I now live no more than about half a mile from Bidston Hill, and can't for the life of me work out how to get up to the windmill.
How do I get up there from say, Vyner Rd North. Is there a sign anywhere pointing me in the general direction?

Used to go there all the time as a child and feel a bit stupid now that I can't work out where a footpath begins

There's access from Vyner Rd. North, between the footbridge over the road near the windmill and the junction with Boundary Rd. or if you start from the bus stop at the junction of Upton Rd. and Noctorum Lane, there's a signpost pointing you through the woods to the footbridge near the windmill.
http://binged.it/13DUu5p

Thanks I'm not far from the bus stop you mention, I will take a look tomorrow, weather permitting

wow welcome back to uk liz, must be strange being back over here, you wanna explore anywhere get in touch with tc, he does walks around most of the wirral and you will get to meet lots of new and old people from the area some of which you may know.


why did you come back?

Also, from that bus stop, you can walk down the Thermopylae Pass, under Vyner Rd. South, past the gardens of the old Bidston Court, to the bottom of Ford Hill, and realise that until the 1830's, that was the main Upton Rd.

We came back because we'd always said we'd return to the Wirral one day and then suddenly my husband was lucky enough to be offered a job back in UK earlier this year. As much as I love the USA, we felt that there was really nothing there for us anymore. We had no family and very few real friends to speak of there (other than work colleagues) So we took the plunge and I have to say that we're very happy to be back home
Despite the negativity that sometimes comes across either on here or in the media about the Wirral & UK as a whole, you have to live away from somewhere to realise what a beautiful country we have.
It's not all rosy and happiness on the other side of the pond either !

The person you mentioned "TC" I will look for him on here and may well join him on one of the walks one of these days

We've walked a little way down the Thermopylae Pass, but haven't yet got to the bottom. Actually, funny you should mention the bit about the gardens of Bidston Court, because we were there today. We went from Vyner Rd South through a large gate down a slight hill to an area that looks as though it should have had a house there or some kind of building. Is this what used to be Bidston Court then? I'll have to research what it used to look like 'back in the day'. I love local history

When I first moved to the area it took me a few months to work out how to get to the windmill! Elizabeth, I'm quite glad to hear that as a local it's got you baffled! I finally did the route Chriskay describes but in reverse from the bottom of Ford Hill. Now I know my way around, I park in Vyner Road North and walk over the top.

Yes, Elizabeth, that was Bidston Court, built in 1891 for the soap magnate, Robert Hudson. It was later disassembled and re-built as "Hillbark" in Roydon Park, Frankby.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSjw98l0DxM

Really interesting to watch that short clip. I wonder why they decided to to move it? Vyner Rd South and the surrounding roads have so many grand homes, it seems like it would have been a very fitting location to have left it there. Unless it was sliding down the hill perhaps?

There's so much in this area to see and explore again, I feel like I'm a tourist in my home town. I'm looking forward to walking the Wirral Way too

Here's the story.
http://www.oldwirral.com/frankby_hillbark.html

I've never walked the Wirral Way, but travelled it many times by train before the line closed in 1962.

Welcome back then. I did the same, lived away for years and came back home for retirement and not regretting it. Enjoy.

Ordnance Survey Map 266 is a godsend.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Wirral-Ch...UK_Books_maps_GL&hash=item56589ffbcd

Welcome home Elizabeth. Pleased to know how easily you seem to have managed feeling settled.
I too have lived in various parts of UK and also abroad but, how strange it was, that Wirral always beckoned me back again. No regrets, as it is quite unique to anywhere else.Lots happening to engage with now and we have the most traffic lights and road signage,than anywhere else per sq.mile.What more could we ask?
It's a great place.
Always remember in 2006 prior to the Open Golf at Hoylake, how an articel was published in one of our national newspapers, critisizing the fact that the event was being held so near to Kirby.It absolutely slated the area, without having any knowledge what-so-ever, and not doing their research properly. How things changed after the event.Only praise about the Wirral as a whole, including location, hospitality,and how lovely the area is. So two fingers up to whoever wrote the article and yes, it's great here.

i could not agree more

Yes it is, but it would be even more great if now that I'm here I could find a job