I knew the old water tower that used to be on Poll Hill, what I didn't know was that there is also a reservoir up there. Normally it is surrounded by trees, but they have just cut many of them back (there were many growing into the side of the reservoir which didn't seem a good idea).

I can't find ANY proper mention/name of this reservoir anywhere, it does appear on maps as a covered reservoir and the bare plot was marked on the 1910 map.

There is a mention of ...
"101. Neville Charles Sims Meares was born on 13 Oct 1898 in Sheffield, Yorks and died on 1 Jan 1974 in Teignmouth, Devon at age 75.
General Notes: 1898 - Born at Norwood Rise, Pitsmoor, Sheffield
1914-1918 war. Lieutant in Royal Garrison Artillery. 127th Seige battery was in the 92nd Brigade RGA
1933 Lived at Brown Edge, Buxton
1937 - Built Fernilee reservoir
Built Heswall Reservoir, then Chester sewer pipeline
Built Rhwbina pipeline (Tafffawr)
Built Hewall Reservoir, then Chester sewer pipeline around Tarporley"

I don't know if the "Heswall Reservoir" mentioned there is actually Cross Hill which is now counted as Thingwall or whether it is Poll Hill.

WOW KID?

A couple of more aerials, it was a lot tidier in 1970s and had some other structures beside it.

That is Heswall Service Reservoir, the rest of the trees on the embankment will be coming down in due course but are being done in a slowly but surely method to avoid causing upset to the tree huggers.

I notice those photo's appear to be taken from inside the fence line?

it was tidier in the 70's... the wretched thing used to go up in flames every year

Welcome aboard Colski! Hope you're enjoying Wikiwirral & continue to contribute.

Sounds like you used to live near the Heswall reservoir. Am I right in thinking it's the highest point in Wirral?

Sounds like you used to live near the Heswall reservoir. Am I right in thinking it's the highest point in Wirral? [/quote]

Listed as 350 feet & that's what ny sat nav read as well.

The tree huggers are killing the trees with love and Ivy growth,most of the trees in Wirral are in a mess,so it's nice to see somebody taking notice of them

Still some nice views though.

...wonder if that's why they're cutting back the trees, etc? I would imagine the views of Wirral & North Wales would be great from up there - or do all the houses get in the way??

thanks guys, I used to live at the top of Poll Hill, and the reservoir was only a couple of hundred yards away.. that was in the 70's.
there was always some part of the common going up in flames back then

Cross Hill is on the Alwen Pipeline, which was inaugerated in 1921. I have some photos of inside it / being built. Cross Hill was built by John Cochrane & Sons Ltd.

Fernilee is south of Stockport in the Goyt Valley.

would like to see the pics bud!

Much better views from Heswall Dales, too many trees up Poll Hill

Cross Hill Reservoir.

Looking at Google Earth, it may have been extended since.

Fascinating to see the pics. of Cross Hill. It appears from the write-up that the final construction differs from the original plans. See map.
Incidentally, going back to DD's original post, it would seem, looking at the time line there, that the Heswall reservoir would have been the Poll Hill one, since the Cross Hill one was much earlier.

Now that is an interesting map, Poll Hill is called Heswall Hill, also indicates that the Poll/Heswall Hill water tower may have preceded the reservoirs??

Yes, DD; the hill is called Heswall Hill on the 1910 map too. I wonder when it changed to Poll Hill. Since the water tower is shown on the 1910 map, it certainly preceded the Alwen pipeline & the Poll Hill reservoir.
Just for completeness, here's all the map I have of the Alwen pipeline.

As an interesting aside, at the time of that map (1910), and certainly within my memory, what is now Heswall station on the Wrexham line, was called Heswall Hills. I don't recall that area being hilly; am I wrong?

I've got to agree with you Chris. Moons ago, I used Heswall Hills Sta. quite a bit. Unless there have been any major upheavals of the earth's crust lately, it is as flat as a fluke around there !

