Environment and planning
Parks and open spaces
Parks and open spaces - outdoor facilities
Welcome To Wirral
Victoria Park
Victoria Park was originally the gardens of a large property called Arudy House, owned by Victor Poutz, a French cotton merchant. He was believed to have been the first importer of cotton to the region. In common with many successful business people of the era he decided to move across the water from Liverpool, to the more affluent Wirral. After Victor left, the house fell into disrepair but was eventually restored and renamed 'The Towers' because it incorporated the two towers from the original building. Today, standing in its place is a block of flats which has retained the name of "The Towers."
At the top end of the park stands the Tranmere Cross which once marked the entrance to Tranmere on Church Street. This ancient relic is the last reminder of Tranmere as a medieval village. All that remains of the cross is the standing column which locals at one time believed to be a sun dial. It's identity was finally authenticated as a medieval cross by Mr. G.W. Haswell, an authority on medieval masonry. Further mystery abounded when in 1862 it disappeared. It was rediscovered in 1935 although it's whereabouts during this period remain unexplained. It was eventually presented to Victoria Park before the second world war, mounted on top of red sandstone steps to mark the village entrance to the park. Close scrutiny of the stone reveals carvings of the faces of gargoyles. Gargoyles were originally carved into stone work during medieval times to ward off evil spirits.
A visit in the springtime will delight the visitor with a glorious view of daffodils and crocuses. Avenues of European Lime grace the edges of pathways providing good habitat for parkland birds such as Blue Tits, Chaffinches, Greenfinches, Thrushes and Blackbirds. This town park with its closely mown grassland gives panoramic views across the Mersey.
Since it's opening in 1901, Victoria Park has been a hive of activity. Within the twenty nine acres there are football pitches, basketball courts and a bowling green. The park also boasts a state of the art play area, complete with an exciting spiders web climbing frame.
Victoria Park is a dynamic site which continues to develop. Plans include the construction of a walled garden and a new community sports pavilion to replace the now outdated cricket pavilion.
The park has a very popular play scheme attached to it that runs throughout the summer. The scheme puts on a multitude of activities for local children, all funded by the same community group, which organise the Tranmere Show. The show has, from its humble beginnings in Mersey Park, grown into a very successful event attracting up to twenty thousand people each year.