FREE news from around Wirral s Coast. Coastal Scene

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1 FREE news from around Wirral s Coast Coastal Scene Winter Edition 2013 The John Muir Award is an Environmental Award Scheme and was launched in 1997 to promote educational, social and personal development through engagement with wild places and involvement in conservation.. There are three levels, Discovery, Explorer and Conserver and in November 2012 the Volunteer Task Force based at Wirral Country Park were introduced to the award by Ranger Cathy Oldfield who along with Ranger Dave Stevenson and volunteers; Kieran, Eileen, Oliver, Anne, Peter and Chris signed up for the advanced level Conserver Award. To gain the award both paid staff and volunteers spent a year discovering, exploring, conserving and sharing their experiences of Wirral Country Park and spent an evening on the Hilbre Islands Local Nature Reserve during the summer. On 7 th November the new Wirral Parks and Countryside Services Manager Mary Worrall presented the award winners with their certificates in a presentation ceremony at Wirral Country Park Visitor Centre. The Conserver level of the award is only presented to 1% of Award participants in the UK and so this is a therefore great achievement. Mary Worrall joins us from London where she has chaired the London Parks and Green Spaces Forum and has previously worked for the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers, English Heritage, and the Woodland Trust. Inside this issue: Wirral Rangers Forest Schools Wirral Way Widening Scheme Kerr s Field Cycle Path 4 West Kirby Boardwalk 4 Closure Hilbre Island Building 5 Improvements Wirral Council Horticultural Apprentice Dee Cliffs SSSI Improvements Greasby Pond Clearance 7 Mud Glorious Mud 8 Winter Events Programme 9 Nature s Calendar 11 Useful Contacts Page

2 Wirral Rangers Forest Schools Wirral Council Rangers have recently established Forest School sessions on Wirral. This relatively new educational approach to learning in an outdoor environment has been used around the world to encourage long term learning through participation and self-exploration and whilst the Forest School Leaders initially set up the group and plan a series of activities to deliver the programme the participants are expected to make a significant contribution to the sessions. Nic Harding, Bidston Hill Ranger, has taken the lead in establishing the Wirral Forest Schools programme and earlier this year obtained funding for eight Wirral Council Rangers, including three of the Coastal Rangers based at Wirral Country Park, to be trained to Level 3 Forest Schools Practitioners Award which is an intensive five day training course followed by a 12 month period of practical learning and running of a Forest Schools session, a two day first aid course followed by a final five day assessment and portfolio presentation. The training isn t for people who simply want to lead outdoor group sessions as this training is specific to the philosophy of Forest Schools which is to encourage and inspire individuals of any age through positive outdoor experiences over an extended period of time. Nic Harding says: As a Ranger I have worked with many schoolchildren at different sites over the years and recognise the value of play as part of any educational programme, especially where the children feel safe and secure in familiar surroundings and where they can actually contribute to the learning process rather than to be expected to sit, listen and be told what to do. Outdoor leaning and participant-led learning are not new concepts but Forest Schools brings together several ideas and has a very definite structure and philosophy and that is rewarding for both the practitioners and participants. Wirral schools were invited to attend an introduction to Forest Schools at Birkenhead Park where Nic, already a fully trained Forest Schools Practitioner, and the Wirral Forest School Team undertook some taster sessions. Obviously impressed by what they saw schools have been contacting Nic and our newly trained Rangers have started leading the first 10 week courses. Bidston Hill and Birkenhead Park were chosen as the initial sites for delivering the programme and after a school visit to meet with the children who were to take part in Forest Schools the Rangers started preparing areas for the outdoor sessions. If you have a class or other group that may be interested in a Forest School session contact Nic Harding at Birkenhead Park on or nicharding@wirral.gov.uk Nic will be able to provide further details of the Wirral Forest Schools Programme and can discuss your requirements and delivery at other sites where the sessions can take place.. The feedback from the current courses is very positive and the Rangers that are leading the courses certainly seem to be enjoying them too if the photograph of Ranger Paul Davies below is typical of a Forest School day! Page 2

