A Baker’s Dozen of Stramblers took the train to Spital for today’s walk. We couldn’t have asked for better weather and we set off in glorious sunlight. (Appropriate as we’d finish the walk in Port Sunlight). Leaving the station, we walked along Spital Road and a military plane passed overhead. It was an Airbus A400M Atlas turbo prop which makes regular training flights to LJA from Brize Norton. Continuing downhill, we took a left at the Bromborough Road roundabout. After a short uphill stretch, we joined the wide, tree lined footpath along the trackbed of the disused Port Sunlight to Bromborough Docks railway. Half a mile further on we reached the outskirts of Port Sunlight Village at the rear of the Gladstone Theatre. With the factory on our right, we walked down Wood Street and The Ginnel, admiring the intricate brickwork on the houses and their chimneys. We continued into Bolton Road and crossed the busy New Chester Road into Bolton Road East. We left behind the picturesque houses of the village and passed the much less appealing modern ones being built in Dock Road North. The Airbus Beluga flew overhead taking its cargo of aircraft parts. At the end of this road we reached the Port Sunlight River Park and took the path around its edge. We soon reached the Visitor Centre, where we had a short break. We were at the river’s edge with superb views across and down the Mersey. After our break, we carried on along the waterfront path, turning inland at the Sloyne and following the path back round to the Park entrance. Retracing our steps back into the Village, we came to the Christ Church and had a look inside at the impressive roof, stained glass windows and organ. Outside were the tombs of Elizabeth Ellen and William Hesketh Lever. We passed the War Memorial and tested the Analemmatic Sundial (It was keeping good time!) before reaching the Lady Lever Art Gallery. The sunshine had made us thirsty and we headed off to the Bridge Inn, but the waiting time put us off and we went to the Tudor Rose Tea Rooms at the old Post office building instead. This proved to be a good choice as the station was just across the road.
All in all – a lovely day out! Thanks to Anne and Shirley for organising, recce-ing and leading the walk.
Sounds like a very good walk, as well as getting the steps in full of interesting facts. I’m off to read up on that sundial now!