Recently, several people have asked me how I went about writing The Mersey Estuary: A Travel Guide and what my own personal highlights were while researching the book. This included BBC Radio Merseyside and thanks to Sean Styles again for an enjoyable interview. I thought that I would summarise my thoughts here so read on if interested to find out more. How the guide started I lived in Warrington for many years, right at the top of the estuary, more than twenty miles from the coast. It’s strange to think that the Mersey is tidal here but water levels do rise and fall each day, Continue Reading
Mersey outdoors art: Liverpool, Wirral and beyond
When wandering around the Mersey Estuary, one unexpected pleasure is the wealth of outdoors art to appreciate in Liverpool, Wirral and beyond. Liverpool Starting to the north of Liverpool, the world-famous Another Place installation stretches for about two miles along Crosby Beach. Consisting of a hundred life-size cast iron figures facing out to sea, it became a permanent feature in 2005 after being exhibited in Belgium, Germany and Norway. Their creator, Sir Anthony Gormley, said: In this work, human life is tested against planetary time. This sculpture exposes to light and time Continue Reading
The Mersey Tidal Bore: a natural phenomenon
On the highest tides, a most unusual sight occurs in the Mersey Estuary: a tidal bore travelling upstream from Widnes and Runcorn to Warrington. Although on a smaller scale than the better-known Severn Bore, it is still a great example of this natural phenomenon, and one of only about twenty that occur in the UK. What to see The tidal bore forms when water levels rise so quickly that a wave forms as the tide comes in, meeting the river flow. At its best, it reaches heights of 60cm or more, accompanied by the sound of rushing water and waterbirds startled into flight from the sands Continue Reading
