A History of Heswall

 

The manor of Heswall was first recorded in the Domesday Book where it is listed as 'Eswelle', its name meaning 'spring where hazels grow' from the Old English 'hæsel wella'. Owned by Robert de Rodelent, who also owned much of the land on the eastern side of the River Dee, in 1277 it became the property of Patrick de Haselwall, who was Sheriff of Cheshire. Little has changed in the village over the centuries. In 1819 Ormerod described it as: 'situated on the shore of the Dee, along which they present a fertile tract of meadow ground, which gradually changes to a dreary and barren flat as it advances inwards; to the north east this rises into a wild and rocky moor, immediately under which the parish church is situated commanding the estuary and environed by huts and farms mostly of stone, rude in their structure, and placed in great disorder.' Stone remained the chief building material in the area for years being warm red in colour, it was quarried locally and can be seen in numerous houses, boundary walls and cuttings through the bedrock.

It remained a small village of farmers and fishermen centred around St. Peter’s Church, with cottages dotted around the heath land until well into the 19th Century, with The Lydiate, Church Farm and the Old Smithy reminders of this period. However, like other coastal areas in the 18th and 19th Centuries it was the locality of smugglers and pirates, with contraband for Parkgate, Neston, or further inland, unloaded at night on Heswall or Gayton Beach. The shore here was a wild, desolate place, half a mile from the nearest village and the steep hillsides were swathed in woodland where almost anything could be concealed. In 1801 the population was recorded as 168 but had grown to 398 by 1841. By the year 1877 Heswall began to prosper when wealthy merchants from Liverpool set up holiday retreats because of the spectacular views across the River Dee to Wales, the attractive countryside and the invigorating fresh air. The result of this was the appearance of large Victorian villas, set in substantial gardens and often with stretches of heather or woodland within their grounds. Growth was further stimulated when, in 1886, the railway linking Hooton with Parkgate was extended through Heswall to West Kirby. It ran below the village, closer to the shore, and provided easy access to Liverpool. Together with this, and the area's healthy surroundings and spectacular views, more villas and several late Victorian and Edwardian terraces were established in this location. The coming of the railway also enabled easy commuting to Chester and Liverpool and in 1896 the additional railway connection opened in response to demand by the wealthy Liverpool merchants. The railway connection closed in 1956 and the old track is now a footpath, a part of the Wirral Way.

Heswall Station ( now disused )

Heswall has two main parts - the upper and lower village. The Upper village is busy and bustling with a wide variety of shops, restaurants, takeaways and community facilities. The Heswall Lower Village Conservation Area was designated with the aim of preserving the distinctive character of the original village with its church, former farm buildings, smithy and cottage-scale dwellings. Protection was also provided for those parts of the surrounding area characterised by substantial properties set in large, well landscaped grounds. The principal feature of the village is the Grade II listed St Peter's Church, part dating from 1306, with its churchyard sloping away to the west. It was rebuilt in 1879, having been struck by lightning in 1875, but its tower was begun in the 14th century and many of its internal fittings date from earlier years. As with several Wirral churches, there are stained glass windows by C.E. Kempe, who also designed the reredos behind the altar. A sundial, listed Grade II and dated 1726, stands in the churchyard as do a number of Commonwealth war graves, dating from both World Wars. A short stroll brings one seamlessly into picturesque Gayton with splendid homes set along quiet tree-lined avenues. Gayton Hall on Gayton Farm Road was the home of the Glegg family and built in the late 17th Century. It was given a substantial overhaul around 1750. Made from brick with sandstone dressings, the Hall has three storeys standing on a stone base. The exterior and much of the interior are listed. Two oak trees in the garden were named William and Mary to commemorate the visit of William of Orange who stayed overnight at the Hall as a guest of the Gleggs in 1689 before crossing to Ireland. The next year William and his troops would emerge victorious from the Battle of the Boyne against the forces of James II. Here too is laid out Heswall golf course, with the club in Cottage Lane having been founded in 1902, boasting stunning views across the Dee.

Gayton Hall

 

Other features worth noting are the two inns, The Dee View, a later Victorian public house and the Black Horse, whose stone built centre section dates from 1843. At the top of School Hill is the original village school, opened in 1872 and at the bend in Dee View Road is the red sandstone war memorial, unveiled in 1924. Several areas of open space lie within or adjacent to the Conservation Area. The triangular Dawstone Park was laid out by the former Heswall cum Oldfield Parish Council in 1931 at the head of School Lane. A sandstone plaque in the boundary wall, bearing the inscription ‘Floreat Sanctus Sanctorum’, commemorates its opening on 1st July. The Beacons, a stretch of sandstone outcrops and pine is a Site of Biological Importance. Most extensive are the Dales, over 70 acres of lowland heath, designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest and a Local Nature Reserve.

The Royal Liverpool Children's Hospital originally opened in Heswall as Liverpool Country Hospital for Children in 1909. It stood on the opposite side of Telegraph Road from the 'Puddydale' with its a tall square clock tower and extensive grounds with views over the Dee estuary. One of its most famous patients was Beatles' drummer Ringo Starr, who spent two years there after being diagnosed with chronic pleurisy as a child.

With a population now of around 8,000, in the 2001 Census, Heswall was listed as being the 7th richest neighbourhood in the UK. 

http://www.thefootballvoice.com/2021/07/a-history-of-hilbre-island.html