WikiWirral is where great friendships are made.
Forum Statistics
Forums65
Topics76,526
Posts1,034,283
Members14,981
Most Online121,890
Sep 24th, 2025
Who's Online Now
6 members (3 invisible), 4,755 guests, and 342 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Top Posters
sunnyside 45,164
MattLFC 22,315
Mark 21,269
granny 17,811
_Ste_ 16,347
Newest Members
Beto9, AMBTAYLOR, Gmurphy1892, Brendajones, sjw1978
14,981 Registered Users
New General Forums
New Wirral History
39 Beresford 63 to 65 Bentinck Street
by derekdwc - 3rd Jul 2014 8:34pm
Tranmere Water Tower
by homeraway - 17th Dec 2012 11:24am
Wallasey bus accident 1950s
by nightwalker - 5th Nov 2010 12:37pm
141 Royal Hotel (Dolphin Hotel )
by Mark - 29th Dec 2008 3:09pm
Top Posters(30 Days)
bert1 2
Topic Replies
Tranmere Water Tower
by Gmurphy1892 - 19th Mar 2026 6:34pm
Wallasey bus accident 1950s
by bert1 - 19th Mar 2026 3:52pm
Reliable Recomended Builder Required
by Reno2 - 18th Mar 2026 7:38pm
141 Royal Hotel (Dolphin Hotel )
by diggingdeeper - 10th Mar 2026 12:42pm
History of Ness (NOT the gardens!).
by gregory66 - 1st Mar 2026 8:57am
39 Beresford 63 to 65 Bentinck Street
by bert1 - 25th Feb 2026 9:07am
March
M T W T F S S
1
2 3 4 5 6 7 8
9 10 11 12 13 14 15
16 17 18 19 20 21 22
23 24 25 26 27 28 29
30 31
Top Likes Received (30 Days)
Top Likes Received
bert1 29
Mark 4
casper 4
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 252
Addict
OP Offline
Addict
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 252
Hi all

Wondering if you could help me. Do you know if there is somewhere which highlights on a map the bomb sites in Birkenhead. London has got something like this but not sure if we would have something ?

The reason I ask is that the field by my
House in bidston village has a large depression in the field, almost looks as though a pond was there which I know there wasn't . It's a circular depression and there's a trail away from it as well. When the grass it cut you notice it.

After looking at some old maps, in particular one from1874 at the spot of this point in the field there is a symbol which I can't upload because I am on my
Mobile but the way I can describe is circles in circles in circles .....

Iv checked the old symbols and there are gravel pits and sand pits but it's not the same symbol? Any ideas?

For information, I have metal detected this area and I found an old steel harrow in this hole so there was farming on the field. But the hole doesn't look natural.......

Google Ads
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 252
Addict
OP Offline
Addict
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 252
This is the symbol I referred to earlier in the week, if you could let me know what this means?


Attached Images
symbol.PNG (615.13 KB, 183 downloads)
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 14,563
Likes: 36
Wiki Master
Offline
Wiki Master
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 14,563
Likes: 36
It is either a lake or a pond on topographic maps, bold outer border lighter inner rings.

On the Tithe maps it is clearly shown as a pond.


There's a real danger that the left will drag Britain back to the 1970s, with secure well-paid jobs, ample housing, properly-funded NHS and social care, free tuition, student grants, final salary pensions, affordable rail fares and fabulous films and music. David Osland 2025

We don't do charity in Germany, we pay taxes. Charity is a failure of governments' responsibilities - Henning Wehn

https://ddue.uk
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 252
Addict
OP Offline
Addict
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 252
On another map it's just a circular outline.

After sort of 1940 it dissapears. I'll put a picture up of what's there now.

Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 4,868
Forum Veteran
Offline
Forum Veteran
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 4,868
I agree with DD; definitely a pond, as shown on the tithe maps.


Carpe diem.
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 14,563
Likes: 36
Wiki Master
Offline
Wiki Master
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 14,563
Likes: 36
1950's colour maps show it as a pond as well.

