The final leg of the journey

Family and friends are welcome to join the boys on the last leg of their walk, from
Hooton to Heswall, or at any stage along the way. There will be many of the children
joining the team at Parkgate.

Click here to see an aerial view of the Wirral Way from Hooton to Heswall.

If you want to join in, you must remember that the main reason for this walk is to raise
money for Claire House. Adults should raise sponsorship to at least £20 and children to £10.

Hooton Railway Station, one end of the famous “Wirral Way” and part of the Wirral Country
Park, the first of its kind in Britain. Once a railway track this magical terrain is quite level
for the most part, (probably a good job) since the boys will have walked a considerable
distance just to get here.

The Wirral Way passes through some sheer sandstone walls and you can still see the
marks of the drills for dynamite and the scrape marks of some steam driven digging machines
way back in 1866 when the Birkenhead & Chester Railway was formed, this section of track
later became part of the Great Western Rail Company with a branch line to West Kirby.

From Hooton, the Wirral Way passes Hadlow Road Station, probably the last remaining
link to its original rail heritage; Hadlow Road has been preserved as a rail station as it
was in the 1950s.

Photo by Paul Wright (April 2005),
click for further details

Then the footpath passes under the main Chester High Road near to the University
Vetenary Centre “Leahurst” before continuing on towards Neston. There are some
popular hostelries in Neston but the boys should not be tempted as it is not far along the
track and over a timber footbridge to the Magnificent Heswall Golf Course. (some of this
motley crew have spent considerable hours at the nineteenth hole here before today)

At last they will reach the junction with Davenport Road and Park West, here they can
join paved roads and like bloodhounds wend there weary way to the inevitable Black
Horse Hotel in Lower Village, Heswall to receive rapturous acclaim and much
imbibing of the glorious nectar, plus a sandwich or two.

If you’re up to a 7 mile walk through some wonderful scenery and landscape, why
not join the boys at Hooton Station for the final stage of the journey, you will be
more than welcome.

The final leg of the journey

Click here

to see photos of the last day of the Walk

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Find out more about the Wirral Country Park and Wirral Way.