# Central North Wirral

Central North Wirral covers Greasby, Frankby, Irby, Upton, Moreton, Woodchurch and Leasowe, a group of large villages on the Wirral peninsula in Merseyside. Landican and Saughall Massie are also part of the area.

## Understand

Originally a collection of farming villages in the central part of North Wirral, of which Frankby and Landican are the best surviving examples, now a near-contiguous suburban area to the west of the M53 motorway between junctions 1 and 3.

## Get in
### By road

* M53 motorway, junctions 1, 2a and 3, from Liverpool, Ellesmere Port and Chester
* A552 from Birkenhead
* A553 from Birkenhead and West Kirby
* B5139 and/or B5192 from West Kirby
* B5138 and/or A551 from Heswall

### By bus

* Arriva's 437 bus provides a direct service from Liverpool, Birkenhead and West Kirby. The service passes Upton railway station and travels through Upton, Greasby and Frankby. Alternatively, the 420 bus can be used through Greasby and the 407 bus can be used through Moreton, from West Kirby and Liverpool.
* Stagecoach's 22 bus provides a direct service from West Kirby, Heswall and Chester. This service travels along Mill Lane in Greasby.

### By rail

* 53.38646-3.084191 Upton railway station, Noctorum Avenue, Upton, Merseyside. CH43 9RY. Daily 24 hours. Situated on the Borderlands line, operated by Arriva Trains Wales. Change at Bidston, the previous stop, for services from Liverpool. Although, it may be quicker to walk than wait; it's usually an hour between trains, and only 30 minutes on foot. In the opposite direction, services arrive from Wrexham. Change at Shotton, for Arriva Trains Wales or Avanti West Coast Trains services from Chester or the North Wales coast.
* 53.40713-3.114492 Moreton railway station, Pasture Road, Moreton, Merseyside. CH46 8SD. Daily. Situated on the West Kirby branch of the Wirral line, operated by Merseyrail. Services direct from West Kirby, Birkenhead and Liverpool. Change to the West Kirby train at Bidston, two stops along the line, for services from Wrexham and Shotton. This station is best used for access to the North Wirral Coastal Park, which is a 10-minute walk away.
* 53.40811-3.098913 Leasowe railway station, Reeds Lane, Leasowe, Merseyside. CH46 1QN. Daily. Situated on the West Kirby branch of the Wirral line, operated by Merseyrail. Services direct from West Kirby, Birkenhead and Liverpool. Change to the West Kirby train at Bidston, one stop along the line, for services from Wrexham and Shotton. This station is best used for access to Leasowe Castle Hotel, which is a 15-minute walk along Reeds Lane.

### By bike

* National Cycle Route 56 passes through the area, allowing access to Chester, Neston, Central Wirral, New Brighton and Liverpool.

## Get around

There is an extensive bus network. Saveaway tickets$^{[deadlink]}$ are valid on all public transport in the area. These can be purchased at any staffed railway or bus stations in Merseyside. An "all areas" ticket is best, if intending to also travel to Liverpool, Chester, Ellesmere Port, Formby, Southport or Newton-le-Willows. The ticket costs about £5 per day, for off-peak use. Alternatively, a slightly cheaper "area B" ticket will cover most of Wirral.

## See

* 53.36447-3.089981 Arrowe Country Park, Arrowe Park Road, Woodchurch, Wirral. CH49 5LW (20 minutes walk from Upton station). Entrance to the park is free, but there is a charge for using the car park.
* 53.41333-3.125852 North Wirral Coastal Park (Leasowe Lighthouse), Moreton Common, Wirral, CH46 4TA (15 minutes walk from Moreton station). Lighthouse open 1st and 3rd Sunday of every month between April and September. See also the gigantic view along the entire northern coast of North Wales, from the sea wall near Leasowe Lighthouse. This sight is, perhaps, even more impressive than Birkenhead's view of Liverpool. The view extends from Moel Famau, 20 miles (32 km) to the south, across to Anglesey which is 70 miles (115 km) to the west, and includes the Great Orme headland and Snowdonia. In the opposite direction, if the weather is clear and the mountains are snow-capped, Black Combe can be seen in Cumbria; also about 70 miles away. Free.
* 53.3885-3.122993 The Thomas Brassey Bridge, Saughall Massie Road, Saughall Massie, Wirral. The first bridge built by the well-known engineer. Free.

## Do

* 53.36373-3.135041 Royden Park (and Thurstaston Common), Hillbark Road, Frankby. CH48 1NP, ☏ +44 151 677-7594. Open dawn to dusk, all year. Walled Garden, Cafe, Gallery, Miniature railways. Entrance to the park is free, but there is a charge for using the car park.
* 53.36373-3.135042 Royden Park Miniature Railway, Hillbark Road, Frankby. CH48 1NP, ☏ +44 151 677-7594. Sunday afternoon. Miniature railways
* 53.37867-3.080183 Woodchurch Leisure Centre, Carr Bridge Road, Woodchurch. CH49 8EH, ☏ +44 151 606-2010. M-F 7:30AM-10PM, Sa 9AM-4PM, Su 9AM-3PM. The leisure centre has an aerobics studio, along with 25-metre and junior swimming pools.
* 53.36416-3.091044 Arrowe Park Golf Course, Arrowe Park Municipal Golf Club, Arrowe Park Road, Wirral. CH49 5LW, ☏ +44 151 677-1527. 18-hole golf course and a 9-hole pitch and putt course.

