Weather: Fine and warm.
Distance:
29 km (18 miles) Total Distance: 3570 miles
I
parked in the old part of Eastham and headed down the road towards the old
dock. It was still a quiet Sunday
morning. As the path neared the River
Mersey it entered Eashtam Country Park. I
followed it not knowing if I could get out the other end but fortunately I
could, into an industrial estate. My way
eventually got blocked by a chemical works – the FMC Lithium works I think, so
I was forced inland and along another stretch of industrial estate including a
cake factory. A safety board in the
factory reported accidents – I think the doughnut department was performing
best.
 |
| Eastham (Sue Adair - Geograph) |
At the
end of the road I turned right and ended up in a village called Bromborough
Pool, a village of workers terraced housed all in excellent condition. I guess it mirrored the nearby Port Sunlight village. It was in sharp contrast to the untidy nearby
industrial landscape.
For
the next few miles it was a case of hoping I was not forced too far inland by
docks or factories. I ended up in a
suburban area called New Ferry, threading my way around the streets and again
eventually catching sight of the River Mersey.
At the end of this area there was a slip path and I sat and ate a banana
and had a drink, satisfied with my progress to date. Soon after this point there was a path into a
more middle class area and then after this I was forced over the dual carriage
way by means of a footbridge and again into a semi-industrial area, then back
over the main road, down through another deserted industrial estate before
turning seawards again and stumbling on the remains of a priory.
Soon I
was able to join a path down to the water’s edge and stopped for a canned drink
and cake the head of the Mersey Ferry Terminal in Birkenhead. It was still a case of trying to find a good
path and as I passed the tunnel head’s, it was a desolate area. I ended up in one dockland area afraid I
would have to back track on myself but fortunately the path did let me out onto
the main road and a bridge over the dockyards and into Wallasey.
 |
| Wallasey Town Hall (Stephen Nunney Geograpph) |
After
another half mile of road walking and past another tunnel terminus I was on the
coast again and the wide straight
promenade, past the elegant Town Hall, that took me north all
the way to the Wirral headland. The area
was barred to cars but still pretty busy with walkers and cyclists, especially
at the headland.
As I turned left I
studied the map and the time to decide when to stop. I was going well so pushed on to
Hoylake. After a disappointing stretch
along modern roads the path became more rural and I took to the beach for quite
a long stretch and was relieved in the end to see Hoylake. I then just had
to decide when to stop – the nearest point to a train station I decided.
 |
| Perch Rock Lighthouse, New Brighton (Geograph, Peter Craine) |
I
caught a train from the rather strange Manor Park Station in Hoylake which is
down the end of a suburban street. A lady noticed that I was looking a little
lost and told me which way to go to find the station. Some youths walked down the line so the
station master called the police. It seemed that sort of area. I changed trains in Birkenhead, an underground
station, again strange.
On the
way back I took the last train to Bromborough Station and walked back to the
car but as luck would have it I had to walk straight past the front door of my Uncle and Aunt. I don’t think I had ever met them or if I had I must have been
very young. They had a surprise to see
me and in the usual generosity invited me in and made me share their
Sunday lunch with them. They must have been very inventive to make it stretch
the extra person and they must have been hungry on Monday when they usually eat
the leftovers! After dinner my uncle kindly
gave me a lift back to my car so I could drive back to Coventry without being
too late. I phoned Margaret to tell her not to cook me any tea!
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