For today’s walk, nineteen Stramblers took the train to West Kirby. We couldn’t have asked for better weather with bright sunshine and blue skies. We joined the Wirral Way – part of the Wirral Country Park which opened in 1973. The Wirral Way follows the track bed of part of the former Birkenhead Railway line, which closed in 1962. The path, flanked by trees, led through Ashton Park and further on, it rose to give occasional views over the River Dee estuary. A maintenance buggy passed us and we crossed a wooden bridge. There were plenty of walkers and cyclists on the path, one cyclist with a dog in a front basket. New signage along the path told us that the Wirral Way is now part of the “King Charles III England Coast Path”.We left the path at Croft Drive and a short walk took us to Caldy Beach. A stone path led down to the sand but we hadn’t brought our buckets and spades, so we just enjoyed the views. it was too hazy to see much of the Welch mountains, but Hilbre Island was clear on the horizon. With the brillant weather and a palm tree behind us we could have been in the tropics! We rejoined the Wirral Way and passed under three bridges: Simon’s Bridge, named after nearby Simon’s Field and has a blue plaque for science fiction author William Olaf Stapledon; Links Bridge, which links the two sides of Caldy Golf Club and Max Kirby Bridge. Max Kirby was a past president of Wirral Footpaths Society. At the old Thursaston Station platform, the Whistle Stop Café then gave us a break for refreshments where a well behaved primary school party was enjoying the outdoors. Refreshed, we took a path through the Wirral Park Caravan Park and parallel to the Wirral Way, before reversing our walk back on the Wirral Way. After a mile and a half we left the Wirral Way and took a path to Cubbins Green where we had good views across the Dee and to Hilbre Island. Cubbins Green was passed to the Council in 1964, by sisters Eveline and Ivy Cubbin in memory of their parents, under the condition that the land was to be “kept open and unbuilt upon and known as Cubbins Green”. Leaving the Green, we passed through a housing estate to reach Sandy lane and the Marine Lake. A couple of model yacht racers guiding their boats back to shore and a lone wind surfer were the only lake users. We walked around the lake and along Dee Lane to the Dee Hotel Wetherspoons for lunch. A most enjoyable walk.

Thanks to Anne and Chris for organising, recce-ing and leading the walk.