A new entrance to the Wirral Way in West Kirby has been unveiled, to mark the 50th anniversary of the official opening of Wirral Country Park.
The guest of honour at the ceremony was Terry Robinson, who was appointed in 1969 as one of the first Wirral Country Park Rangers, and was at the park’s official opening in 1973.
The gateway features a steam train, to recognise the train line that once ran between Hooton and West Kirby. The 12 mile route, which closed in 1962, now forms the backbone of the park and is used by over half a million people each year. The project also saw grass banks re-profiled, extensive resurfacing work and a white picket fence installed.
The design for the gateway was sketched by Wirral Country Park Manager Jo Hanik and local artist John White and brought to life by local woodworker Steve Casey using sustainably sourced west African hardwood. The project was carried out in partnership with local groups West Kirby Rotary Club and One West Kirby.
The completion of the entrance is the latest set of improvements to mark the park’s landmark anniversary.
Several kilometres of the Wirral Way have been widened and resurfaced to accommodate the increase in visitors and to improve wildlife diversity, the overflow car-park at Thurstaston has been resurfaced and there have been numerous improvements to the visitor ventre and surrounding areas, including widening of the cliff-top path.
This year has also seen a busy programme of events, including photography and wildflower exhibitions and August’s Imagine Bamboo is Everywhere event.