Welcome to the annual update relating to the public rights of way network and associated routes that link up across the Wirral Peninsula. As usual the purpose of this annual newsletter is to provide an update on work carried out in the last 12 months and sets out aspirations for 2024 into 2025.
The Wirral public rights of way network continues to be maintained to enhance the public access to the 75 miles of public rights of way, plus about 25 miles of permissive footpaths, bridleways, and off-road cycle tracks. This is in addition to the 15 miles of the Wirral Way within Wirral Country Park from West Kirby to Hooton.
The overall aim of promoting and maintaining these historic public routes is to provide an accessible recreational facility, helping to improve our health and wellbeing as well as connectivity for Wirral residents and visitors alike.
The King Charles III England Coast Path
The above photo shows an intended section of the rebranded King Charles III England Coast Path at the north west corner of the Wirral Peninsula at Red Rocks. Work on the 18-mile Wirral section from Seacombe Ferry to Parkgate has now been given the go ahead.
It is planned to have all the necessary work done by December 2024 and our section will contribute towards improving the walking access around the coast of England forming the new national trail of 2,700 miles which when fully open will be the longest coastal path in the world. Please visit the National Trails website for more information about the coast path.
The online Definitive Map
The online Definitive Map with other publicly accessible routes is proving a popular resource that can be easily updated. Read the GOV.UK guide to definitive maps. This is all linked to other Geographical Information Systems (GIS) based on the National Street Gazetteer and this has helped the ongoing development of The Highways Asset Management Plan with the compilation of an extensive register of the rights of way assets including fingerposts, historic sandstone step over stiles, gates, bridges and surfaces all being entered onto the database with photos and map references and accurate pinpoint locations. This has enabled what should be an easier problem reporting system.
The Wirral Circular Trail continues to be a very successful 35-mile walking and cycling route around Wirral, signposted and described in an 88 page booklet that is still available and there’s the other group of walking and cycling leaflets.
View the Wirral Cycle map developed a couple of years ago. There are a few paper sheet-map versions available by emailing walking@wirral.gov.uk
View the 2018 to 2028 Rights of Way Improvement Plan (ROWIP). Now entering its 7th year, the ROWIP links with other policies and strategies across the Liverpool City Region and continues to help provide Capital funding for the public rights of way and off-road cycle track network.
Volunteer mornings
These have continued with vigour and enthusiasm throughout the last year with most Thursday mornings from March to November seeing a fine group of 10 to a dozen volunteers armed with shears or loppers. There are numerous person-hours each week carried out cutting and trimming brambles, branches and nettles on the public footpaths and bridleways which continues to be very much appreciated. There has been a delay in the 2024 re-start but we should be getting back together again in May. A very big thanks to those volunteers who enjoy braving the extremes of the weather which is usually very kind to us.
Footpath 41 below, from Raby to the Cheshire West and Chester border is one of those paths that the volunteers always find a challenge.
The National Trust Volunteers on Thurstaston Common continue to make a great difference to the network, so a big thanks to all their volunteers too:
This photo above shows recent work by the National Trust Volunteers crossing footpath 58 and creating an accessible route from Benty Farm and the National Trust part of the Common to Thor’s Stone and then although not very accessible, the path continues to the Sandstone Ridge to the viewpoint on top of Thurstaston Common as shown below:
This view shows the Dee Estuary, Liverpool Bay (Irish Sea) and North Wales.
Port Sunlight River Park and links to Eastham Country Park: The 80 acres of Port Sunlight River Park, which opened in August 2014 is currently accessed via the main entrance in Dock Road North on foot or by cycle and to the north via the path from Shorefields Park. Please see the splendours of the River Park via: Port Sunlight River Park - The Land Trust
Developments on the south side of the River Dibbin are currently being considered and subject to approval this will provide access over our green bridge through to The Old Court House Site and link the River Park to Bromborough Pool, The Croft Retail Park and all routes along the East coast to Eastham Country Park via Port Sunlight. All these routes will help support the case for the re-instatement of the historic footpath 56 along the east coast shoreline where possible. It should be noted that exploratory investigations have also been started regarding the feasibility of improving the coastal route from Rock Park to Shorefields and on down to link to the north end of the River Park.