## Buy

Greasby, Upton and Moreton each have supermarkets, catering for daily needs:
* 53.37759-3.121851 Sainsbury's Local, 101 Greasby Road. CH49 3AT, ☏ +44 151 552-1200. Daily 7AM-11PM.
* 53.38032-3.102832 Sainsbury's, Upton By Pass, Upton. CH49 6QG, ☏ +44 151 604-1211. M-Sa 7AM-11PM, Su 10AM-4PM. The biggest of the supermarkets in the immediate area.
* 53.4016-3.110483 Tesco Express, Hoylake Rd, Moreton. CH46 6DG. Daily 6AM-11PM.
Slightly further away, a 24-hour Tesco is also available in Bidston. It is closed over Sunday night-Monday morning.
24-hour petrol:
* 53.38158-3.098964 Shell, Arrowepark Road, Upton. CH49 0UE. 24 hours, every day. Provides petrol around the clock, and staffed at all times. This is the nearest 24-hour garage for about five miles.
Visiting cyclists might like to use:
* The Bike Shop Moreton, 453 Hoylake Road, Moreton. CH46 6DQ (a three-minute bike ride/10-minute walk along the main road west from the roundabout in the centre of Moreton), ☏ +44 151 606-0101, info@bikeshopmoreton.co.uk. M-W F Sa 9AM-5:30PM, Th 9AM-8PM, Su closed. Suitable for consumables, spares and repairs.

## Eat

* 53.36355-3.138121 The Hillbark Hotel, Royden Park Frankby, CH48 1NP (45 minutes walk from West Kirby station), ☏ +44 151 625-2400.
* 53.376967-3.1213892 Oak Bar & Bistro, 126 Greasby Road, Greasby, Wirral, CH49 3NQ, ☏ +44 151 678-0104.
* 53.362742-3.1377333 The Yellow Room (Hillbark Hotel), Royden Park, Frankby, CH48 1NP, ☏ +44 151 625-2400.
* 53.35665-3.134754 Benty Farm Tea Rooms, 3a School Lane, Thurstaston. CH61 0HH (from Royden Park, follow the main footpath from Royden Park to Thurstaston; accessible by foot only), ☏ +44 151 648-2746. W-Su 9AM-4:30PM.
* 53.387716-3.1139565 Zinga Restaurant & Takeaway (free home delivery within 4 miles), 137 Saughall Massie Road, Upton, CH49 4LA, ☏ +44 151 606-1040-678 9792.

## Drink

* 53.36937-3.089051 The Arrowe Park Hotel, Arrowe Park Road, Woodchurch. CH49 5LN, ☏ +44 151 677-5031.
* 53.36386-3.090132 Toby Carvery Arrowe (formerly the Cherry Orchard), Arrowe Park Road, Arrowe Park, Upton, CH49 5LW (next to Arrowe Park golf course), ☏ +44 151 604-1241.
* 53.36853-3.13523 The Farmer's Arms (formerly the Old Rathbone), 167–169 Hillbark Road, Frankby. CH48 1NJ, ☏ +44 151 677-1717.
* 53.38245-3.108924 The Gravesberie Inn (formerly the Twelfth Man), Greasby Road, Greasby, Wirral CH49 2PP, ☏ +44 151 677-5445.
* 53.37671-3.123725 The Greave Dunning, 73 Greasby Road, Greasby. CH49 3NF, ☏ +44 151 606-1061.
* 53.36625-3.12296 The Irby Mill, Mill Lane, Greasby. CH49 3NT, ☏ +44 151 604-0194. A small traditional country pub, with a thatched roof. Serves a good selection of real ales.

## Sleep

* 53.36341-3.137871 The Hillbark Hotel, Royden Park Frankby, CH48 1NP, ☏ +44 151 625-2400. Grade II listed hotel provides discreet yet friendly service from the resident owners and their team. £160+. (updated Jun 2020)
* 53.41842-3.107992 Leasowe Castle Hotel, Leasowe Road, Moreton, Moreton, CH46 3RF, ☏ +44 151 606-9191. £90+.
* 53.37296-3.13553 Peel Hey, Frankby Road, Frankby, Wirral. CH48 1PP, ☏ +44 151 677-9077.
* 53.38263-3.108534 Premier Inn Wirral Greasby, 1 Greasby Road, Wirral, CH49 2PP (Next to the Gravesberie Inn pub), ☏ +44 870 990 6588. £53+.

## Connect

* 53.37764-3.121411 Greasby Library, Greasby Road. CH49 3AT, ☏ +44 151 606-2665. Free wifi.
* 53.38447-3.089572 Upton Library, Ford Road, Upton. CH49 0TB, ☏ +44 151 677-5677. Free wifi.
* 53.40252-3.111713 Moreton Library, Pasture Road, Moreton. CH46 8SA, ☏ +44 151 606-2665. Free wifi.
* 53.35211-3.119674 Irby Library, Thurstaston Road, Irby. CH61 0HE, ☏ +44 151 648-1348. Free wifi.
* 53.37755-3.083275 Woodchurch Library, New Hey Road, Woodchurch. CH49 8HB, ☏ +44 151 677-8068. Free wifi.

## Go next

* Central Wirral is the rural interior of the peninsula. Fifteen minutes by car.
* Heswall, Neston and Parkgate each provide a quiet, attractive view along the River Dee. 15-20 minutes by car.
* New Brighton has an expansive beach with the 19th-century Fort Perch Rock and lighthouse, and views across to Liverpool. There are also some seaside amusements and the Marine Point leisure development, alongside the marine lake. 15 minutes by car.
* West Kirby and Hoylake each have excellent stretches of beach, with views across to North Wales. There is also a 52-acre marine lake at West Kirby, which has sailing and windsurfing. 15 minutes by car.