 General
Information
Royden Park and Thurstaston Common comprise
almost 250 acres of both semi-natural and planted woodland,
heathland and open parkland. The ownership of the area is divided
between the National Trust and Wirral Borough Council, whilst
the whole area is managed by Wirral's Department of Leisure
Services & Tourism through their Ranger Service. The main
entrance to the area is at Royden Park, Frankby, although it
can be approached from Thurstaston Hill near Irby. The rangers'
office is situated near the car park in Royden Park.
History
Until the mid-nineteenth century the site of Royden Park was
still largely farmland. However, by 1844 there were in existence areas of
'plantation' which were to form the basis of a parkland landscape which still
exists today. The land was purchased in 1865 by Septimus Ledward Esq. J.P. who
built a sandstone house called 'Hillbark' on the site of an ancient tithebarn.
The house was erected between 1868 and 1870 and the surrounding grounds were
laid out with gardens and glasshouses, a dovecote and a bowling green. The
present house of Hillbark was erected in 1931 by Sir Ernest B. Royden after
whom the park is named. This mock-Tudor building, originally known as Bidston
Court, was built near Bidston Hill in 1891 for the soap manufacturer R. W.
Hudson, and then moved brick by brick to its present commanding position.
Following the death of Sir E. B, Royden the park was acquired in 1961 by
Hoylake Urban District Council for use as 'public open space'. Hillbark is now
an hotel and conference centre and is not open to the public. The clearance of
Wirral's woodland during the Middle Ages provided the conditions for heathland
to develop on areas such as Thurstaston Common. Grazing and heathland
management on the common land helped maintain the heath and prevent the
re-invasion of woodland until the middle of the nineteenth century. In 1879
Birkenhead Glegg of Thurstaston Manor together with the other two major land
owners of the parish T. H. Ismay of Dawpool Hall and the Rev. Thurland,
petitioned for an order to enclose the common. On 29th December that year
Birkenhead Council objected to the proposal and requested that "the
highest and most attractive part of the common should remain uninclosed as a
place of recreation'. The situation was finally resolved in 1883 when 45 acres
known as Thurstaston Common Recreation Ground and including Thurstaston Hill,
were granted to Birkenhead Council. The remainder of the Common was divided
between the three original petitioners in compensation for the loss of all
rights of common. This land changed hands a number of times until in 1916 27.5
acres were presented to the National Trust by its owner Sir Alfred Paton.
Further large donations were made to the Trust between 1916 and 1925. Since
then the Common has been used for informal recreation.
Parkland and Woodland
The parkland around Hillbark offers a range
of wildlife habitats with its deciduous and coniferous woodland,
grass meadow and fresh water. The two rhododendron-lined meres
are particularly beautiful in spring and offer nesting sites
for moorhen, little grebe, and occasionally for mallard. Roodee
Mere holds water all year, but Frankby Mere dries out during
the summer months, offering a suitable habitat for colonising
plants such as goat willow, bulrush and yellow flag. The uncontrolled
spread of invasive species such as willow and birch would
lead eventually to the loss of the open water area. Some regular
vegetation management is therefore necessary in order to maintain
the existing habitat which is important for dragonflies, newts
and bank voles. In front of Hillbark the meadow areas abound
in early summer with flowers such as heath bedstraw, birdsfoot
trefoil and the common spotted orchid. These are rewarding
areas for those interested in butterflies, with species such
as common blue, large skipper and small heath. Birds which
regularly occur around the Mere and meadow areas include chiffchaff,
willow warbler and green wood pecker. Around the Meres and
meadows are woodland plantations of scots and Corsican pine,
turkey oak, birch and rhododendron. A large area of scots
pine wood has also developed in the north-east corner of Thurstaston
Common. Although the wildlife value of these pine areas is
relatively limited they do support numbers of grey squirrels,
goldcrests and occasionally crossbills. The deciduous woodland
areas are dominated by silver and downy birch, sessile and
Turkey oaks, sycamore and rowan. In Royden Park these have
developed from plantations which also include beech, ash,
sweet chestnut and Norway maple. The woodland areas of Thurstaston
Common and Irby Hill on the other hand have developed as part
of the natural succession from heathland to birch woodland.