The Wirral Conservation Areas and Heritage Trail
There is a set of suggested routes to either walk, cycle or drive around Wirral. Visit the 26 Conservation Areas and the specially selected 40 Heritage Sites. The team continue to update the trail.
Schemes completed in the last 12 months
The Board Walk, West Kirby
Early in 2018 the permissive footpath from Red Rocks to West Kirby beach alongside the Royal Liverpool Golf Club with over 400m of boardwalk came under our responsibility. Ongoing repairs to this 1980s permissive path structure leading up the ‘The Open’ continued on a regular basis to ensure a lovely alternative to the beach. The viewing point is still being considered.
Footpath 43 at the top of Dungeon Wood which replaced the boardwalk we put in at the end of 2009 was done in May once access across the fields became possible:
Footpath 43 also has this lovely view from near Oldfield Farm:
Footpath 8 Storeton: from the M53 bridge to Stanley Wood we converted this path from a flooded path to a very walkable path:
Footpath 45, Grange Hill, West Kirby: stand-alone railings being considered to assist with access at the steps to and from Lang Lane South.
Port Sunlight Walk and Cycle Path between Gladstone Theatre and Stadium Road also known as the Bromborough Cycleway has received more work throughout the Winter, primarily with a sweep to highlight the white line and work to clear out the drainage ditch to ease the continual flooding.
There’s also been extra drainage work recently in the vicinity of the A41 bridge and due to high levels of recent rainfall, this work is ongoing.
Footpath 49, Caldy Hill between Fleck Lane and Column Road had some improvements last year. The bench, shown below, along this route was repaired at the home of one of our Volunteers with the help of some ‘Social Value’ assistance help from our Contractor to transport the seat from Caldy Hill and returned once repaired, so a great thanks to all involved with that:
Several Walk and Cycle Paths have had a good clean, sweep and cut back, including; a) the Hoylake walk and cycle path b) the Wirral Circular Trail route at Leasowe alongside the River Birket from the Lighthouse to the Leasowe Road where the route heads up to the north coast past the Gunsite car parks c) the Upton - Woodchurch walk and cycle path d) plus the Eastham Country Park - Port Sunlight – Shorefields off road routes too.
The annual pothole filling continues along Byways 31 and 42, Oldfield Drive, 18, Beacon Lane and 29: Grange Road, all in Heswall and Byway 64 in Irby.
Broad Lane, Byway 39 in Lower Heswall has become very time consuming in the last 12 months with about 90 hand delivered letters to residents in June to gauge preferences to dealing with the deteriorating surface and with a very wet winter a more permanent solution to the current surface maintenance regime is becoming more and more difficult to resolve.
Projects planned for the next 12 months April 2024 to March 2025
On the 12 March 2024 the council’s Environment, Climate Emergency and Transport Committee approved the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement Combined Authority Transport Plan 2024/25 programme. This delivery programme includes an indicative sum of £100,000 towards Public Rights of Way Improvements. This also links in with the new Wirral Plan 2023-2027, all working for safe and pleasant communities within a sustainable environment.
Mindful that we’ll be embarking on quite a tight schedule with the Coast Path Establishment work, we’ll try and get some of the current aspirational list of Capital improvements done as well.
The list does include some locations that have been rolled over from previous years as follows:
- Footpath 72, Dungeon Wood upper Boardwalk 30m replacement:
- Footpath 72, Dungeon Wood, lower wood bridge replacement
- Footpath 3, Heswall Golf Course: footbridge and surface towards CWAC border
- The Board Walk permissive path at West Kirby, on-going repairs + a new viewpoint
- The Heswall Byways and Bridleways Potholes: Oldfield Drive, Beacon Lane, Grange Road, Seaview Lane, Rectory Lane, Mill Lane, Lightfoot Lane, Broad Lane
- Bridleway 23, Fleck Lane: drainage and surface issues to sort
- Footpath 36, Bromborough Golf Club: new kissing gate
- Footpath 5, Storeton: renew gates with new metal kissing gates
- Footpaths 52 & 53 Dibbinsdale: surface drainage and revetment work:
This is footpath 53 totally under water in November 2023 and the erosion caused by these flooding events is an on-going ‘high maintenance’ issue.
