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

BIRKENHEAD. * almost invidious to particularize, but though an extended I notice of the whole is beyond the limits of our space, we cannot refrain from pointing out a few that strike us as pe culiary worthy of commendation. Waterloo-buildings, with a frontage to Hamilton-street, and another to Bridge street, (near Woodside Ferry,) is a fine pile of free-stone, with ranges of shops. Facing the former street, is the hardware and furnishing establishment of Messrs. Higgs and Wright—a shop with a fine plate-glass front, scarcely surpassed by any establishment of the kind even in the metropolis. The frontage is 26 feet in length, and, when an intended alteration is completed, the depth of the shop backwards (and well lighted throughout) will be 66 feet. The variety, richness, and beauty of the articles—all of the most recent design and improved workmanship—will be instantly acknowledged. We observed a handsome screen (valued at 30 guineas), said to be a fac-simile of the celebrated one belonging to her Majesty. Amongst the stock for drawing-room and parlour ornament and use, are varieties of lamps, vesta or spirit, solar, and candle lamps, gas chandeliers and fittings, bronze, verde antique, papier-machee, or-molu ; and other articles of a splendid description, besides the finest specimens of ordi nary hardware. Over the shop there is an extensive show-room, containing many iron and also brass bed steads, of every variety of construction, with metal sack ing, head and foot rails, &c., of light and fanciful design. These are finely jointed in dovetails, and may be readily taken down and again put up, without the trouble of screwing. In the same buildings, (facing Bridge-street,) are two elegant shops—an Italian warehouse and a tea establishment—both belonging to Messrs. Berner & Co., (owners of the whole range,) and most tastefully fitted up and admirably stocked. At the corner is Mr. Law's sta tionery, book, and print shop, well filled, and with a news room adjoining. There is also at the south end a large wine and spirit establishment. In Chester-street, which leads from the south to all the principal ferries, there are a number of fine shops and other establishments. Amongst them we may enu merate Mr. Colter's and Mr. Brand's provision ware houses (the latter has also a fine warehouse in Argyle street, corner of Conway-street); Mrs. Heywood's fancy repository for articles suitable for the drawing-room, &c. ; Mr. Twisaday's, draper; Mr. Openshaw's, wine and spirit dealer ; Mr. Doubleday's, tea-dealer (opposite the Albion Hotel) ; Messrs. J. and M. Bache's china and glass warehouse ; Mr. Styan's general hardware and fur nishing establishment, &c. Here also is a fine new stone building in course of completion, as a draper's shop, &re: , belonging to Mr. Peck, draper, Ranelagh-street, in this town. In this street, too, is Mr. Green's brewery, con sisting of extensive buildings, with a fine house frontage to the street, in the Roman style, and of white freestone• Mr. Green is also an auctioneer, and has very commodi ous rooms adjoining the Albion Hotel, Market-street , which are replete with almost every article of furniture , modern and antique. In Argyle-street, Mr. Hilliar, draper, has a splendid and well-plenished shop, and there are others of great elegance in the same range. Another fine drapery esta blishment is Mr. Milne's, in Hamilton-street. In Mar ket-street (running from Chester-street northward) there are also some good shops, inns, &c. Amongst the former is, nearly opposite the present market, Mr.Drinkwater's, upholsterer and cabinet-maker. Messrs. F. and J. Hodgson, of Liverpool, are making extensive alterations at their premises in this street, where they are about to establish a Commission Sales Room. The rooms, when completed, will contain an area of nearly 1,600 square feet. There are also numerous elegant Druggists' Estab lishments, &c., in convenient situations. Route for Visitors. To Visitors from this side of the water, who have but a short time to spare, we recommend the following route, or thereabouts, as embracing the principal lions of the place : Church-street--in which is Birkenhead Church, and immediately behind it the ruins of the ancient Priory. Hamilton-street, and Hamilton-square. Conway. street. The Park. Bidston load—and thence along the great Float ing Dock to Woodside Ferry. This route (in which the main streets, &c. only which the traveller must make in succession are above named) may be varied by diversions to the principal buildings, villas, &c. ' • and the views from the surrounding heights —whether Holt-Hill, Oxton, Claughton, Flaybrick Hill, or Bidston, are all pezuliarly interesting. Those who have leisure may wander about, with gratification, ad libitum. Near the bottom of the Great Floating Dock are the extensive works of Mr. J. Laird, iron ship builder, who has there built, within the last few years, a vast number of vessels, large and small, of that material, and has now on the stocks a huge and splendid iron frigate for her Majesty's service. The manner in which, by we" chinery and handwork, the strong ribs and plates of iron are tortured into their required forms, punched or drilled , and rivetted together so as to form, as it were, one solid body, is truly surprising. We may here state, that on an acclivity south of Grange lane is Clifton Park, of large extent, and studded with fine mansions and villas, surrounded by gardens, shrubberies , &c. This is private property, and is intersected by a main carriage road, at the entrances to which there are handsome gates and lodges. Statistics of Cost, &c. The following estimates (partly recapitulated) of the cost of the principal works (finished or intended) in Bir kenhead, may be interesting to some portion of our read ers . iliOCks in Wallasey Pool (by the commissioners).£4oo,ooo Dock Warehouses (private company) 600,000 New Market (commissioners) Town Hall Ditto .. 10,000 Park Ditto 25,000 Tunnel, from Grange-lane to Monks' Ferry, (Chester and Birkenhead Railway) . 20,000 Making in all.. £1,075,000 Notwithstanding this great expenditure, a proposal has been made to the Corporation of Liverpool to purchase the freehold of all their Wallasey estate on the Pool, and Printed by Lace and Addison, Standard Office, Liverpool. pay for it in cash, or by such instalments as may be agree able to them ; and this proposal has, we learn, been fa vourably received. The cost of work to be done by the Commissioners, in enclosing the whole by river and interior walls, will be £lOO,OOO. The ground is stated to be much more favour able for the heavy masonwork required than was at first expected, a good foundation being generally attainable without the necessity of much piling. Having thus done justice, so far as our limit e d space will allow, to the improvements of Birkenhead, an in no way fearing honourable competition, we shall, !r e long, furnish a plan and sketch of the new docks and ira provements in our own town, which we have had in pre paration for several weeks.