Wirral’s Blue Plaque Trail

The Wirral has had many famous residents over the years – a record goal-scoring footballer, novelist, a Great War poet, Birkenhead’s first Lady Mayor and the greatest railway builder in the world among other incredible people. Designed to help discover more about these remarkable people, their achievements and where they lived and worked is our very own Wirral Blue Plaque Trail.

 

1) Sir Patrick Abercombie (1879-1957)

Influential architect & pioneer of town planning, Professor of Civic Design, Liverpool University, 1915-35. 18 Village Road, Oxton, CH43 6XN.

 

2) John Ball (1861-1940)

Legendary British golfer. Born in Hoylake—1861. In 1890 he won both the Amateur & Open Golf Championships. Royal Liverpool Golf Club, Meols Drive, Hoylake, CH47 4AL.

 

3) Charles Blondin (1824-97)

French tightrope walker & acrobat. Toured the USA. Famous for crossing the Niagara Forge on a tightrope. In 1883 he performed his high-wire act in Eastham Pleasure Gardens, watched over several days, by some 100,000 people. Eastham Gardens, Ferry Road, Eastham, CH62 0AU.

 

4) Thomas Brassey (1805-1870)

The 19th century’s greatest railway contractor. By 1870 he had built 1 in every 20 miles of railway in the world. Won the contract to build the Canadian Grand Trunk Railway. In 1853 set up the Canada Works on the West Float. Wirral Waters, West Float, Beaufort Road, Birkenhead.

 

5) Ann Davison (1914-1992)

Sailor, aviator & intrepid adventurer. The first woman to sail the Atlantic single-handed in her boat, Felicity Ann. Merebrook House, Thornton Common Road, Thornton Hough, CH63 0LU.

 

6) Charles Dawson Brown (1829-1890)

Churchwarden, local historian, benefactor and antiquarian. Buried in St Bridget’s churchyard. The church has a stained glass window commemorating his life. The museum was established in his memory. West Kirby Museum, St Bridget’s Centre, West Kirby, CH48 3JT.

 

7 & 8) Dixie Dean (1907-1980)

Famous footballer. Attended Laird Street School, now replaced. He began his career at Tranmere Rovers. One of the greatest centre-forwards of all time. Scored a record-breaking 60 League goals in a single season when playing for Everton. Co-op Academy Portland, Laird Street, Birkenhead CH41 0AB & Tranmere Rovers Football Club, Prenton Road, Birkenhead, CH42 9PY.

 

9) Charlotte ‘Lottie Dod (1871-1960)

Born and brought up in Bebington. Five-time Wimbledon Ladies’ Singles Champion. Golfer, hockey player, Olympian archer, winter sportswoman, and mountaineer. Most versatile female athlete of all time. Charlotte House Care Home, Church Road, Bebington, CH63 3DZ.

 

10) Helen Forrester (June Bhatia, nee Huband) (1919-2011)

Born in Hoylake, She spent many happy days at her grandmother’s home in Warren Road. Writer. Author of the autobiographical Twopence To Cross The Mersey, which describes growing up in poverty in pre-war Liverpool. 5 Warren Road, Hoylake, CH47 2AR.

 

11) James Gillespie Graham (1776-1855)

Scottish Architect. Laid out part of Edinburgh New Town. Designed Hamilton Square which is his only English commissioned work and the largest listed square outside of London. Hamilton Square contains 62 Grade I listed buildings. 63 Hamilton Square, Birkenhead, CH41 5JF.

 

12) Harold Hilton (1869-1942)

Outstanding Golfer. Born in West Kirby his home club was the Royal Liverpool Golf Club. Won the Open Championship twice, the Amateur Championship four times and the U.S. Amateur Championship once. The Anchorage, 21 Westbourne Grove, West Kirby, CH48 4DJ.

 

13) The Old House & Roger Kelly (1946-2019)

The Old or Bird House, dating from the 17th Century, is one of the Wirral’s oldest houses, restored by the visionary conservation architect, Roger Kelly, Director of the Centre of Alternative Technology, 1987-1997. The Old House, Limekiln Lane, Wallasey, CH44 5SP.

 

14) Edward Kemp (1817-1891)

Leading Victorian Landscape gardener and successful author. Laid out Birkenhead Park. Designed Flaybrick Memorial Gardens. Visitor Centre, Park Drive, Birkenhead Park, CH41 8AU.

 

15) Roger Lancelyn Green (1918-1987)

Editor, Biographer and prolific author of children’s books. A member of the Inklings, a literary discussion group associated with J. R. R. Tolkien & C. S. Lewis at the University of Oxford. Poulton Hall, Poulton Lancelyn, CH63 9LN.

