The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1844-11-05 00:00:00

BIRKENHEAD. have, a priori, been effectually sewered, or are in progress of being so, to an extent already of (according, as we find, to Mr. Stansfield's recent pamphlet) 17 or 18 miles in all ; and, including the roads in the outskirts, not yet dedi cated to the Commissioners, the whole sewerage may be estimated at nearly double that extent. The new streets are well macadamised; good footwalks, with curb -stones, are also laid down, and an immense extent of water and gas mains. The area of Birkenhead, including Claug'aton and part of Oxton, as, by the Act, now annexed to it, is about 1388 square acres, or nearly two square miles. The facilities for building are great throughout the whole locality. There is everywhere abundance of clay, of ex cellent quality for brickmaking ; and an inexhaustible supply of good hard freestone, white or red, at a short depth, and almost at every point, even to low-water mark, besides that from the fine quarries of Stourton and Bid ston. The sand is also abundant, and of good quality for the several purposes required. A vast quantity of brick has this year been made, yet so numerous are the build ings being erected, or decided upon being built, that twenty or thirty millions more are contracted for, and already paid for, to be supplied next spring. With all this, there is scarcely a house but is let ; and the number of workpeople employed, and immediately to be so, is so great, that large houses are taken up for their accommo dation, where they are necessarily huddled together until suitable and comfortable cottages can be erected for them. On Friday week, the day being fine, we took a stroll in the township, for the purpose of sketching and correcting the plan which is annexed to this pamphlet. Passing along Conway-street (which, as well as Price-street, is up wards of a mile long in a straight line, and contains many ranges of well-finished freestone houses), we visited THE PARK. This (which was originated by Mr. W. Jackson) is rapidly approaching to completion for planting. It lies to the north westward of the principal, or already built, part of the town, on rather low and sheltered ground, and com prises about 190 acres, within a wide and curving car riage-road—as marked in the plan. Near the margin, 60 acres are appropriated to building detached villas and terraces, with lawns and pleasure grounds, leaving about 120 acres for the use of the public for ever. The sites of two extensive lakes have already been excavated within this space, and the waste (the fine soil being retained for the surface) thrown up into innumerable mounds or bills of every variety of height and shape, giving a pleasing undu lation and diversity to the whole, which when it is covered by shrubberies, grass-plots, flowers, &c., will ren der it at once beautiful, diversified, and romantic. The whole is laid out in serpentine walks, which will afford fine views of the lakes, the internal lawns, and surround ing scenery. The villas and terraces will all be built to elevations approved of by the Commissioners, and by fix ing the rental value at a high standard the greatest re spectability will be secured. The arrangements are such as will make it appear that the whole 190 acres are in cluded in the Park. The owners of the houses are re quired to set them 20 yards back from the enclosing road, on each side; and that road being 20 yards wide, it follows that the space between the houses, across the road, will be 60 yards. By the judicious management of the commissioners this land was purchased at a price which enables them to make the roads, drains, &c., ready for the buildings, from the money they will receive for the sale of the building land, and leave 120 acres free to the public for ever. As the township owns the fe , ry, and thousands from Liverpool will resort to the Park when it is completed, the speculation (if it may be so called) can not fail to be profitable. We exceedingly regret that our own Corporation did not in earlier times purchase land for a similar purpose while it could be had at a reasonable price. The whole of the. immense area under notice will be so planted as to represent one park. The two lakes (which are of great extent and varied forms) will be ren dered more interesting by rustic and other bridges. There is also a smaller lake on the south side of the Park. The act for the formation of the Park came into operation on the Ist September, 1843, and the Commissioners employed Mr. Paxton, the celebrated landscape gardener to the Duke of Devonshire, to lay out the whole in the best manner the locality would admit of. In November last year the lakes were excavated and the roads partially formed. ext summer (less than two years) the whole will be com pleted—the roads and walks made, the grass laid down and the shrubs &c. planted—an achievement, considering the nature and extent of the ground, worthy of record. No fewer than 900 men have been recen►ly at work upon it, and as the construction of the new docks will (as we may say of those on this side) be pursued with equal vigour, we may anticipate still more rapid improvements than we have yet noticed on the other side of the water. We should add that there will be six fine lodges, or gate-houses, in the Park. One of these, a fine classical stone building, is already roofed in, and others are in pro gress of erection. In fine this extensive park will be a perpetual ornament to the town and neighbourhood, and a delightful resort for health and recreation, its extent and varied walks and views being so great that it will require almost a whole day (when completed) thoroughly to see and appreciate all its beauties ; and the diversity of hill and dale, wood and water, which it will combine. To the westwai d of it, and partly enclosed within it, are already well-grown plantations of fir, &c., which will be romanti cally intersected with labyrinthine walks, and the excel lent drainage and fine soil thrown on the whole surface will ensure, together with its sheltered position, a con stant flush of verdure from evergreens, &c., even during the winter. We confess we almost envy the Birkenhead people of this splendid pleasure ground ; but the edge of our jealousy is considerably dulled by the reflection that it will be liberally thrown open for the gratification of the whole well-behaved world. A short distance from its further extremity, to the west, rises Flaybrick-hill, near Bidston bill, of nearly equal altitude, and now the township quarry. This will speedily be formed into the public CEMETERY. The view from the top of the hill, which is prolific of fine flowering heath, is truly splendid,—forming, indeed, a panorama including the entire extent of both Liverpool and Birkenhead, the river towards Runcorn, the sea to the west, with the shipping passing and repassing, and the whole extent of fine country on both shores for many miles. The " bowels" of this hill have over many years been to a great extent extracted in fine stone, but the ex cavation made is being filled up with the rubbish thrown out, and the stone for the new docks and sea walls is to be taken, by Mr. Tomkinson, the contractor, from the ex terior, where it is also good ; and in such a manner as to leave the hill of a pyramidal form with a spiral road to the top ; the high side of which will be appropriated for cata combs and tombs ornamented with shrubs and flowers. The plan appears, so far, to be the reverse of our St.James's Cemetery, which was formed in an excavated quarry sunk below the surface; and will doubtless have a more pleasing, airy, and " consolatory " aspect. It will, no doubt, from the prospects which it affords, and the fine roads leading to it both by the Park and by those between it and Wallasey Pool, be a place of much resort, although it is a portion of the Birkenhead estate of which our worthy neighbours will naturally be in no violent hurry to take " personal possession." Passing thence southward, by a variety of pleasant lanes or roads, partly shaded by fir trees, and known, we believe, as the " Firs," we reach Claughton Park, sprinkled with beautiful villas, at the western angle of which, already backed by what may be called stately trees, is 4