Welcome To Wirral

At 4 miles in length and 400 acres in area it is Wirral's largest park. It is managed by the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral Ranger service

The North Wirral Coastal Park provides for a wide variety of recreational activities, some of the more popular being: sailing, sea angling, swimming, cycling, picnicking, walking, jogging, ball games, bird watching and horse riding. Views of Bidston, Caldy and the Welsh Hills, and out over the Irish Sea add interest to the area for the visitor

Ranger Service

The North Wirral Coastal Park Rangers are based in Leasowe Lighthouse. The Ranger Service has been present in the park since its creation in 1986. In addition to looking after and managing the park, they are available to help you when you visit the park. Whether you are a school group wanting to do a seashore search or a youth group wanting to do a practical environmental task, they can usually help. The Rangers organise a programme of public walks and other events which are usually free, and they also are available to provide a talk to your school or group on a variety of topics including natural history and local history.

Facilities

The North Wirral Coastal Park and its immediate area are very well provisioned with facilities. 8 car parking areas, 3 toilet blocks (one summer only), an extensive footpath network and public bridleways, 4 picnic areas, a childrens' play area at Derby Pool Picnic Area, 2 refreshment kiosks, a pitch and putt course, and bathing beaches patrolled in the summer by lifeguards.

Natural History

The North Wirral Coast or Foreshore is one of the country's top sites for wildlife particularly wading birds visiting during the winter or on migration in autumn or spring; in recognition of this it has been designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). This status legally protects the area against developments which may significantly damage it's wildlife value. Birds that can commonly be seen, particularly as the tide floods in, are Oystercatcher, Redshank, Dunlin, Sanderling, Turnstone, Lapwing, Bar-tailed Godwit and Curlew. These birds visit the North Wirral foreshore because of the high numbers of fish, worms, crustaceans etc. that are found in the sand and mud. Commonly found are Shore Crabs, Shrimps, Prawns, Lugworm and Ragworm, Cockles, Tellin and Peppery Furrow shells, and such fish as Gobies, Blennies, Sole, Plaice, Flounder, Dab and Pipefish.

Landward of the sea wall are areas of sand-dune and dune meadow where Sea Holly, Marram Grass, Storksbill, Burnet Rose and rarities like the Isle of Man Cabbage can be found. Feeding off these plants can be found the very rare British sub-species of the Belted Beauty Moth, this area is one of its two only known sites in the world.

Areas of reed-bed and marsh are common with such plants as Reed-mace, and the rare Buttonweed, introduced from South Africa, and birds like the Reed Bunting and Reed Warbler can be found. New areas of wetland have been created to restore some of the areas former status.

Local History

Leasowe Lighthouse was built in 1763 by the Mersey Docks and Harbour Board as one of 4 leading lights (or beacons). Two were built at Hoylake, then a major fishing port, and 2 at Leasowe. The lower light at Leasowe was very soon destroyed by the sea and it was replaced by a lighthouse built on Bidston Hill in 1771. The lamp last shone at Leasowe on July 15th 1908, and after a period as a tea room the building remained derelict until 1989. The Last Keeper at Leasowe was a Mrs. Williams, the only known woman lighthouse keeper in her day. The other main landmark in the area is Leasowe Castle which was built in 1593 by Ferdinando, the 5th. Earl of Derby. The original octagonal tower was probably built as a viewing platform for the famous Wallasey races, the forerunner of the Derby race.

The park has a more ancient history going back at least 5000 years when the area was forested, including parts of what is now foreshore. The remains of these trees, known as the submerged forest, can occasionally be seen at Dove Point, Meols, between the slipway and the groyne. The area was inhabited by stone-age people at that time and the remains of their houses have been found on the beach. Meols, which means 'sand hills' in Old Norse, the language of the Vikings, has been an important site from Roman times right up to fairly modern times, most likely because it was once the entrance to both the Mersey and the Dee Estuaries.

This century the area has seen the rise and fall of 'Bungalow Town'. The fields around Pasture Road, Moreton, boomed with a shanty town between the two world wars. This was in response to a housing shortage following the soldiers return from the war. The houses were sometimes old railway carriages (still with wheels!) others were built on stilts; this was necessary because the area regularly flooded on high tides. Eventually the place was declared unfit for living because of the unsanitary conditions; houses were built in Moreton to rehouse the residents, and bungalow town disappeared.

The Friends of Leasowe Lighthouse

The Friends of Leasowe Lighthouse are committed to the restoration and development of Leasowe Lighthouse and its environs, for the purpose of education and public enjoyment.

If you are interested in becoming a Friend contact the Lighthouse for details.

The Friends maintain a webcam on the top of the lighthouse.

The Friends of North Wirral Coastal Park

The Friends of North Wirral Coastal Park are a voluntary community group who are dedicated to the care of the park from the Derby Pool at Leasowe right through to Dove Point in Meols. They undertake a series of practical management tasks throughout the year and assist in providing a forum for public consultation with reference to major developments within the park. Contact the Rangers at Leasowe Lighthouse for more details.

How to get there

The Coastal Park lies within half of a mile of the M53 motorway, and is reached locally by the A551 (Leasowe Road) and A554 (Bayswater Road).

Access by Public Transport is good, the area being served by Grove Road (Wallasey), Leasowe, Moreton, and Meols Merseyrail Stations, and with bus routes along Leasowe Road, Pasture Road and Harrison Drive.

Further Information

Information is available on the following:

• Leasowe Lighthouse and Worksheet
• New Brighton Lighthouse
• Stories About the North Wirral Coast
• North Wirral's Sand Dunes
• North Wirral's Intertidal Habitats

Downloads

• Map of Park (231kB)
• Survey Map 1 - The Gunsite
• Survey Map 2 - Leasowe/Meols

For further information:

Telephone: North Wirral Coastal Park (at Leasowe Lighthouse) 0151 678 5488 or e-mail us at: coastalpark@wirral.gov.uk