The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-06-16 00:00:00

SKETCHES OF LIVERPOOL AND ITS VICINITY,

NO. VII.
(Written for the Liverpool Standard.)

EXCURSION UP THE MERSEY.-WESTON POINT.-RUNCORN.

HALTON CASTLE.-ROCE: SAVAGE, &C.

One of the most delightful trips that can be enjoyed by
water, from the town of Liverpool, Is that to Runcorn and its
vicinity ; to the eye of the spectator, embracing the upper,
but widest portion of the estuary of the Mersey, the shores
that bound it, and the Welsh, Cheshire, and other hills that
fill up the back ground. This fact appears to be appreciated
by many of the inhabitants, as well as by strangers, numbers
of whom resort thither during the summer, for health or
recreation, or prefer it, if on business, as a route by river or
canal, to Manchester, Warrington, Northwich, and other
towns in the neighbourhood. The conveyances are by steam-
packets of considerable size, and having good deck and cabin
accommodations, at a moderate rate of fare, for two classes
of passengers, who may purchase refreshment on board.
These vessels sail on the voyage up the river about an hour
before high water at Liverpool, and return with the down-
coming tide, there being several banks and shallows in the
line of navigation. Those who wish to return on the same
day must avail themselves of those days on which the tide
serves at an early hour in the morning, otherwise the packets
do not return on the same night, and there are no regular
direct conveyances by land. The present and the two fol-
lowing months are consequently to be preferred for this ex-
cursion, from the long duration of daylight.
Having a leisure day, I hastened to George's Pier the other
morning, and embarked in the Tower, a steamer belonging
to the Old Quay Company. The early part of the morning
had been fine, but the clouds began to assume a rather
threatening aspect, portentous of rain. About seven o'clock,
the cry of " Now for Runcorn !—Now for Runcorn and
Manchester !" became more frequent, and in a few minutes
afterwards the vessel proceeded on her way up the river with
considerable speed. The deck was crowded with passen-
gers from end to end, including travellers on business, others
on recreation, country people, and not a few of the higher
circles of society, o'f both sexes. We passed in the stream
along the line of docks, the river gradually widening as we
proceeded, and presenting an ever-changing variety of scene.
Vessels and boats were sailing and steaming up and down in
every direction, and the shores of Cheshire, on which shadows
and sunshine alternately fell, presented, after the rain of the
previous night, unusual freshness and luxuriance of verdure.
The quarantine hulks, and the cheerful lookir's houses of the
Rock Ferry, were conspicuous on the left. On the right the
southern docks, full of vessels, the shipbuilding yards, and
lofty buildings of the town, and the roar that arose from
them, gave indication of the busy traffic that was going
on. We passed the wide entrance of the Coburg or trans-
atlantic steam-ship dock, the stonework of which is of large
hewn blocks of gray granite, so sloped as to present addi-
tional resistance to the action of the sea. Here was seen,
floating high over the quay, the immense hull of the new ship
" President," the largest steam-vessel in the world.
The packet called for a short time at the Brunswick pier,
to receive a few, passengers from the south end of the town,
and again proceeded on her course to the south. The Her-
culaneum potteries, and the Mersey forge adjoining, were
soon passed, the latter pouring forth flames from its conical
chimneys. Beyond these commence the woods of the Dingle
point, and further on, the fine shores of Aigburth, thick with
villas surrounded by trees and shrubs, and enclosed fields in
the most brilliant hues of summer verdure, forming one of
the richest stretches of campaign landscape in the country.
Some of the mansions overlook the shore ; others are more
enclosed, and not a few peep from the range of wooded hills
that rise on the east. Here near the shore are two handsome
churches. The opposite shore of Cheshire is of equal inte-
rest. Above the Rock Ferry, the whole shore, bounding the
great basin of the Mersey on the west, is also thickly wooded ;
and Eastham and Ellesmere, with their white erections are
seen on the water's edge. Hooton Park, the seat of Sir
Thomas Stanley, Bart., an elevated ground, and Eastham
village with its antique spire, a little to the westward, also
form fine objects in the landscape ; and behind, stretching
many miles from north to south, rise the Welsh mountains,
giving magnitude and extent to the picture. Beyond Elles-
mere the shore turns to the eastward, forming the southern
boundary of the estuary as seen from this direction, and
there, on wooded land near the shore, backed by the Che-
shire hills, including the isolated height on which are the
ruins of the once celebrated Beeston Castle, and the Helsby
hills on the west of the valley of Weaver, stands Ince Hall,
the residence of E. Yates, Esq. After passing the village of
Garston, on the Lancashire side, celebrated for its salt-works,
the shore on the east becomes, if possible, more rurally in-
teresting—much of it being covered by the deep and lofty
woods of Speke Hall, a very ancient seat, where there are
many interesting remains of antiquity, and a variety of paint-
ing and statuary. Higher up stand Hale Hall and Hale vil-
lage, the ancient tower of the church being almost hid by
trees. Here the shore is agreeably diversified by projecting
points and indentures forming little bays. lisle Hall belongs
to the Blackburn family, and is stated in tradition to have
been celebrated for the great stature of some of its inhabitants.
One of these, a John Middleton, was called " the Child of
Hale," and tradition ascribes to him many extraordinary
feats of strength and-prowess. His height, it is said, was
nine feet three innlics, and it is added that he was propor-
tionately formed, the palm of his hand being eight inches
broad. He was born in 1578, and died at Hale in 1628.
From this part of the sail, the Mersey is seen at its fullest
extent. Its embouchure being concealed by intervening land,
it forms an apparent lake, extending from north to south
about fifteen miles, and, at its widest portion, six to seven
miles from east to west. Studded with vessels of various
descriptions, and surrounded, as it were, by shores at once
rich and picturesque, the scene cannot fail, both from its
extent and variety, deeply to interest the contemplative voy-
ager. The river higher up, and before reaching Runcorn,
sweeps towards, or rather runs from, the north-eastward.
The course of the steam-boat is considerably nearer to the
Lancashire than the Cheshire shore, until reaching near her
destination. We passed a number of vessels bound to Run-
corn—two brigs and two schooners of considerable burthen
towed by one steamers and upwards of that number of flats
towed by another at a fair speed. A great number of flats,
barges, &c., were also making their way up, at a slower rate,
under sail. The passenger will notice several salt works
close to the shore. The last, in a bight, is called the Dun-
chAsidpe b
point
side.
ineteiosm formed by the land at Hale Hall, and the
narrows between it and Weston Point, southward, on
theorg ienvo river
each
opposite e s Asm more
ee
and shoresmore
ore picturesque approximate,
vari
ed:
The site of Runcorn is marked by two very tall soapery
acid
o chimneys,ve rt
oann d h i a windmill.
hills
sbecome
Co Thenspicduaoruksw,
boeoydosnodf
tthheerifichelsalnedy
ce
ox
rt enn
andsi ve
Wmeasrtsohne sh
ibl be
sl ww Ft
with
obdsuihl
daimn
g; s os
ena
tttlei er
eeda sutproins et
hßeunni
'
and opposite to them, on the Lancashire side, is seen Ditton
marsh, and the seat called Ditton Lodge. There had been
some rain while the boat was on her way, and while the
clouds still cast their shadows upon the hills, the sun glistened
through them on parts of the campaign country below, mak-
ing the fields of a vivid and beautiful green.
After a delightful sail of about an hour and three quarters,
the boat called to land some of the passengers at