Forums Forums Wirral History : Chasing the Past History Information Request Old Bidston Footpath

Wondering if anyone can shed some light on the above?

I have seen a few things on here which has prompted my interest in the Old Bidston footpath. From doing a bit of research I know that:

- It was frequented by residents on Wallasey who wanted to go for a walk and it started at Breck Road.

- The path was famous for Smugglers who used to hide stuff at the Ring O Bells which is now a cottage on Bidston village road.

- There is a tale about a Whales Jaw.

- It was removed after the construction of Bidston Docks.

Can someone shed some information on it. Where was it located? Is it starting near the tip or is it nearerer Wallasey golf club coming through Bidston Golf Club? Are there parts of it still existing?

I cannot make it out on the maps.

It seems very intersting.

Found a 1920's image here:

http://www.20thcenturyimages.co.uk/trolleyed/4/24/1972/index.htm

Looks on this as though the tip is on the right hand side but I cannot make it out

http://www.historyofwallasey.co.uk/wallasey/the_footpath_a_town_fell_in_love_with/index.html

Couple of pics on that link. Tells you what roads run through it now ect..

That's good thanks for that.

Was it built just for people of Wallasey or was it already there as a footpath from bidston to the wallassey new Brighton shore?

Another thread click

A couple of snippets from the Cheshire Observer 1889 and the Liverpool Mercury 1895

I do know very well, that in the mid 40's me and my mates would take a walk from New Brighton to Breck Road and then walk the footpath from close to where the mosslands school was or is, used to be sheep grazing on the grass as you walked the path, arriving by Bidston Station. then up towards Bidston Hill, none of those Estates around in those days, one could sit on the hills by Bidston and watch the Steam trains Puffing along the tracks,as they made their way towards Chester.
wow!! that was oh so long ago

So the path went from Breck road, across the Moss to where Bidston Station is?

Did the path go up through where School Lane is, or did the path go by Bidston Tesco and up Bidston Village Road?

Trying to picture the path as it was, which is hard with the bypass and the motorway now blocking the view

I remember walking across this all the time late 90's.

The footpath starts at mosslands drive on the football field, leads to underneath the flyover, we used to hang around under the flyover as kids and the old Orbro store (now b&qs carpark) was a good haunt of ours too.

I think that footpath would of went straight through b and q car park joining up to the other one by bidston train station.

There's another path which goes off in the direction of bidston hill around the side of the tip.

Here's the O.S. map of 1912.
It seems to show the start of the path, at Mosslands, where there is a guide post marked, but it soon seems to disappear. At the other end, a path is shown from the bottom of School Lane, at Bidston station, but it seems to end just short of the signal box near Bidston North Junction; I've put an x where it ends.
It would be interesting to know the route between the two ends.

http://www.cheshirehistory.org.uk/archive//large.php?id=9

This link has a map from 1831 Bryant and shows I think a footpath from "Mill School" Wallasey across the Bidston Moss to Bidston Hill. Is this the footpath everybody is talking about.

Certainly looks as if it might be.