Here's another interesting 'aside' on Heswall Hills station:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/stories/82/a4539882.shtml

Bri

There was another "Heswall Station" by Lower Village which is now part of the Wirral Way. Heswall Hills Station was just used to mean the higher station which is about 100ft higher. Heswall Hills Station has now be renamed to Heswall Station as the original one no longer exists.

Cross Hill - born and bred Thingwalian - or thingy - whichever you prefer!.
Definitely not in Heswall - within Thingwall - which was always historically part of Birkenhead - incorporated into Birkenhead UBC officially in 1928.

The 'Rezzy' (Cross Hill) was built up to it's present impressive height, by the simple and rather clever idea of digging a large similar-sized pit, right next to it and using the earth recovered to build up the sides of the reservoir next to it - an elegant engineering solution, if ever there was one !.

This left a large shallow depression (between 5-6ft deep, roughly the same area as the built up reservoir, immediately to it's west.

We played in this depression in the summers - where it could get very hot as it was sheltered from the prevailing winds by it's depth - lizards and grass snakes - more often seen down 'sarf' were common in this little oasis..

Cleverly, but I don't know if this was in the original plan, when more capacity was required on the site in the early 1980's, they used the former depression as the site for the extension - effectively a separate reservoir. So there are 2 tanks there now.

In the recent snow there was 'mass trespass' on a number of days when people took their sleds and tea-trays through the locked gate to have a laugh on the preciptious slopes !.

That first picture of the reservoir interior is positively cathedral-like.

I wonder if the Cross Hill reservoir was built on the site of the original Viking 'Thing', or was that across the road on the other part of the hill? If it was built there, did they ever investigate the site archaeologically before digging the place up??

Yeh - the Thing is the hill across the road next to Holmwood.

The Viking period doens't leave much trace - as the buildings were largely wood and canvas - so when disused they were by and large recycled or burnt down - leaving little trace.

The Viking boat in the car-park at the Railway is a glorious exception of course..!

Looks great
I wonder if there is access to it for inspections/maintenance etc.
If so , would like to contact the relevant person/company to possibly arrange a wikiwirral visit
Any suggestions as to how?

The Caretaker lived in the house adjacent to the reservoir in the 60.s.

I've been down the steps into the Cross Hill reservoir when I was a kid, scary tho, and we were going to take a canoe but bottled out as it was too scary in the pitch dark even with a torch the light would not reach the far side.

PB

That brings back memories. I went down the steps, probably about 1950, and I was terrified.

are Crosshill and Poll Hill the same reservoir or different ones

Think I may have to get in touch with United Utilities as regards access

Crosshill is Thingwall, Poll Hill is Heswall. I wish you luck getting access. All utilities now are ultra sh*t-scared of "incidents" that jeopardise supplies, be it water, electricity whatever. I've been trying to get a visit to a certain water tunnel for years. Out comes the rubber stamp "NO". All valve access covers, doors, gates etc. make Fort Knox look like a push-over these days!

Let us know how you get on.

Originally Posted by chriskay

Originally Posted by Paintboffin

I've been down the steps into the Cross Hill reservoir when I was a kid, scary tho,

That brings back memories. I went gown the steps, probably about 1950, and I was terrified.

I wasn`t going to mention your spelling, but as your such a weirdo on correctness...

Thanks for that

Oh and it's "you're" not "your".

Sorry slightly off topic.But may i ask what your signature means ?Chriskay.

"Let them hate as long as they fear"
Attributed to Caligula.

Thankyou,.Just wondered what it said,Good signature.

Poll hill Heswall is indeed the highest point on Wirral . It is so named as this is where the population gathered to be counted ie a poll . Every place name tells a story !
What I would like to know is what period did this cover when did this count start ? I would be grateful for any information !

I'm no Latin expert but surely "Carpe Diem" means "seize the day" and a quick google tells me that "Let them hate as long as they fear" is " Oderint dum metuant"

Dave

I think Chris changed his signature a while back. It's retrospective. Current signature appears on old posts as well.

Ahh my fault I didn't notice his post was from July 2013.

Dave

Yes, I changed my signature which was indeed "Oderint dum metuant". As Pinz says, the signature change is retrospective.