The Wirral

Now, where were we?  Oh yes, Birkenhead.  The commuter ferry across the Mersey turns into a tourist cruise around the docks during the working day, so I took a train across instead.

The Wirral is a rectangular lump sticking up, with Chester at its base. All the sides are different.  From Birkenhead to the north east corner at New Brighton is all along a very wide promenade with interesting views across to the docks.

New Brighton seaside didn't live up to my expectations unfortunately. Apart from a fort right on  the corner,  it seems cut off from the sea by big concrete sea defences. All the houses are away up on the slopes of what must have been the shore line before the sea retreated.

Along the top was nice cycling, still along a concrete track which looked as if it could get inundated at high tide.  Much quieter though, and with the occasional patch of deep sand, impossible to ride across.

Non-cycle track at
Hilbre Point

Memorial to Sustrans
worker Simon Wallis,
 in West Kirby

At the north west corner, Hoylake I rode down a long road of expensive looking houses to Hilbre Point, only to find a track that definitely wasn't for cycling, so a road detour took me to West Kirby where I joined an old railway line running down the east coast.

Along the way, there's a very picturesque village Parkgate, a perfect seaside town except that the tide went out a long time ago to be replaced by marshland.  All the towns down this side of the Wirral used to be thriving ports, but they have kept their charm and still seem to be thriving.

Next stop, Neston, where my Auntie Margaret used to live, and lunch.
Looking around the centre, I noticed The Elephant Bank - "best pizzeria in Britain".  It looked a very cool place, just right for me.  I was shown to a very cool table, well away from the window, and dined in style, listening to impossibly cool music, which I haven't got time to describe here. Besides, I didn't recognise any of it. Auntie Margaret would have loved it.

Parkgate

Best pizzeria in Britain

Leaving Neston on the Marshland Greenway, I had good views across the Dee Estuary to Wales. Halfway along a nice cycle track, I'm pretty sure I passed Chris Boardman coming the other way.

Suddenly I was in Flintshire!  Wales!  I could tell because the other side if the sign wsaid Welcome to England.  The Welsh eelcome was more...understated.  Another country to explore.