At some time the height of that land seems to have been raised which is hardly surprising considering much of Bidston was bog land, the pit that is there now is possibly just sinkage into the soft pond mud underneath.

It depends on the purpose of the map as to what symbols are used and what items are recorded, depending what time of year and the weather would govern what the surveyor found.


There's a real danger that the left will drag Britain back to the 1970s, with secure well-paid jobs, ample housing, properly-funded NHS and social care, free tuition, student grants, final salary pensions, affordable rail fares and fabulous films and music. David Osland 2025

We don't do charity in Germany, we pay taxes. Charity is a failure of governments' responsibilities - Henning Wehn

https://ddue.uk
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 252
Addict
OP Offline
Addict
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 252
The field I am talking about in question is opposite the observatory school,
And opposite Lennox lane (in between)

Looking at old maps, the outline of the forest areas etc. havent hardly changed at all. There is quite a bit of gorse on the field but it seems to have been agriculture as I have metal detected on this field and found parts of steel harrows on there.

The only thing which has now dissapeared in some sort of footpath which goes from Church going towards the tennis centre and is marked by a row of trees.
There seems to be no trace of that. All I would say is that when the roundabout has been built at tesco there has been quite a build up at the side.

Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 14,563
Likes: 36
Wiki Master
Offline
Wiki Master
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 14,563
Likes: 36
After closer examination it looks like the existing depression and the pond marked on the maps aren't the same one.

The pond location is east of a line running north from Bidston hall and north of a line drawn as an extension of Hoylake Road, this would place it under the bit of Hoylake Road joining the roundabout.

Another pointer is that the pond was north of the line drawn from the west-east section of Lennox lane (1935 maps onward) whereas I think the existing depression is south of this line.

I'll have a look at the plan maps next time I'm in the library.

Last edited by diggingdeeper; 7th Jun 2015 11:35pm.

There's a real danger that the left will drag Britain back to the 1970s, with secure well-paid jobs, ample housing, properly-funded NHS and social care, free tuition, student grants, final salary pensions, affordable rail fares and fabulous films and music. David Osland 2025

We don't do charity in Germany, we pay taxes. Charity is a failure of governments' responsibilities - Henning Wehn

https://ddue.uk
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 4,044
Forum Guardian
Offline
Forum Guardian
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 4,044
some of the ponds were marl pits which the farmers dug to extract marl for spreading on the land. The pond between Fender Way and the M53 not too far away was known as "The Crater" presumably due to Hitlers pilots

Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 252
Addict
OP Offline
Addict
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 252
That's what I was thinking when seeing this for the first
Time because it seems so out of place

However there are a series of man holes on the field
Which seems to suggest the earlier theory.

Saying that I have metal detected the area in question and found steel Harrow remains


Moderated by  Mod 

Link Copied to Clipboard
Random Wirral Images

Click to View Topic.
Newest Topics
Reliable Recomended Builder Required
by Reno2 - 18th Mar 2026 7:38pm
39 Beresford 63 to 65 Bentinck Street
by derekdwc - 3rd Jul 2014 8:34pm
Tranmere Water Tower
by homeraway - 17th Dec 2012 11:24am
Wallasey bus accident 1950s
by nightwalker - 5th Nov 2010 12:37pm
History of Ness (NOT the gardens!).
by johnnie - 7th Mar 2010 11:59pm
For Sale & Free
Member Spotlight
eggandchips
eggandchips
wallasey
Posts: 2,695
Joined: November 2011
Today's Birthdays
There are no members with birthdays on this day.
New Wirral Info
Reliable Recomended Builder Required
by Reno2 - 18th Mar 2026 7:38pm
History of Ness (NOT the gardens!).
by johnnie - 7th Mar 2010 11:59pm
News : New Topics
New Enthusiast Forums
Popular Topics(Views)
10,799,181 CW Chat room thread
5,943,065 WIKI WALK CHAT
4,663,743 Spotted!
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5