Forums Forums Wirral History : Chasing the Past History Information Request Info on Highfield Maternity Hospital, Wallasey.

Hi All,

Does anyone know of the Highfield Maternity Hospital in Wallasey. I was born there in 1972. If anyone can give me more information and even photo's, I would be more than gratefull.

Newbie

I too was born there in 1972. The room i was born in was later the room the did plastercasting in. I think there was only two labour rooms!
Ps do you realise highfield was actually mill lane hospital?

me & oscarpops were born at highfield in 1960. theres a photo of us on the day we went home, its in me mum & dads somewhere.

my other half was born there in 1959

I was born there in 1964. The hospital was demolished in 2009 (I think).

History of the Mansion

'Highfield House' was first built about 1850 by Thomas Peers, a Cotton Broker, as a private residence. It was eventually purchased by the Corporation in 1919 from the Reece family whose house it had finally become and in order to cater for new arrivals in the town 'Highfield' was converted into Wallasey's first Maternity Hospital and opened in 1921.

In its term as a private residence it was the home of several families at various times. Its first owner, Thomas Peers, died on the middle 1850's, and by 1860 the house was occupied by a Mr Charles Shaw, who once took the whole of the scholars from the national School in Liscard Road to Eastham for the day, the first treat that anybody in the parish could recall. he was followed by the Twiname family, and later by another Cotton Broker, William Peers on this occasion. Thomas Gorman, a Wholesale Provision Merchant, who is commemorated by a large cross in front of St. Albans Church, purchased the property in 1876, and sold it in 1889 to Captain Alexander McGachen, a Master Mariner, who spent six years there before disposing of the estate to Mr Samuel reece, of dairy fame. It was on the death of Mr Reece's widow that the house and grounds were acquired by the Corporation. The house was damaged beyond repair in the last war air-raids, and was subsequently demolished.

My daughter was born there 1970
When my wife went into labour they asked me to leave (no being there for the birth then) and as luck would have it they had a fete going in the grounds
I won 2 coconuts and then went to see how she was doing
The baby had been delivered and they gave me a white (doctors type)coat and allowed me to go in to see the wife
So in I went holding these 2 coconuts which were nearly the colour of the baby's hair (gingerish)
Gave her a bit of a shock

Derek, I think i was at that fete! I was only 5 but remember it being a lovely sunny day. Don't remember a coconut stall though!

I was born there in 1972 and when I had to have treatment on an infected toe nail in 1981 the room I was in was apparently the room I was born in ( according to my mum!!)

...for a moment there I was wondering where you were going....

Thank you to all who respondeded to my request for info, especialy PaulWirral.

No probs. Glad to have helped...

My mother was in there during the war having my eldest sister. A landmine was dropped and they could hear it scraping down the roof. They came down on a parachute. All they could do was hide under the beds but if it had gone off there wouldn't have been anything left of the hospital at all and I for one wouldn't be here. Thankfully it didn't and it was defused.

Unfortunately the same couldn't be said for Lancaster Avenue which was more or less destroyed by a landmine and everyone in an air raid shelter was killed. Everyone except a baby girl who was dug out about three days later. Her parents bodies had protected her. I believe she later went to Canada?

My daughter was born there in 1972.

I was born there in 1959.
I was to have my first baby there in 1981, but after complications I was taken to St Cath's for a c'section. I was sent back to Highfield four days later with my baby until I was discharged when he was ten days old.