Often dubbed the ‘posh’ bit of Liverpool, the peninsula on the other side of the Mersey has a character of its own and plenty to offer the visitor, as Steve Pratt finds out

THERE was time to appreciate the wisdom of Sir Ernest Royden’s decision to move his home as I sat in the back of the Rolls-Royce waiting for the electronic gates to open and release us from the 250 acres of Wirral parkland in which the Hillbark Hotel sits.

He took the phrase “moving house” quite literally after buying soap magnate Robert Hudson’s mansion Bidston Court, built in 1891 on Bidston Hill in Birkenhead, just a ferry cross the Mersey away from Liverpool.

For Sir Ernest, it was a case of location, location, location.

He wanted a different view from the house. So, in 1928, he had the entire building moved, brick by brick, beam by beam, several miles to a spot on the Wirral where he could enjoy views over the Dee estuary.

Possibly the longest house move on record, it took three years to reassemble the house, now a Grade II listed building.

The inside of what is now the five-star Hillbark Hotel isn’t bad either. The galleried Great Hall features a 1527 Jacobean fireplace from Sir Walter Raleigh’s house, stained glass windows by William Morris and two 13th century church screen doors.

The library was originally in a stately home at Gloucestershire and those dining in the (triple AA rosette) Stewart Warner Dining Room restaurant can view the magnificent 1785 Robert Adam fire surround from opulent gilded Louis XV armchairs upholstered in embossed velvet.

The Rolls-Royce was one of two vehicles parked outside the hotel entrance when we arrived. The other was a Lamborghini in which, unfortunately, no ride was offered, perhaps because the country lanes along which we drove to dinner at The Manor in Greasby Village don’t lend themselves to showing off its full potential.

The Rolls and a Bentley, the brochure states, are available to take guests to and from the airport.

Those, that is, who don’t arrive by helicopter using the landing pad in the hotel grounds. No wonder Beyonce opted to stay here when on tour.

The Hillbark, with its 18 suites and bedrooms, is the only five AA star hotel in Merseyside and the smallest in the country with such a rating. The hotel is run by Craig and Lisa Baker, whose Contessa hotel group also takes in another Wirral hotel, the Leverhulme in Ellesmere Port.

Even without the ride in the Rolls I’d have been impressed by the beautiful surroundings and the impeccable service on this second visit to the Wirral Peninsula, which lies between the Mersey and the Dee.

The Wirral is often regarded as the posh bit of Liverpool on the other side of the Mersey, but has a character and flavour of its own, with plenty to offer – “Coast or countryside”, to borrow the current tourist advertising come-on.

The Wirral is home to the first publicly-funded park in the world – Birkenhead Park – opened in 1847 and designed by Sir Joseph Paxton as a “park for the people”.

Some of his ideas were incorporated in the design of New York’s Central Park.

Travel Wirral Country Park, opened in 1973, was the first designated country park in Britain with a walk and cycle path and bridleway for horse riding.

There are a staggering 14 golf courses, including Royal Liverpool Golf Club, which will host The Open again next July.

Leasowe Lighthouse, built in 1763, is the oldest brickbuilt lighthouse in Britian (and possibly Europe).

The village of Port Sunlight, built in 1888 for factory workers at Sunlight Soap, has about 900 listed buildings and is regarded as Britain’s finest example of a “workers’ village”.

In New Brighton, you’ll find a plaque commemorating a visit by a Liverpool group of whom you may have heard - The Beatles. They played the Tower Ballroom, one of the largest and most ornate ballrooms, 27 times.

But this isn’t the 1960s and New Brighton has changed.

Once, it was the place where people from Merseyside went to have fun and boasted a tower bigger than Blackpool’s. Now, the tired seaside town has had a makeover. Some signs of the old seaside spirit remain but a facelift, rather more than a lick of paint and new signs, has brought the town into the 21st century to attract locals and holidaymakers who want more than candy floss and fish and chips.

Centrepiece is a £60m development bringing a casino, hotel, cinema complex, shops and even a Morrison’s supermarket to the town, while the historic Floral Pavilion Theatre has been transformed at a cost of £12m into a dual conference centre and theatre venue.

Two symbols of the old New Brighton remain – Fort Perch Rock, built as a coastal defence battery to protect the port of Liverpool during the Napoleonic period, is now an aviation and archaeology site. New Brighton Lighthouse alongside is no longer in use, but preserved as a treasure from past times.

More mature movie fans might like to know that going to New Brighton they’re following in the footsteps of Mae West, Stewart Granger and Susan Hayward, who were among the Hollywood film stars who visited.

Boat trips exploring the Dee estuary are available where glimpses of Atlantic grey seals and a variety of birdlife might be spotted.

You can also walk out to Hilbre Island – although as it’s cut off by the tide for up to five hours out of every 12, be sure to check the tide table, or face being a castaway for five hours.