A friend of ours recommended that we pay a visit to Birkenhead Priory which is on the Wirral (or as we scousers call it “over the water”). Aways keen to see new places we parked in New Brighton and set off along the prom enjoying some views of Liverpool en route.
Everything, it seems, is in bloom now we have been blessed with some sunshine! We broke out the 105mm for these flower shots and it’s when you get results like these that you realise the pay off for carrying around your large and sometimes heavy lenses!
At Woodside Ferry Terminal we had the opportunity to see a beautifully preserved tram in operation.
…and so to the arrival at our goal – Birkenhead Priory, which apparently is the oldest standing building on Merseyside! A little gem amongst the towering cranes of the old Cammell Laird shipyard next door.
Founded in 1150, the monks of this Benedictine monastery looked after travellers for nearly 400 years and supervised the first regulated ‘Ferry ‘cross the Mersey’. The Chapter House chapel has some beautiful stained glass windows.
All that remains of St Mary’s church which once stood on the site is the tower which was dedicated in 1999 as a memorial to those who died on the submarine Thetis which sank 60 years previously on sea trials in Liverpool Bay off the North Wales coast.
You can see the names of the 99 men who lost their lives as you climb the 101 steps to reach the parapet and amazing views of the Mersey, Liverpool and Birkenhead.
We really enjoyed our day out to Birkenhead priory, it was well worth a visit. Here are some more pictures taken on the day by Mr B: