A question for those wot are better read than I .... has there never been a proper castle on the Wirral?
The only two castles I know of are Heswall Castle about 1900 and Leasowe Castle about 1600, surely there must have been some others. (no I won't include pubs in this class)
I think there are some forts but I have never seen any pictorial representations/guesses of these even. Any info on these would be appreciated.
Tell me more BigBad - I have never heard of Liscard Castle - any idea when it was built, is it Seabank (aka Liscard manor which I haven't seen any pictures of). I have heard of Liscard Battery but never realised that gateway was part of it.
I always forget Fort Perch Rock with it not being on Wirral land.
I have dug up another - Shotwick Castle.
First time I have seen a picture of Hooton Hall, knew of it but never spotted a picture.
What I am really looking for are defensive buildings (saying that after missing out Fort Perch Rock - doh!). There must have been some Roman ones 'cos they were all over the Wirral pinching sandstone.
Cheers for you reponse.
Last edited by diggingdeeper; 12th Jul 20084:53pm.
We don't do charity in Germany, we pay taxes. Charity is a failure of governments' responsibilities - Henning Wehn
Liscard Castle (Gleaned from my Yesterday's Wirral Pictoral History 1890 to 1953 book)
Otherwise known as Marsden's Castle or Marsden's Folly, it stood at the Hoseside Road end of Seaview Rd and was demolished circa. 1902. (itself from a book called Old Mansions of Wallasey, JS Rebecca, 1994)
If I remember correctly though it was never an actual castle, more a mansion-type building and some story of it falling into major disrepair. I recall reading that somewhere but I can't pinpoint where.
Liscard Battery, Wallasey was built to protect shipping on the Mersey, England. Originally the location of a powder magazine until population pressure moved it off-shore, in 1858 a battery of 7 10" guns was erected on the site. Set back from the river and hidden by new building, it was known as "the snake in the grass" to local inhabitants. The battery was obsolete by 1912, and sold on, and houses were errected on top, and now the site has an odd appearance with only the curtain wall and ornate crenellated gatehouse surviving.
Liscard castle certainly looks like a folly but you can never tell after people change buildings into homes. Now the name Marsden's Folly is ringing bells.
John Astley Marsden lived in Liscard Castle, he was born around 1810 and certainly lived after 1842 but this doesn't tie in with the Marsden Road name being earlier. Seaview Hall was on an adjacent site to the castle, at some time Seaview hall was Seaview cottages (don't know if this was before or after the Castle). The castle is on maps 1880 and 1900 but disappears by 1913 (when Castle Road and Turret Road etc arrived) which ties in with your 1902 demolition date.
dd
We don't do charity in Germany, we pay taxes. Charity is a failure of governments' responsibilities - Henning Wehn
Yep Liscard Castle was infact an old manor house but had turrets at some point, hence the name.
There was a defence fort / castle on the site of pool hall in Poulton. I have taken this from my upcoing website:
"Poulton Hall is the supposed site of the Medieval castle at Poulton. There are no traces of earthworks or any evidence of a castle having existed here other than some nondescript remains of masonry around the area. This is a site which would have been of strategic value since it overlooked a river crossing and was on high land overlooking the area. We do not know why the castle no longer exists, but we can assume that like many around England, the funds were not there to sustain it and it would have fallen into disrepair. Researchers at Nottingham university and Professor Stephen Harding who is heavily involved with Wirrals heritage believe that Poulton Hall was maybe the site of Brunas old fortress, as the saga claims that the battle of Brunanburh took place on health land beside a river and woodland. Only half a mile from Poulton Hall is Bebbington Heath which is next to the River Dibbin and Storeton Woods, so this fits in with the description in the saga."
Just from reading my History of the Hundred of Wirral pdf I've linked to elsewhere, there's this little glimmer of info:
"and the Greens of Poulton, who are descended by the female line, from the ancient family of the Lancelyns of Poulton-Lancelyn, the remains of whose castle may yet be traced near the present hall, by one accustomed to antiquarian searches."
So perhaps digging into the Lancelyns or the Greens will give you info on Poulton Castle.
