Walk 4 - West Wirral Loop

🌳  Walk 4 - West Wirral Loop

📏 Distance: 31 Miles

📍 Start and finish at: West Kirby Train Station (Grid Ref. SJ213868, what3words: icon.scooter.lingering). Alternatively you could start/finish at: Hoylake Train Station, Frankby, Thingwall, or Parkgate.

🚂  Nearest Railway Station: West Kirby train station

🅿️ Car Park: Paid Parking at West Kirby Concourse, or Dee Lane for West Kirby, alternative parking available at other start points.

🗺️ Link to route: Plotaroute Link (you should be able to download a .GPX file for navigation from here)

📖 Walk Booklet: Walk 4 

🌳 West Wirral Loop

Discover a sweeping 31-mile circular route showcasing the best of the peninsula’s diverse countryside. Starting at West Kirby, the journey weaves through historic villages, tranquil field paths, and scenic rural lanes, passing through Raby, Willaston, Royden Park and Heswall Dales, taking in some of the Wirral's finest countryside.

Route Description

1.  From the starting point at West Kirby Train Station, turn left on Grange Road and continue until you reach Orrysdale Road where you will turn left. Follow Orrysdale Road over the crossroads as it becomes Anglesey Road. 

2. Where the road bends sharply right and becomes Greenbank Road, turn left off the road down Footpath 33, a cycle track. Follow the path until you reach Hoylake Train Station.

3. Turn right down Carr Lane, follow the road as it bends right through a small housing estate and join Footpath 19. FP 19 joins FP 17 (follow the track left) which you will follow until you reach Saughall Massie road. Turn left and cross the road, then head through the gate in the hedge onto FP 9.

4. Follow FP 9 until you reach a cross roads in the woods. Turn right onto FP 3 which will take you through the woods, then across some fields and then a farm track, through a farm where you'll need to navigate a large pile of horse manure round the back of the farm buildings. The path then reaches Frankby Road. Cross the road and then turn left, following the road a short distance before turning left at Hill Bark Road. Follow the road past the Farmer's Arms pub into Royden Park.

5. In Royden Park, turn left into the car park past the old Hall which has the Courtyard Cafe and Walled Garden. Follow the path leading by the car park which heads towards the miniature railway. Continue up this path until you reach FP 50, which you can then follow across the brook,  up some stairs and then left across Irby Quarry Meadows into Irby Quarry. Follow the path until you reach Hill Bark road again.

6. Turn right and head up Hill Bark road to the roundabout next to the Irby Mill pub. Cross the roundabout to Arrowe Brook Lane, and walk on the side of the road until you come to Bridleway 46 on the right, just after a house. Follow the Bridleway until the end at Thingwall Road.

7. Turn right at the main road and cross over to head towards Harrock Woods. Enter Harrock Woods on your left on FP 68. Continue on the path until reaching a crossroads. Turn left onto FP 45 and follow this towards the houses.

8. Follow the road Exmoor Close, until reaching Cornelius Drive where you will turn left. Follow the road until you reach the main road, Pensby Road, turn left and follow the road until you see Sparks Lane to your right. Cross over and head down Sparks Lane until you reach Barnston Road.

9. Cross over the road and head down the small track to Lower Thingwall Lane. Turn right and follow the lane until you reach Footpath 17 on your left. Follow the footpath across several fields and a stream, then more fields, a railway line, and further fields. It becomes FP8 which heads on a bridge over the M53 and one more field before reaching Landican Lane. You're now just over half way!

10. Head down Landican Lane towards the roundabout where you will take the second left up Red Hill Road. Then take the right down Keepers Lane (FP13). At the end of the lane there is a gate to the field where FP13 continues, crossing two fields to meet Brimstage Lane.

11. At Brimstage Lane you turn right and follow the road all the way to Brimstage village where you will join Brimstage Road. Turn right and follow the road to Brimstage Hall where you turn left driveway and then left through the car park onto FP25. This brings you back out on Brimstage Road.

12. Follow the road turning left up Talbot Avenue. Then take BR47 on your left until it meets the junction with FP26 where you will turn right. Continue on the footpath until you reach Grange Drive, then turn right and head down to Manor Road. Turn left at Manor Road towards the centre of Thornton Hough and then cross Thornton Common Road to reach Raby Road. There is a pub (Seven Stars) and Cafe (Bluebell Tearoom) in the village if you need refreshments here.

13. Continue on Raby Road, turning first right down The Folds, continue onto the grass on Thornton Common, keeping left and following the boundary line to reach a permissive path which crosses a stream. Follow the path until reaching FP49 where you will turn left. Follow FP49 until you reach Upper Raby Road. Turn left onto the main road and follow it for a few yards until turning right down The Crossway. At the end of the road turn left down Willowbrow road towards the Wheatsheaf Inn before turning right at the white house down FP38.

