Welcome to Birkenhead Priory.
This is the Merseyside Little Quest cache!
I have lived in Wirral for almost all of my life, yet I don’t think I had come here before I set this cache.
The Little Quest caches require you to set a cache that shows the best of your county… this cannot be far from it, despite it being in Birkenhead, there is much to see!
Birkenhead Priory, Priory Street, Birkenhead, was founded in about 1150 for the Benedictines and is the oldest standing building on Merseyside. Note it is comprised almost entirely of our native Sandstone... It gives it it's beautiful colour, that I think truely represents Wirral.
Parts of the site are listed buildings of Grade I and II and the priory is also a Scheduled Ancient Monument.
In 1317 the monks from Birkenhead Priory were granted ferry rights by Edward II. This allowed them to build a house in what is now Water Street to store their corn. The house was also used by travellers for shelter if the weather was too bad for the ferry to cross the River Mersey. The monks who lived and worked here also ran the very first “Ferry ‘Cross The Mersey.”
The priory's chapter house is consecrated as an Anglican church, with a chapel dedicated to the training ship HMS Conway. There is also a museum detailing the history of the site.
St Mary's Tower was originally part of Birkenhead's first parish church, opened in 1821 in the grounds of the priory. The churchyard contains the burial vault of the Laird family, which includes John Laird (1805-1874), Birkenhead's first Member of Parliament and co-founder of the adjacent Cammell Laird shipbuilding company.
So – in one small area, we have the oldest building on Wirral, with a history that includes slum clearance for the development of the Liverpool Tunnel – a VERY important transportation link for everyone on BOTH sides of the water!
Since we couldn't get permission from inside the site, this cache is hidden on the perimeter... PLEASE - take the time to go into the site and up the tower - it's completely free and you'll get the view that I brought you here for - it's well worth it!
If you come out of Priory Street and turn right, there are stunning views of the Liverpool skyline…
Please exercise stealth in retreiving the cache... and PLEASE, remember that this cache is in the grounds of a scheduled ancient monument, AND a very old and important place of worship - please treat it with respect.
In addition to all this, we have an amazingly tranquil spot right in the hub of what is Wirral’s busiest town!
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