Forums Forums Wirral History : Chasing the Past History Information Request Heswall Poll Hill Reservoir

Now that is an interesting map, Poll Hill is called Heswall Hill, also indicates that the Poll/Heswall Hill water tower may have preceded the reservoirs??

Yes, DD; the hill is called Heswall Hill on the 1910 map too. I wonder when it changed to Poll Hill. Since the water tower is shown on the 1910 map, it certainly preceded the Alwen pipeline & the Poll Hill reservoir.
Just for completeness, here's all the map I have of the Alwen pipeline.

As an interesting aside, at the time of that map (1910), and certainly within my memory, what is now Heswall station on the Wrexham line, was called Heswall Hills. I don't recall that area being hilly; am I wrong?

I've got to agree with you Chris. Moons ago, I used Heswall Hills Sta. quite a bit. Unless there have been any major upheavals of the earth's crust lately, it is as flat as a fluke around there !

Here's another interesting 'aside' on Heswall Hills station:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/stories/82/a4539882.shtml

Bri

There was another "Heswall Station" by Lower Village which is now part of the Wirral Way. Heswall Hills Station was just used to mean the higher station which is about 100ft higher. Heswall Hills Station has now be renamed to Heswall Station as the original one no longer exists.

Cross Hill - born and bred Thingwalian - or thingy - whichever you prefer!.
Definitely not in Heswall - within Thingwall - which was always historically part of Birkenhead - incorporated into Birkenhead UBC officially in 1928.

The 'Rezzy' (Cross Hill) was built up to it's present impressive height, by the simple and rather clever idea of digging a large similar-sized pit, right next to it and using the earth recovered to build up the sides of the reservoir next to it - an elegant engineering solution, if ever there was one !.

This left a large shallow depression (between 5-6ft deep, roughly the same area as the built up reservoir, immediately to it's west.

We played in this depression in the summers - where it could get very hot as it was sheltered from the prevailing winds by it's depth - lizards and grass snakes - more often seen down 'sarf' were common in this little oasis..

Cleverly, but I don't know if this was in the original plan, when more capacity was required on the site in the early 1980's, they used the former depression as the site for the extension - effectively a separate reservoir. So there are 2 tanks there now.

In the recent snow there was 'mass trespass' on a number of days when people took their sleds and tea-trays through the locked gate to have a laugh on the preciptious slopes !.

That first picture of the reservoir interior is positively cathedral-like.

I wonder if the Cross Hill reservoir was built on the site of the original Viking 'Thing', or was that across the road on the other part of the hill? If it was built there, did they ever investigate the site archaeologically before digging the place up??

Yeh - the Thing is the hill across the road next to Holmwood.

The Viking period doens't leave much trace - as the buildings were largely wood and canvas - so when disused they were by and large recycled or burnt down - leaving little trace.

The Viking boat in the car-park at the Railway is a glorious exception of course..!

Looks great
I wonder if there is access to it for inspections/maintenance etc.
If so , would like to contact the relevant person/company to possibly arrange a wikiwirral visit
Any suggestions as to how?

The Caretaker lived in the house adjacent to the reservoir in the 60.s.

I've been down the steps into the Cross Hill reservoir when I was a kid, scary tho, and we were going to take a canoe but bottled out as it was too scary in the pitch dark even with a torch the light would not reach the far side.

PB

That brings back memories. I went down the steps, probably about 1950, and I was terrified.

are Crosshill and Poll Hill the same reservoir or different ones

Think I may have to get in touch with United Utilities as regards access

Crosshill is Thingwall, Poll Hill is Heswall. I wish you luck getting access. All utilities now are ultra sh*t-scared of "incidents" that jeopardise supplies, be it water, electricity whatever. I've been trying to get a visit to a certain water tunnel for years. Out comes the rubber stamp "NO". All valve access covers, doors, gates etc. make Fort Knox look like a push-over these days!

Let us know how you get on.