Here's an aerial of King's Parade phase 1 and New Brighton Marine Lake under construction taken during the early 1930s. Full respect to the pilot who probably had goggles on and a box brownie in one hand and rosary beads in the other.
Centre and a little away at 10 0'clock appears to be a steam crane.
Running almost vertically down from that on the photo (a little to the left) is the excavation for the carrier drain which is still in place beneath the marine lake now - it took the groundwater away from the back of the new Kings Parade wall (to relieve pressure) and discharged behind the fort.
Extreme top right can be seen the 'return' of the King's Parade phase 1 wall. This was a little west of the Portland slipways and the lower part is still there buried beneath the dips after phase 2 was built.
The bastions to the old sea wall (which now front on to the marine lake) are clearly visible in the lower left.
The up-ramp to Fort Perch Rock was raised as part of the 1930s scheme, and the causeway was further raised about 1990 as part of the Merseyside Development Corporation works in the area.
The aerial photo is one I've got as a sort-of-average A4 print - it lost a bit in the downsizing but most of the detail is still there. I put it up because I've never seen it around on the web before.
Here's one that I have seen on the web in a number of places, and that I don't have a hard copy of, but it seems to fit in this thread nicely. I used to think that it was the return of the wall at Harrison Drive, with the Lifeguard Station where the crane is on the left of the picture, and was therefore part of Phase 2. Now I'm not so sure. I think it might be the 'return' to land of the phase 1 wall that's visible at the top of the aerial photo I posted above. That had a slipway (which would have looked similar to the existing Harrison Drive one), and was located just west of the twin slipways at Portland Street. As I mentioned, the lower parts of that wall were buried beneath the dips when the wall was continued to Harrison Drive. Note the rock outcrop in the lower right foreground - that's one reason I think it's the now-buried return wall.
The aerial photo is one I've got as a sort-of-average A4 print - it lost a bit in the downsizing but most of the detail is still there. I put it up because I've never seen it around on the web before.
Here's one that I have seen on the web in a number of places, and that I don't have a hard copy of, but it seems to fit in this thread nicely. I used to think that it was the return of the wall at Harrison Drive, with the Lifeguard Station where the crane is on the left of the picture, and was therefore part of Phase 2. Now I'm not so sure. I think it might be the 'return' to land of the phase 1 wall that's visible at the top of the aerial photo I posted above. That had a slipway (which would have looked similar to the existing Harrison Drive one), and was located just west of the twin slipways at Portland Street. As I mentioned, the lower parts of that wall were buried beneath the dips when the wall was continued to Harrison Drive. Note the rock outcrop in the lower right foreground - that's one reason I think it's the now-buried return wall.
I think you are right. The top of the rock outcrop is still visible surrounded by grass and the photo seems to have been taken from the clifftop judging by the angle. So it's the Red Noses not Harrison Drive. Very interesting stuff.