- Footpath 58 from School Lane towards Thors Rock on Thurstaston Common
- River Birket Walk and Cycle Path from Leasowe Lighthouse to Bidston Moss, removal or realignment of the anti-motorcycle barriers along this route
- Footpath 10, Larton’s end over Newton Brook: surface improvements
- River Birket Walk and Cycle Path from Leasowe Lighthouse to Bidston Moss, removal / realignment of the anti-motorcycle barriers along this route
- Footpath 4, Clatterbridge – Rocklands Lane, new gates
- Port Sunlight Walk & Cycle Path: to improve connections with Port Sunlight Village, the River Park and Eastham Country Park
- The Sustrans National Cycle Network Route 56 receives regular maintenance along Landican Lane, seen below, particularly before the Bikeathon in May
- Bidston Moss to Bidston Station behind B&Q: monitoring of the Walk and Cycle Path re concerns of further subsidence and flooding and the proposed redevelopment of Mosslands School
- Bridleway 47, Talbot Avenue, surface, and drainage improvements
- Footpaths 10 and 13 linking Woodchurch to Prenton: ambitious plans to improve the lighting with a new footbridge over the River Fender
- Links to and through Prenton Rugby Club are being considered
- Surface and signing around the junctions of Bridleway 47 and Footpath 24 between Brimstage and Thornton Hough
Wirral Walking Festival
The Wirral Walking Festival will be taking place in May 2024.
The festival has some new and exciting events to recommend. Walking is accessible to all and great for everyone’s health and wellbeing. It is great to try out new areas of Wirral that you might not have explored before so have a look at all the Walking Festival 2024. Why not challenge yourself to go somewhere you haven’t been before and see what Wirral has to offer. There will be Ranger led activities, plus others from our established walking groups with one-off events too.
Current proposed changes to the network
On 17 November 2023 it became official that the 2026 cut-off date has been extended by 5 years to January 2031.
Definitive map modification orders and other public right of way claims: having almost got some of this list over the line just before the pandemic, it is hoped the following amendments to the network can continue to be processed as follows:
- Royden Park Permissive Bridleway Horse Route: formalisation of this route from Pikes Hey Road via the ‘Donkey Field’, Montgomery Hill, Greasby Brook, Irby Quarry and linking onto Sandy Lane, Public Bridleway 49
- Thurstaston Road Footpath: From School Lane junction with Thurstaston Road, north to public footpath 54
- Thurstaston Common Footpath: From where public footpaths 56 and 57 meet, to a location northwest where the path exits onto Telegraph Road
- Dibbinsdale Local Nature Reserve: two Public Path Creation Orders from Dibbins Hey to public footpath 55 and from this path, across to public footpath 55 next to the railway tunnel
- Caldy Hill: two Public Path Creation Orders from public footpath 49 north to public footpath 51 and from the junction of Public Footpaths 27 and 51 adjacent to the Mariners Beacon, north to Column Road at its’junction with Village Road
- Footpath 49 along the Wirral and Cheshire West Boundary, across Liverpool Road to the Chester High Road has still yet to be formalised
- Footpath 18 from Gilroy Road West Kirby to New Hall Lane, Hoylake, known as Tip Lane: reclassification to Public Bridleway was considered a few years ago but that application was put on hold because of the possibility of the Golf Resort
- Route 56 Eastham: the old route, adjacent to the cliff top or along the beach route from Eastham Country Park to Port Sunlight River Park
- Barnston – Brimstage, the old route across the fields and over the railway, connecting up with the Brimstage Road in Brimstage
- Prenton – Pensby woodland walk: Durley Drive – Landican Lane – Barnston – Pensby Road, Pensby another long term aspiration
- Gardenside, Leasowe Road to Green Lane at the Gunsite car park
North Coast Sea Defence Access Road
Despite much time with the Legal department, this matter has still not been resolved and therefore it is still hoped that some form of officialising and defining this route will eventually happen for the benefit of everyone. Details of the alternative route for cyclists are in the Wirral Circular Trail route booklet via the Birket walk and cycle path.
