Forums Forums Wirral History : Chasing the Past History Information Request Dibbinsdale Water Voles

Back in the days when steam locomotives used to pass under the bridge at the bottom of The Rake in Bromborough, in that small river/stream that ran though the nearby woods, to pass though 'Otter's Tunnel' (why it had that name when the water quality must have not allowed those animals to survive) I recall seeing swimming around, what I presume were water voles, although we called them 'rats'. They are quite rare these days and I was wondering if anyone has been down there recently and seen any?

Can't help with the voles, but I remember the woods well; we knew them as the bluebell woods.

Hi Chris, the name rings a distant blue bell now you mention it, had great fun in those woods building 'dens' and bridges over that stream, defo recall seeing rat sized beasties swimming around. Maybe they were rats, as the water quality was pretty bad I recall.

Maybe you had chips from the nearby chippy?

http://www.dibbinsdale.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/HeritageTrail.pdf

Well that looks very hopeful and may give some weight to spotting Water Vole in the Dibbinsdale, all those years ago

Hi Erainn,used to spot water voles down there sixty years ago,quite a lot of them as I remember.If you keep walking on to the entrance at the bottom of Spital hill, dont exit the park,there's another path that runs parallel to the road,so walk towards Bromborough village,and keep your eyes open and on the left hand side you will eventually find a Wishing well,it's set in the rock,easily missed,so be alert.good luck,oh and don't forget to make a Wish.

Hi TR22, thanks for the confirmation on that I am pleased to see that they still may be found in the Dibbinsdale, a small river which to my eyes, always had a 'dead' look about it. If ever I get a chance to head back up there I shall defo check out that spot you mention, I was totally unaware of the well! Now I read it was dedicated to St Patrick, guess it must have been in use for a long time. Probably a confusion of memory but I also have a vague recollection about some tale linked to those woods about a downed German fighter, ah the wonders of imagination

Local History Archives- Dibbinsdale Local Nature Reserve Stray notes - Local History Extract-s Brom Parish Magazine-
No 5 .The Otter Bridge
The tunnel under the railway between Spital Railway Station and Bromborough rake Station is known to older Bromborough Folk as " The Otter Bridge ". Have you ever wondered why ?
There used to be otter living in Dibbinsdale. a Mr W.H Hatcher, manager at Price's Candle Works
( now Unichema Chemicals Ltd ) in September 1863 captured a fine male otter just above Price's Works but after a few days captivity the animal escaped. Another otter was seen, two or three years previously, in the Dibbin where the stream flows out of Raby Mere. When he was a boy in Bromborough he knew an old man, a Mr Penlington. Now Mr Penlington had been a signalman on the railway and he used to say that he had shot the last otter in Dibbinsdale !
An old friend of mine told me recently that This incident probably took place in the latter half of the last century and may be the reason for the railway tunnel in Dibbinsdale having acquired the name of "The Otter Bridge".
Nora McMillan ( 11.7.95)

This is what I found on the following website, with loads more info on the area!!
It's a lovely walk down there nowadays, and it's a well looked after area! Just don't go there after heavy rainfall, as it can flood quite heavily!!!
http://dibbinsdale.co.uk/park/History%20of%20Dibbinsdale.pdf

That's fab information Thanks for sharing, when I had childhood adventures there it was 'Otter's Tunnel', was a spooky spot for young uns to walk through there