This picture shows the area just further up from the Borough Hotel, along the eastern extremity of Grange Road opposite the Haymarket.
It was taken around 1967, when all the properties in the area were being prepared for demolition to make way for the new tunnel flyovers.
The buildings on the right are the Army Information Office, F & J Bentley’s pawnbrokers and Clifton Cycles.
Further down on the right, across Jackson Street and along Grange Road (which becomes Grange Street) is the Abacus crane works. This section of roadway is now called Borough Road East.
St Mary’s Church can be seen in the far distance across Chester Street.
The big building in the middle distance is the Wellington Hotel and to its left is the market. The market can be seen because the building that was next door to the Wellington, Sturla’s clothing and drapery store, has already been demolished.
Here’s a bit more info on the Wellington Hotel, partly from an old Birkenhead News article.
The original building, probably dating from the mid-19th century (see Ian Boumphrey pictures), was replaced by a new one, which opened in December 1936. But the old place was demolished only after the new one was finished.
The old building formed a sharp ‘flat iron’ angle on the corner of Hamilton Street and Grange Road. But the new one – which was much bigger in area - appears to have been built slightly further to the east along Grange Road / Grange Street and was rectangular in shape.
Perhaps someone has old maps to compare the two.
The new Wellington, owned by Greenall Whitley of Warrington, was a handsome construction and quite a bit of money was lavished on it. I think the total cost of the build was around £15,000, but the fitting-out must have added a further substantial sum.
Its features included oak panelling, Rhodesian teak flooring, leather seating, refrigerated cellars and double-glazed windows.
Everyone agreed it was a cut above its competitors, but it was not without controversy. The architect proposed putting a women’s toilet off the bar parlour, incurring the stern disapproval of the Chief Constable.
The Chief Constable said he wanted to discourage women drinking in the public bar and the bar parlour and there were already ‘adequate facilities’ for women in the mixed lounge hall and smoke room.
The proposal for the extra toilet was dropped.
The Wellington was demolished in 1967 to make way for the tunnel approaches and not a trace of this fine building remains.
