I've been wondering where this was. I've noticed on early directories that Mersey Street and Ivy Street house numbers seem to start from the river rather from where the town hall was or would be. I wonder if Palatine Hotel 72 Church Street and1, 3 & 5 Ivy street Birkenhead 1878 might have been it.
The Monks' ferry hotel is the largest hotel in Birkenhead, and is advantageously situated on the verge of the river.
1843 mortimer and harwood John P., Lieut R.N., Monks' Ferry Hotel Robinson John, "Monks Ferry Hotel" tap, Monks ferry The Monks Ferry Company was formed in 1837 by members of the Bryans family. They built a stone slip and hotel at Ivy Rock about 400 yards (366 metres) south of Woodside on the Wirral. Ferry sailings at Monks Ferry started in April 1838 and the Monks Ferry Company stopped operating in 1840. The ferry service from Monks Ferry to Liverpool continued until 1878, when it closed. It seems to me that some use would have been made of it rather than it was demolished.
I think that one may be the Adelphi Hotel in Rose Brae. Is there a description to that picture? Looking at your picture again I think you're right looking at the church spire.
Description of the Monk's Ferry Hotel on it's opening day in June 1839. Henry Hilliar was the proprietor until about 1858, when he left to run the Royal Crescent Hotel in Brighton.
The description of the location "Between Woodside and Birkenhead" is interesting. It seems to indicate that Birkenhead was originally the area which is now around the tunnel entrance. This figures because that's where the market was built and where "Town" station was.
I agree in principle, yoller, but the artist has taken some liberties: in the picture there are eight columns and no bow windows in the wings. I see that over the attic storey is a board with the word "HOTEL".
Thanks for the link Bert; I was going to post it, but couldn't be bothered looking for it at one o'clock in the morning.
Incidentally, in my post there I notice I recorded that "The Hotel was built by James Bryans in 1837". It seems that that info is not entirely accurate, as the newscutting above proves; serves me right for copying something straight from a book without checking original sources. Whilst work on building the Hotel may have begun in 1837, it clearly didn't open until 4th June 1839. I'm not sure if James Bryans was the owner of the building and Henry Hilliar just the tenant; I'll have to check the surviving Rate Books for the period when I'm next down at the Archives.
The Monk's Ferry Hotel lasted until 1872, when it was badly damaged by a serious fire that broke out in Laird's sawmill which was virtually next to it. It appears that shortly afterwards Laird's purchased the shell of the building and demolished it to build a new sawmill and engine house to replace the ones destroyed by the fire.
In 1861, Henry Hilliar was Innkeeper at the Marine Parade Hotel, Brighton, Sussex.
In 1881, he was Hotel Proprietor of the Marine Parade Royal Crescent Hotel, it seems the Marine parade had expanded to the building next door, The Royal Crescent.
The 1843 UK and County Directory has the Monks Ferry Hotel as Church Street.
Last edited by bert1; 28th Apr 20122:07pm.
God help us, Come yourself, Don't send Jesus, This is no place for children.
I'd say the location of the old Monk's Ferry Hotel was approximately at the junction of Alabama Way and the side road called Monk's Ferry. There's a building there called Yanco House, which is just about in the right place.
