The guided walk to explore the history of this beautiful site is always a popular event, and on an autumnal Sunday in October, 17 people turned up to join David, Andrew and Bren, the history team.
The weather was kind and it stayed dry for David to guide us on a crisp walk down the carriageway that was commissioned by Bamber Gascoyne II to take his important visitors to his newly rebuilt Hall. The Hall was designed by John Nash in the image of his own Gothic Castle at East Cowes in the Isle of Wight.
This is now an area of Geological importance as it has exposed seams of Bunter Sandstone that were formed millions of years ago.
Each walker was given a family tree showing how the Hall was passed down through the generations until it was no longer needed as a home for Frances Mary Gascoyne, and her husband the 2nd Marquess of Salisbury. Then it was let to tenants and eventually sold.
At the end of the carriageway where the Hall once stood, we heard about the families who had lived there, and how the Duke of Wellington, a friend of the Gascoyne’s, had stayed over on a visit to open the Liverpool to Manchester Railway in 1930.
One of the stops on our walk was to admire the view from the top field. The scars from the landfill that created it can no longer be seen, nature has taken care of that, but the 3 fields that were formed by major landfill operations in the 1960’s, are a significant part of the Local Nature Reserve. Capped with clay to seal in the landfill, they have created the perfect wetland habitat for newts, frogs and many marsh-loving plants.
An aerial photograph of the fields in 1960’s
After a walk past the flattened remains of the old ‘Keepers Lodge’, we returned to the start of our expedition, making sure we passed the ‘Horses Hill’ and the ‘Folly’ on the way. Returning to the ‘Commemorative Tree’ near the Lodge gates. Here David told us about the opening of the grounds to the public in 2004 and the planting of the purple-leaved beech to commemorate the opening.
A wonderful, surprising, ever-changing. magical site.
If you’d like to learn more about the history of Childwall Woods and Fields, or about the families who lived there, join us on the next walk. Alternatively, visit the History Page or follow the QR code
Trustees Present
David Howatson, Leader
Andrew Weighill
David Holland
Brenda Cameron