Forums Forums Wirral History : Chasing the Past History Information Request Flat Lanes

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.