Adelaide Watt – photo from the National Trust
Back in the Hall, another well-informed staff member told me about Adelaide Watt, the Hall’s last owner, whose coming-of-age book is displayed in the room next to the gatehouse. Continue reading
Learning about the History of Speke Hall during Heritage Open Day Part 2
Posted in Blog
Tagged Heritage Open Days, local history, Speke Hall
Comments Off on Learning about the History of Speke Hall during Heritage Open Day Part 2
Learning about the History of Speke Hall during Heritage Open Day Part 1
Speke Hall and bridge over moat
It seemed from the very busy car park as if the whole of Liverpool had taken advantage of the one day per year when Speke Hall is free to look around, as part of the Heritage Open Days events – and what a lovely day it was, too. The Hall is probably the best example of an ancient timbered house, having started life as a medieval cruck-beamed hall before 1314. Continue reading
Posted in Blog
Tagged Heritage Open Days, local history, Speke Hall
Comments Off on Learning about the History of Speke Hall during Heritage Open Day Part 1
Excitement on the Allotment and then Back to the Prom
Another lovely morning along Otterspool Prom 30082022
It’s a few days later and I’m back on the plot, with another walk along the Prom beckoning. The robin has been for its suet treat, four noisy parakeets have flown over, and I have found three small, brown pellets – packed with thin white hairs and other, less identifiable, bits – on the heavy slate ‘table’ under the old cherry tree where the bird feeders hang. Continue reading
A Late August Stroll along Otterspool Prom
Black-tailed godwits at Cressington 25082022
It’s a pleasant morning and the tide is high at 11am so, after a couple of hours on the allotment (not many birds about, just a chiffchaff “hweeting” away before it departs these shores for warmer climes), I take a walk through tiny River Oaks Wood onto breezy Otterspool Prom. Continue reading
Within Way and Hale Shore Revisited
Single sunflower at Hale
It’s late August, six weeks since I last walked from Within Way to the lighthouse and back up Lighthouse Lane, and a lot has changed: Continue reading
Posted in Blog
Tagged birds, birdwatching, local history
Comments Off on Within Way and Hale Shore Revisited
Learning about the History of Childwall Hall, Part 2
Steps to nowhere
Our Childwall Woods history walk now took us behind the yew trees at the hall-less end of the carriageway, and into a dark space containing a short flight of stone steps going precisely nowhere, with the remnants of a couple of ivy-clad walls lurking in the background. Continue reading
Posted in Blog
Tagged Childwall Hall, local history, woods
Comments Off on Learning about the History of Childwall Hall, Part 2
Learning about the History of Childwall Hall, Part 1
Childwall Hall from a drawing published in Lancashire Illustrated 1832 – Thomas Allen, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
It’s another hot, sunny August day, with barely a cloud in the sky or a breeze rustling the leaves, and a large group of people has gathered at Childwall Woods, this time for a history walk with Brenda and other FCWF members. It was a fascinating couple of hours, complete with interesting details about the history of the land, the manor and the people who had lived there over the last 300 years. Continue reading
Posted in Blog
Tagged Childwall Hall, local history, woods
Comments Off on Learning about the History of Childwall Hall, Part 1
Learning about the Veteran Trees of Childwall Woods, Part 2
Variegated oak
On our absorbing walk through Childwall Woods, we are next introduced to an extremely rare specimen: a variegated oak, one of only two in Lancashire (both in this woods) and less than 70 in the UK. It had been blown down in a storm but new growth was appearing – a few green and white leaves. Brenda explained that Thomas Winkthorpe, one-time head gardener, had grafted a ‘normal’ oak tree and an albino one to produce this hybrid specimen (more here: https://www.fcwf.org.uk/the-champion-tree/). Continue reading
Posted in Blog
Tagged fungi, local history, trees
Comments Off on Learning about the Veteran Trees of Childwall Woods, Part 2
Learning about the Veteran Trees of Childwall Woods, Part 1
The way through Childwall Woods
I don’t go to Childwall Woods often, but I should, as one February morning last year I saw nine sparrowhawks displaying in the sky at the same time – a truly memorable occasion. Sparrowhawk after sparrowhawk came in from all directions to join the swirling display – if only I could have captured it on film! Continue reading
Posted in Blog
Tagged local history, nature, sparrowhawk, trees
Comments Off on Learning about the Veteran Trees of Childwall Woods, Part 1
Rambling around Hale, Part 2
Within Way, Hale
Resuming the walk along Within Way, I see a young whitethroat perched on a hedge down a side track, beak full of small caterpillars. It darts into the opposite hedge – maybe helping to feed the next brood? Continue reading