, a significant collection of rare Star Wars memorabilia was showcased, curated by one of the country’s most enthusiastic collectors.
Known as the Dome Theatre, the planetarium presents highly produced 25-minute films at hourly intervals. At the time of writing, the feature was titled “We Are the Aliens,” narrated by Harry Potter actor Rupert Grint. On the upper floor, an engaging interactive zone offers games and activities, enabling younger guests to explore concepts like gravity, magnetic fields, weather, and light, coupled with comfortable seating for accompanying parents.
12. Birkenhead Town Hall
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Serving as the administrative center for the former County Borough of Birkenhead, the Town Hall is prominently situated on the eastern side of Hamilton Square. This striking Neoclassical structure, completed in 1887, features a Corinthian portico and a majestic 60-metre clock tower.
The interior comprises a concert hall, various function rooms, a former council chamber, and offices. Following the redrawing of county lines in 1974, Wirral’s council offices remained within until the 1990s, when they relocated to make space for the Wirral Museum, which operated here until its closure in 2010. Since then, the building has undergone revitalization, and council offices have returned, alongside the borough’s registrar’s office, which has remained throughout.
13. Bidston Hill
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This hill, located in the suburb of the same name, encompasses 100 acres of woods and heathland from a former estate, which was transferred to Birkenhead in 1894. Bidston Hill offers numerous intriguing sites for history enthusiasts.
The hill has featured a lighthouse since 1771, and the current Bidston Hill Lighthouse was established in 1873. Constructed from the local sandstone, Bidston Observatory dates back to 1866, used to determine precise time. In the following three years, this establishment was electrically linked to a cannon at Mopeth Dock on the Mersey, which was discharged daily at 13:00. North-east of the observatory, a slab with a 1.4-metre Norse-Irish carving of a sun goddess from the 11th century can be found, along with another depicting a horse a short distance away.
14. Tam O’Shanter Urban Farm
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A charming old cottage situated on Bidston Hill serves as the centerpiece for a free children’s farm, managed by a charitable trust and open every day of the year except Christmas Day. Younger visitors will delight in interacting with the farm’s animals, which include goats, pigs, ponies, chickens, sheep, geese, ducks, rabbits, guinea fowl, and chickens.
Animal feed can be purchased for £1 to hand-feed the friendly goats, while a picnic area, a café, and a playground featuring safe old tractors are available for enjoyment. During school holidays, special events, such as a Teddy Bears’ Picnic in summer, often take place, accompanied by amusement stalls and a bouncy castle.
15. Flaybrick Hill Cemetery
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For those undeterred by Victorian cemeteries, Flaybrick presents a magnificent example near Bidston Hill. No longer operational, it has been preserved as a memorial garden and was established in 1864, housing an estimated 200,000 interments.
Noteworthy individuals interred here include James Taylor Cochran, whose Birkenhead shipyard built the Resurgam, a Victorian prototype submarine, along with Mary Mercer (d. 1945), the first woman mayor of Birkenhead, whose portrait is displayed at the Williamson Art Gallery & Museum. The neighbouring Anglican and nonconformist chapels above have fallen into dilapidation, while an array of mature specimen trees can be admired, featuring a silver pendent lime, a monkey puzzle, a Caucasian lime, and a cut leaf beech.
