Category Archives: Wirral History

Limbo Lane just has that feel. A ‘haven’t we been here before’ feel that calls back to ancient times. Sitting in the north Wirral peninsular, the lane runs from Irby Road to Arrowe Brook Road bordering Irby to the west and the fields of Arrowe to the east. It is thought to have once been part of a series of packhorse tracks which follow the line of what is called the ‘Roman Road’ from Chester to Meols. (There is currently no definitive proof of any Roman road on Wirral, but that of course doesn’t mean there wasn’t one and work continues on collecting evidence). Still, the lane is many centuries old and lines up with the old route north through Greasby (Barker Lane, Pump Lane), and then on via Heron Road to Meols, the trading port used by Romans, Saxons and Vikings over the years.

The view here looks north, over the hill towards Greasby at Autumn sunset.

Limbo Lane

Leverhulme’s vision for mid-Wirral

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A small bit of history on one of my favourite places on Wirral, the road network created by Lord Leverhulme (then Sir William Hesketh Lever), between 1911-13. Lever was closely involved in the Garden City movement and foreseeing that the borough would become more and more residential, wanted to mould the mid-Wirral landscape to make it ripe for development, along Garden City principles.

Following his acquisition of the Brocklebank Estate in 1911, Lever worked with architect James Lomax-Simpson to create a main arterial highway containing three carriage ways – the centre one for fast traffic and the outer ones for slow traffic. This main highway led from Prenton through the villages of Storeton and Brimstage to Thornton Hough. Early design plans show it was intended eventually to link through to Chester. Soon after it was laid out the road was offered as a gift to the Wirral Rural District Council, but the offer was declined. Cutting the highway at right angles is a roundabout named ‘The Circle’, one of the first in the UK (The first is at Letchworth Garden City). Across the roundabout Lever made a private drive to Thornton Manor, his Wirral home. This was used for Lever’s commute to his factory in Port Sunlight.

Only one section of the main highway is in use today, the section from Prenton to Storeton known as ‘Lever Causeway’. The rest remains private land still owned by Leverhulme Estates. Please see my ‘On the easel’ page for more paintings of the roads.

Leverhulme’s carriage drive – Main Highway