14.  Follow FP38 to the end where it turns right onto FP41. Then turn left down FP43 which goes through Cherry Wood. Continue until you reach the gate to Bluebell Lane, where you will go immediately left up Bluebell Lane/BR60. Continue on the Bridleway until you reach Sandy Hole Lane, then turn right and then left to get onto Willaston Road. This is a busy road so take care and walk facing oncoming traffic (i.e. the right-hand side). Continue on Willaston Road until you reach BR43 on your right before the road bends. Follow BR43 to the end at Mill Lane.

15. Turn left at Mill Lane, and then join FP29 on your right, shortly after the old windmill. Follow the footpath alongside the fields then playing fields and wildflower meadow, going behind some houses to reach Mill Green and Elm Green roads. At the end of Elm Green there is a path down the side of the church which takes you to Neston Road. There are a number of shops and pubs here if you need refreshments.

16. Turn left down Neston Road turning right towards the Memorial Hall down Willaston Green. Then follow FP70 down the side of the hall towards Buckley Lane, turn right on the road and continue to Buckley Court on FP32. The Footpath continues on a small track/path by some fields before turning right and joining the Wirral Way. 

17. Turn right onto the Wirral Way and follow it for almost 2 miles until you reach Cuckoo Lane. There is a bridge here which you will need to get off and down onto Cuckoo Lane from. HOW????

18. Once you are down you will need to turn left from the direction you were travelling on the bridge up BR49. Follow the BR until you reach a T junction where you will turn right. Following this track you will see a memorial bench to Max Kirby, our former president. At the end of the track you will reach Gorstons Lane. Turn left, and follow the road until it bends where you will follow the bend and then turn left next to a small playpark onto FP24. Follow the FP across the fields onto Cumbers Lane, and then onto Burton Road.

19. Turn left onto Burton Road and continue before turning right down Well Lane. Follow the road before turning left down FP63 on an unpaved road. You will go under some train tracks before reaching a bend where you'll need to turn left to continue. You will eventually reach the coast at Quayside where you will turn right.

20. Follow the road past the Harp Inn and then as the road bends sharply to the right, continue straight onto the marsh at FP72. Follow the FP across the fields to a stile and gate and then keep left on FP45X  again across fields until reaching the Parkgate spring where you can collect fresh water. Follow the FP right to Manorial Road South, turning left up the road before joining FP10 to reach Manorial Road. Follow the FP as it turns left at the T junction, heading to the Quay pub. There are a number of pubs and two ice cream shops in Parkgate for refreshments.

21. Turn right onto Station Road and follow it until you reach the Wirral Way again on your left, shortly after the Ropewalks. Join the Wirral Way and follow it for 5 miles, where you reach Davenport Road. Follow Davenport road until the junction at the end and then go up Wittering Lane. Follow the Lane, meeting Delavor Road.

22. Turn right up Delavor Road, turning left up Piper's Lane. Follow Piper's Lane, going past Crossley Lane on your left, and turn right up FP33 into Heswall Dales. Continue up FP33, not turning off the path to the left or right until you reach a 90 degree left onto FP34. Turn left onto FP34 and follow it to the end, as it goes up a small track/road towards Oldfield Road.

23. Turn left at Oldfield Road, and follow it to the end joining FP43. Follow the FP by the side of the fields, going past the Dungeon SSSI, for around 2 miles as it turns to a farmtrack before reaching the Church where you will turn right up Church Lane to reach Telegraph Road.

24. Turn left at Telegraph Road and head across the roundabout, past the Cottage Loaf pub, before turning right at a gate to get onto FP58 on Thurstaston Common. Turn first left here to reach the carpark past some picnic benches, in the car park, turn right at the noticeboard and head up the path. At the top, turn left to reach the viewpoint and trig point. Follow the path as it descends down the ridge for a mile, before reaching a wall where you will head left down FP13 towards Montgomery Hill.

25. Cross over Montgomery Hill onto FP14. Follow FP14 to reach Column Road. Turn right onto Column Road, and continue up before turning left down Kings Drive North. Take the first path on your right, just behind the house, before the end of the road. Follow this path before reaching the sandstone-walled Fleck Lane/BR23. 

26. Turn right then immediately left then at the crossing of several paths turn left and continue on FP52. You will reach a bench and a 4-way crossing where you turn right up FP50. The main path turns into FP51, which you follow until reaching the Column, a large sandstone beacon.

27. Continue past the beacon before reaching Column Road again and turning left. Follow the road before reaching a pedestrian island crossing where you should cross over, and then cross over Black Horse Hill onto Grange Old Road. Follow Grange Old Road round, joining FP43 at the left side of a house's driveway.

28. Follow FP43 to the Grange Hill Monument before turning left and left again on the concrete walkways below the monument to get onto FP41 which heads the direction you have just come from. This will take you down to Grange Road. You can then turn right on Grange Road and follow the road down into West Kirby to reach your starting point.