Wirral

Walk Details:
Date: 16/04/2005
Total ascent: 3m/ 10ft
Total distance walked: 0.13 miles
Walk difficulty: 0/10
Enjoyment rating: 2/10
Best bits: Pretty gorse
Worst bits:
Walkers: Anth, Jim
Car Parking: We parked on the roadside on Tower Road North at SJ 267 824

Top details:
Name: Poll Hill
County top number: 56 of 207
Grid reference: SJ 26775 82330
Height above sea level: 108m/ 354ft
How nice was the top? 2/10
Views: 2/10
Description/Notes: The highest point of the Unitary Authority of Wirral is an indeterminate point on a path connecting Tower Road North and Poll Hill Road

The Walk:

We had planned for this top to be our first county top of the day tomorrow, but we still had a bit of time left having climbed Moel Famau and Foel Fenlli so swiftly! We therefore decided to give ourselves a head start tomorrow by bagging Poll Hill today instead.

As we left Wales, the drizzle stopped, and heading up the Wirral peninsula the sun came out. As the top was within a couple of miles of the coast (or at least the estuary of the River Dee) we decided to do something we’d wanted to do for a while – climb to the top of a hill all the way from sea level. We therefore stopped at a car park near the estuary and walked down to the Dee – to climb the hill from sea level properly we would need to dip our toes in the water to start!

We were disappointed when we emerged onto what I suppose one must optimistically term a beach to find that the Dee was just a morass of mud banks – there was no way we were going to get near the water. This, combined with the thought of a long suburban hike to reach the top and the fact that it might make us late arriving at the hostel, made us decide to drive to the top instead. We piled back in the car and drove to Tower Road North, parking as close to the top as possible. It therefore only took us about five minutes to bag the top. A footpath led from the end of Tower Road North into a small meadow lined with a fiery display of gorse and the inevitable radio mast that blights so many county tops. We decided the highest point was just off to the left-hand side of the path just before it started to drop down to Poll Hill Road. In the evening sun with the gorse glowing all around, this was a very pleasant place to be.

Having bagged six county tops today and a bonus marilyn we were well satisfied as we piled back into the car and headed off to Chester YHA. Our walking for the day was not over though; after a delicious mixed grill for dinner, we headed off on the two-mile circuit of the venerable and fascinating Chester city walls – strongly recommended if you’re in the area.