 

16) Charles Littler (1832-1868) and Charles Lucy (1832-1871)

Mid-Victorian architects. Together, they designed the lodges, chapels and entrance gates to Anfield Cemetery, as well as all the buildings and main structures at Flaybrick Cemetery, Birkenhead. Flaybrick Memorial Gardens, Tollemache Road, Birkenhead, CH41 0DG.

 

17) Malcolm Lowry (1909–1957)

Born in New Brighton. Renowned novelist and poet. Author of ‘Under the Volcano’ and ‘Ultramarine’. Other work was published after his relatively early death. On the Sea Wall, close to Light Cinema, Marine Point, New Brighton, CH45 2HZ.

 

18) Joseph Mayer (1803-1886)

Jeweller and Goldsmith, Antiquary, Collector and Philanthropist. Established a free library and donated adjacent land as a public park for the people of Bebington. Buried in St Andrew’s Churchyard. Pennant House, The Village, Bebington, CH63 7PL.

 

19) Mary Ann Mercer (1883-1945)

Birkenhead’s first female mayor and only the second female mayor to hold this office in the country. Elected Labour counsellor for Argyle ward. A pioneer of women’s rights. 103 Norman Street, Birkenhead, CH41 0AT.

 

20) Wilfred Owen (1893-1918)

Educated at Birkenhead Institute. A Leading WW1 Poet. He wrote ‘Anthem for Doomed Youth’. Awarded the Military Cross. Killed in Action, 1918. 7 Elm Grove, Birkenhead, CH42 0LA.

 

21) Joseph Paxton (1803-1865)

Horticulturalist, Landscape Artist and Architect. Designed Birkenhead Park, 1843-1847. Visitor Centre, Park Drive, Birkenhead, CH41 8AU.

 

22) Dr Dominic Joseph Poggi (1811-1880)

Born in Tuscany. Established New Brighton College. This burned down in October 1862. A son of the great Italian liberator, Garibaldi, was a pupil at the college, which stood at the bottom of Magazine Lane. The Shelter, New Brighton Promenade, adjacent to Vale Park, Magazine Lane, New Brighton, CH45 1LZ.

 

23) Alan Rouse (1951-1986)

Born in Wallasey. Mountaineer. Learned to climb on the sandstone rocks of the Breck. The first British climber to reach the summit of K2, the second-highest mountain in the world, however, died on the descent. Entrance to the Breck, Breck Road, Wallasey, CH44 2ED.

 

24) Agnes Maude Royden (1876-1956)

Suffragist, pacifist, orator, preacher and campaigner for the ordination of women. The first woman to preach in Liverpool’s Anglican Cathedral. Frankby Hall, (Frankby Cemetery) Frankby, CH48 1QL.

 

25) Captain George Schultz (1887-1917)

Born in Oxton. Captain Schultz was a Company Commander within the 1st Birkenhead Bantam Battalion. He died of his wounds in Picardy, France, in August 1917. 3 Silverdale Road, Oxton, CH43 2JS.

 

26 & 27) Cyril Scott (1879-1970)

Composer, writer and poet. Described as the father of British music. 1 Rich View, Oxton, CH43 5SZ & The Laurels, 11 Village Road, Oxton, CH43 6TZ.

 

28 & 29) Edith Smith (1876-1923)

In 1915, Edith became the first warranted female police officer in the UK with full powers of arrest. She concentrated her efforts on cases of immoral behaviour and prostitution. 18 Palm Hill, Oxton, CH43 5SP & 34 Wellington Road, Oxton, CH43 2JF.

 

30) Olaf Stapledon (1886-1950)

British philosopher and science fiction writer. A pacifist, he drove an ambulance in the Great War of 1914-1918. Later, she lectured on human rights and ethics. Author of ‘Last and First Men’ and’Starmaker’’ Simon’s Bridge, Wirral Way, Caldy, CH48 2LH.

 

31) Sir Henry Tate (1819-1899)

Sugar merchant and philanthropist. Sir Henry founded the Tate Gallery in London. 42-44 Hamilton Street, Birkenhead, CH41 5AE.

 

32) Brigadier Sir Philip Toosey (1904-1975)

Merchant Banker, High Sheriff of Lancashire. Portrayed by Alec Guinness in the film ‘The Bridge on the River Kwai’. 20 Rosemount, Oxton, CH43 5SW.

 

33) Laura (1846-1936) and Jane Wilmer (1858-1933)

Editors of the Birkenhead News (1988-1919) and Wallasey News (1903-1933). Influential in the suffrage movement and both ardent feminists. Participated in the ‘No Vote No Census’ campaign of 1911. 48 Wellington Road, Oxton, CH43 2JF.

 

34) Harold Wilson (1916-1995)

United Kingdom Prime Minister in 1964-1970 and 1974-1976. Harold attended Wirral Grammar School for Boys between 1932-1934. His leadership was shown early in life as be became the school’s first Head Boy. Wirral Grammar School, Cross Lane, Bebington, CH63 3AQ.