Woolly says – We had woken to a wintery sun which was much appreciated after the days of constant rain. With breakfast consumed and the hope that my human wouldn’t notice quite how much chocolate spread I had on my person I was eager to head off to the promised lighthouse. I was therefore a trifle bemused as we navigated our way through an industrial estate and onto a rugby club. As Jo popped out of the car and proceeded to take a couple of pictures, I hoped that there was a reasonable explanation for her actions.
Hoylake RFC rugby club was a place that I had served pints in and enjoyed a large social life along with Nanty Carys, my small friend didn’t look impressed and I wondered what he would make of the next stop.
Woolly says – A short drive away was the area known as Meols which my carer had mentioned as a place that Nanty Carys had lived in and that she had stayed in on a number of occasions, this however didn’t explain why we were parked on a pub car park with her looking at the ground!
I chuckled to myself as his chocolate coated face stared at me in complete bemusement, getting back into the car I set about explaining. In 1938 a Viking (Nordic clinker) boat was discovered beneath 2–3 m (6–10 feet) of clay when the ‘Railway Inn’ public house was being rebuilt. Workers at the time covered the ship over again so as not to delay the construction of the pub’s new car park. The pub landlord mentioned its previous discovery to a local police constable who contacted the University of Nottingham. Ground penetrating radar (GPR) equipment was used to confirm its existence and precise location on 10th September 2007.
Woolly says – I leapt out of the car and stood starring at the tarmac for a long time in the hope that my eyes might penetrate the ground beneath me, why oh why cover up such a find, humans are such idiots at times, think of the money they could have made by charging for people to see it. Having concluded that my eyes were just not powerful enough I climbed back into the car as we headed onwards.
Within minutes we were driving along a small road and there in front of me was a sight to behold, the biggest and best lighthouse I had ever seen.
Leasowe Lighthouse was built in 1763 by The Mersey Docks and Harbour Company to guide shipping safely to the Port of Liverpool and is the oldest lighthouse built from bricks in the United Kingdom. The lighthouse became obsolete and was closed in 1908 with the last lighthouse keeper being a Mrs. Williams, the only known female lighthouse keeper of the period. I raced from the car and stood gazing up in rapture at all of its windows and its pristine whiteness, Jo had excelled herself for once.
Having taken pictures from every angle possible I reluctantly followed my carer and Alfie the Dog along the sea wall where a delightful rainbow sparkled in front of us. We strolled along as the panting beast frolicked in the sea and dashed back and forth until completely wet and coated in sand. We set off for New Brighton a once thriving seaside town.
Up to the nineteenth century, New Brighton had a reputation for smuggling and wrecking, and secret underground cellars and tunnels which are still rumoured to exist. In 1830, a Liverpool merchant, James Atherton, purchased 170 acres (69 ha) of land at Rock Point, his aim was to develop it as a desirable residential and watering place for the gentry, in a similar way to Brighton in the south, one of the most elegant seaside resorts of that Regency period – hence “New Brighton”.
I remember Carys taking me there to the lido as a child and the freezing cold water along with the changing cubicles that lined the poolside. Sadly, this no longer exists and the town as a whole looked shabby and slightly unloved.
Woolly says – Looking out across the Mersey stood the Fort Perch Rock a coastal defence battery built between 1825 and 1829, with the foundation stone being laid in 1826.It was built to protect the Port of Liverpool and proposed as a fortified lighthouse to replace the old Perch Rock Light; however, a separate lighthouse was built. The fort was built on an area known as Black Rock, and was cut off at high tide. Sadly, the current owners have decided not to reopen it so all we could do was look at it’s thick walls and try to imagine what it was like inside.
Just behind it however came my second lighthouse of the day. Construction of the present structure began in 1827 through a light had been maintained on the rock since 1683. It was designed by John Foster Jr., on the lines of Eddystone, and built by Tomkinson & Company using marble rock from Anglesey, nowhere near as big as Leasowes but sweet all the same, I duly posed for my photograph and congratulated Jo on her find.
There was one more stop before heading homewards and that was to Vale Park, looking over the water to Liverpool we watched the ferries for a while before turning our attentions to the park itself, the park opened on 20th May 1899 providing an area of exercise for the landed gentry living in the nearby houses.
Woolly says – It was shady and as the mutt chased squirrels through the fallen leaves, I looked at the rather nice bandstand that had been built in 1926 and was still used during the summer months for live concerts. As we turned a corner, I suddenly realised why my friend had brought us here, there before me was a wonderful display of wooden fairy houses and creatures.
The detailing was incredible with each one housing different families from trolls to mermaids, I would happily have set up residence in any one of them and there was plenty of room for my besite Sion and I to live a happy life there.
Fairy Village was created by Major and Sue Mace and they deserved an award for the inspiring place that they had created, I could have spent hours looking at the detail that had gone into each item but sadly our journey home was calling and with a final wave goodbye to the fairy folk we set off for home.