Anyone have recollections of the 'Flat Lanes' (an interesting name, no doubt with a long history)? Recall there wcatchingas a few ponds there, was it the 'Three (or Seven) Sisters'? Used to walk down Townfield Lane to reach them, all fields then, great fun catching sticklebacks or newts. Then along came the M53 and the rest is history. Memories, thoughts, links, photos would be great.

The flat lanes were part of our school cross country course, though not so flat as i remember them, the ponds as i recall was the 3 sisters, also on the cross country course, a good point to have a smoke, far enough away from prying eyes.

haha right back there eh?

Yes, remember the Flat Lanes with great pleasure. They've named a road off Townfield Lane, Flatt(sic)Lane.

That's the 'new' housing down there, right? What a loss that youngsters are denied the joy we had playing around the Flat Lanes.

Possibly the Seven Stiles???? All them places round there were great when we were kids, running through the fields with the grass tickling the legs because we wore proper short trousers. Taddies and newts, cows drinking in the ponds, leeches, bird nesting (but always leave 3 eggs in because the birds can only count to three), all kinds of wild life around there and then they went and built on them, vandals.

ahhhh now the bells are ringing

a wonderful and accurate picture

Yes Bandy. You've hit a few buttons there !! I used to play around there in the late '50's. Just as you describe. The highlight of the day was if you managed to catch any sticklebacks and bring them home in the jam jar with the string tied around the top ! Simple pleasures eh?

Yes, then the bas***d developers moved in and covered the whole area in bricks, mortar and tarmac ! Ain't life great !!!

For sure that M53 carved an ugly gouge along the Wirral, all justified by usual arguments about creating jobs, long term progress etc etc. No mention in those days about sites of special scientific interest or protected habitats, as I recall there seemed to be virtually no opposition to the motorway.

I lived on the Wimpey estate from 1968 for about 10 years. When we moved there, Townfield Lane still had a stream running down it.

The pond behind Townfield School is still there but the school owns the land and has fenced it off. I remember another pond in the Holmlands direction but that one went quite early on. Very sad.

Wow a stream..had forgotten there was one. Such a shame that area went under the developer's knife.

Well well well !!
In the 50's &60's I lived in the only house in Townfield Lane, it was 3 Bidston Road (Now Townfield Court & 1 Townfield Lane [The Bungalow]).
Certainly remember the "stream" down the lane, it was mostly noticeable below the Rank's sports ground.
Spent many hours around there. In winter when plenty of snow around great for tobogganing.
If you used to use Townfield Lane you will probably recall the sandstone wall around the house before you got to the Oxton CC, all that is left of my childhood !!
PS You weren't one of those who used throw stones over that wall. I had to pick them up before mowing the grass !!

Haha nice recollections, cannot say 'yes' OR 'no' to the stone throwing, at that age anything is possible I dimly recall the sandstone wall and thinking more about it a stream, which as you says only began after a ceratin point. Am I right in recalling as you walked down Townfield Land it would have been on the left-hand side? Another image I have for that lane is bushes or trees, strange how we retain certain fragments of memory. Another piece of that jigsaw I have is haystacks, built up in squares on the Flat Lanes.

I don't think it was really a stream a such as it wasn't really there all year only when wet, it flowed all over the place and was quite deep in places.
It don't recall haystacks, but lots of cattle, mainly fresians. Of course it was all agricultural land and was a designated green belt all the way to the railway from Holm Lane to Noctorum.
The land then still belonged to the Earls of Shrewsbury (along with alot more of the Wirral), but had to be sold to pay for a divorce settlement and this together with abolition of Birkenhead Borough (Merseyside)in the early 70's led to its being undesiganted - say no more.

Wow!

On some old maps & field systems you come across the name 'sitch' or 'sytch', refering to a type of ditch which is usually dry in summer and wet in the winter. These sometimes get mistaken for streams.

The new houses have a dual sewer system the rain run off was supposed to cleanse the Fender.The washing machines in the extensions ect should be going into the soil grid, alas a lot went for the nearest grid and the Fender never came alive again.I have two small ponds with loads of frogs and newts They are still here they just need a decent enviroment to flourish.

The old brain is creaking. I recall reading somewhere that the area around the Flatt Lanes was known as the Town Fields hence Townfield Lane.
Anyway as I recall the area was very popular at weekends, especially before everybody had car. On Saturdays & Sundays there was a steady stream of people up and down, not only to the Oxton CC and Ranks Sports ground. When there were more cars about the lane used to get blocked with them, at that time it was only half the width it is now, also unmade.
The loss of such a great amenity is tragic.
Also the residents of the Woodchurch estate used it as well.
It had become that popular that the council decided to install street lighting in about 1960 - gas lamps would you believe !!

Map of Townfield Lane, about 1912. Maps I post will usually take a good degree of enlargement/reduction using Ctrl +/-.
Unfortunately, the top of Townfield Lane is on the edge of the map, top right corner; you can see St.Saviours church marked in the margin. The map just includes the junction with the Flat Lanes.

Great work, thanks so much for kindly sharing.

Seem to recall that Oxton Crocket Club on Townfield Land held a charity match in the early 70s with a youthful David Gower playing. Was there a stile at the bottom of the Lane?

I think Ian Botham played for Oxton cricket club, still there as far as i know, couple more maps of that area, 19th and 20th century.

Yes
Fred Truman and Ken Cranston used come sometimes.

It was a great loss for sure and to consider, as offered in a previous post, that it was in part due to a divorce settlement!

ahhh that may well explain the Gower memory I have concerning Oxton CC

Thank you very much.
This shows the top before 1 & 3 Bidston Rd were built (about 1920). I have an aerial photo, but it won't upload. Says its too big but isn't - blast it !!

Used to watch Ken Cranston when he played for Neston. The ground was, of course, at Parkgate. I used to buy a bag of shrimps & sit on a bench & watch the game.
My father was a leading light at Mersey Park Cricket Club.

Ken Cranston and others used to come and coach at Mostyn House School(now closed 2010).
Parkgate Potted Shrimps - ummy !!

Didn't know Mostyn House school had closed. In re: potted shrimps, our local fishmonger in our market still has them; not from Parkgate tho'; Morecambe Bay.

It is a shame about Mostyn House. It has such a history in Parkgate. I have heard that they had alot of damage from burst pipes after the frost too which wont help with the sale.

Go to this link to see it.


Warning - Big changes are coming up so I'll leave it up for as long as I can.

Is that moyston house bunmaster?