Heswall
Clatterbridge all user route: the planning of my long-term aspiration for an all-user route connecting east and west Wirral continues. The proposed route uses the Old Clatterbridge Road, the M53 bridge as a Junction 4 alternative and then west using current public rights of way, plus a section field side of the Brimstage Road across to Heswall Station. This would be of great benefit to walkers, cyclists and horse riders, making this cross-Wirral route so much safer. However, spiralling costs keep pushing this ambitious project further down the list.
Bidston Golf Club
Matters have not really changed regarding this situation either, again awaiting adequate funding to implement our plans regarding the missing link of the Birket walk and cycle path which could take the path around the Golf Course and connect to the Wirral Circular Trail on The Birket walk and cycle path with the National Cycle Network Route 56 under junction 1 of the M53 and on to Bidston Moss and then to the docks within the Wirral Waters walk and cycle route schemes.
The view from Footpath 1, Bidston Hill across The River Mersey over to Liverpool:
Footpath 17 on the south side of Alfred Dock goes to the bank of the Mersey adjacent to the Ferry Terminal directly opposite Liverpool also gives great views too:
Other work continues
Signing schemes
Slow progress continues along routes such as New Brighton to improve the cycle Route Signing along the Circular Trail and the Port Sunlight Walk and Cycle Route from The Gladstone Theatre to Riverbank Road, south to Eastham Country Park and North to the River Park.
Resident led surface improvement schemes
Bridleway 9 Rectory Lane, Bridleway 23, Lightfoot lane, Byway 11a West Grove and Byway 16 Beacon Lane.
The summer maintenance schedule
The seasonal operative we have employed for the last few years was late starting last year due to an HR glitch but once started he did a superb job playing catch up throughout the summer, autumn, and winter months by keeping all the routes mown, strimmed and trimmed. That same person has now started as intended and will do it all again throughout the 2024 season.
Paths to be adopted
Paths still on the wish list: These are surfaced, or part surfaced urban footpaths that could become adopted, for example: Footpath 22, Rock Ferry. Footpaths 20 and 28, Duck Pond Lane, Prenton – Holm Lane, Footpaths 12, Greville Road, 14, Highcroft, and 20 and 42, Nelson’s Croft, Bebington. Puddy Dale Rec footpath – Pensby Road: consider PROW / adoption.
Background information of the author of this web page
Wirral’s Rights of Way Officer is also involved in the following local groups and committees:
- Wirral Rights of Way user groups
- The England Coastal Path Implementation Group
- Wirral and Merseyside Road Safety Partnerships, helping with the Police Bikesafe and IAM Roadsmart road safety motorcycling initiatives
- Local and Regional Active Travel Pedestrian and Cycle Forums
- The Liverpool City Region Local Access Forum, which despite best efforts, has still not re-started since the pandemic
- IPROW: As a member of The Institute of Public Rights of Way, gains valuable assistance with access issues on a National and Regional basis via their forum and information database and attends the Conference and Annual Update in October
- ADEPT: Association of Directors of Environment Economy Planning and Transport: as a member of the Northern Region Rights of Way Managers group, represents Wirral by attending their northern region meetings
We would also like to mention that through the council’s Career Progression Pathway initiative, we have all benefitted from the assistance of Dan Smith who started helping with Rights of Way work in October 2021 as a trainee engineer. Dan is now a qualified Technician within the scheme. Thanks to Dan for his continued assistance.
We also thank our Contractor GBS through our Highways Operational Services and the support received from management all the way up through the ranks, without who’s help, much of the above would be very difficult to achieve.
Contact Robin Tutchings, Rights of Way Officer, at walking@wirral.gov.uk