The mature birch then help to create the conditions for rowan
and oak to become established, a succession which would eventually
lead to mature oak woodland.
Woodland areas abound in wildlife and will reward those with
a patient eye. Even dead and decaying wood is extremely important,
for as it is broken down by fungi and insects, nutrients are
returned to the soil. Insects in their turn become food for
shrews, badgers and woodland birds such as the chaffinch which
in its turn may fall prey to a sparrowhawk.
Heathland
Summer views of open rolling heathland with its carpet of dull
purples and browns are familiar to many people. However, the beauty of
heathland hides a living community of highly specialised plants and animals. It
is this adaptation and specialisation which makes heathland so important.
Thurstaston Common has been designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest
(S.S.S.I) and Local Nature Reserve because of its regional importance as a
heathland and due to the occurrence of locally endangered plants and habitats.
There are three types of heather present; common heather or ling, bell
heather and cross-leaved heather. The last is found in areas of 'wet heath'
sometimes alongside the locally rare marsh gentian, oblong-leaved sundew, and
round leaved sundew. These areas of wet heath are very sensitive and can be
easily destroyed by changes in the amount of water on the Common, through the
spread of birch scrub, and through public pressure. They support plants which
have adapted themselves to poor damp acid soils. The sundew, for instance, in
order to gain extra nutrients, digests insects which it traps on sticky leaf
pads. However, these wet heath areas are very small and most of the Common is
dominated by common heather, gorse and birch, while bell heather is restricted
to the drier areas of the heath. Other typical heathland plants include
tormentil, heath bedstraw and bilberry.
The heathland is important for insects such as dragonflies which breed and
develop in the wet areas before spending their adult lives hunting across the
open heath. Solitary wasps are able to burrow in the dry sandy soils to lay
their eggs, while the purse-web spider uses a burrow from which to ambush its
prey. The rare sand- lizard used to occur on Thurstaston Common, but now the
only lizard known to be on Thurstaston's heathland areas is the common or
viviparous lizard.
Birds such as the yellowhammer and meadow pipit feed and nest in the heather
and open areas, while other birds such as the linnet and long-tailed tit prefer
the protection of denser gorse or birch scrub. Kestrels may often be seen
hunting over the heath for insects, birds and small mammals such as the shrew.
However, as seems to have occurred on many of Britain's lowland heaths, the
common has been invaded by scrub species such as downy birch, silver birch and
sessile oak. In order to save the remaining heathland it must be 'managed' once
more by clearing birch on sensitive areas, and even by grazing where possible.
Apart from birch and bracken invasion, other threats to the heath come from the
destruction of vegetation and disturbance of wildlife through recreational
pressure and accidental fire. As there is so little heathland on the Wirral it
is important that we conserve and protect what is left.
How to get there
By Bus – Contact Merseytravel 051-236 7676
By Car- Take the A5027 (or from Wallasey take the M53 to
Upton and then the B5139 via Greasby to Frankby Green. Turn left along Hillbark
Road to Royden Park gates. From Chester or West Kirby Take the A540 and then
the B5140 (Montgomery Hill) turn right to Royden Park gates.
Further Information:
ROYDEN PARK VISITOR CENTRE
Hours of opening:
Daily (except Christmas Day and New Years Day)
10a.m. – 5p.m. or sunset.
WALLED NATURE GARDEN
Hours of opening:
Daily (except Christmas Day and New Years Day)
COACH HOUSE CRAFT CENTRE
Hours of opening:
Saturday, Sundays and Bank Holidays May to October (inclusive)
10a.m. - 5p.m. or sunset.
10a.m. – 5p.m.
OTHER WIRRAL COUNTRYSIDE VISITOR CENTRES are located at Wirral, Eastham and
Arrowe Country Parks.
OTHER SELF-GUIDED TRAILS
can be followed at Wirral and Eastham Country Parks, Brotherton Park and
Dibbinsdale Local Nature Reserve and Bidston Hill.
RANGER SERVICE
Wirral Rangers look after Royden Park and are there to help you. They may be
contacted on 051-677 7594 or via Arrowe Country Park Rangers Office 051-678
4200.
For further information contact The Wirral Country Park or the Department of
Leisure Services & Tourism.
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