3 Wirral Way Widening Scheme In September this year Wirral Public Health Outcomes Fund awarded 131,000 to Wirral Parks and Countryside to widen several key sections of the Wirral Way. The project application was submitted to allow safer access for all along the Wirral Way after a number of comments were received about various access issues and which also included a request from the Wirral Country Park Friends Group to improve directional signage along the Wirral Way. The project will widen the narrowest and busiest sections of the existing shared pedestrian and cycle route at West Kirby (Church Road to Sandy Lane), Caldy (Melloncroft Drive to Caldy Car Park), Thurstaston (Dawpool Nature Reserve to Thurstaston Visitor Centre), Heswall (Piper s End to Farr Hall Drive) and Gayton (Cottage Lane to the Cheshire Country Council boundary). Work will include culverting open drains to widen the path a further 1.2 meters and the installation of speed humps to reduce the speed of some cyclists who are currently using the Wirral way for cycling time trials. Wirral s Cycling Officer, Amanda Keenan, has recently been in contact with a website where individuals were posting these time trials for the Wirral Way and requested that they be removed as the activity was not one that we would encourage in one of Wirral s Green Flag parks where the emphasis is on being safe and secure. Jackie Smallwood, Senior Landscape Architect for Wirral s Parks and Countryside, will be putting together some detailed specifications for the scheme which will be undertaken over the next 16 months. Phase One will include the widening of the key sections with speed restrictions and new signage followed by a public consultation period and review of the project. Phase Two will include more speed restrictions at other main access points and additional signage. Wirral Wildlife have been involved in discussions about the project as the section of the park from Caldy to Heswall is a locally designated Site of Biological Importance. Sites of Biological Importance are selected upon ecological merit and it is hoped that the widening scheme will encourage a more diverse ground flora and allow a better mowing regime along the path edges. If you would like any further information or would like to comment on the project as part of the public consultation exercise then please contact the Thurstaston Visitor Centre on (0151) or wcp@wirral.gov.uk Page 3

4 New Kerr s Field Cyclepath by Amanda Keenan (Wirral s Cycling Officer) With funding from the Department for Transport's Local Sustainable Transport Fund, work has been completed on improvements to the path on Kerr's Field within North Wirral Coastal Park between Pasture Road, Moreton and where the field ends close to Leasowe Lighthouse. This section of previously unmade land forms part of the Wirral Circular Trail, a 35 mile circular route around Wirral, and now provides a surfaced path for walkers and cyclists using this part of the trail. The path not only forms part of the Circular Trail, it links with the wider cycle network, including the new cycle routes to the Tarran Way Industrial Park and Moreton Train Station on Pasture Road, providing key links to employment and public transport hubs. West Kirby Boardwalk Closure Earlier this year an accident on the timber boardwalk at West Kirby resulted in a site inspection by the Wirral Council Coastal Rangers who manage the access. The inspection revealed several rotten boardwalk planks but also revealed that the stringers under the planking were also rotten. Usually decking planks and the odd stringer are replaced as part of the Rangers regular routine maintenance but so much of the route was noticed to be unsafe that it was decided to close the boardwalk and to contact the landowners, the Royal Liverpool Golf Club, and the leaseholders, Cheshire Wildlife Trust, to look at the major work that would be required to reinstate the raised pathway. The boardwalk is managed by Wirral Council under an agreement with the landowners and Cheshire Wildlife Trust who lease the Red Rocks Marsh Reserve from the Royal Liverpool. We are obviously working towards completing the necessary works before the Open Golf Championships to be hosted in Hoylake in Page 4

5 Hilbre Island Improvements Earlier this year Wirral Council s Asset Management Team secured 100,000 for improvements works to the Victorian cluster of Buildings on Hilbre Island. Work was completed on the Buoymaster s House chimney stacks earlier in September and work has now started on the Buoymaster s Store and Workshop and which will include insulating part of the building and repairs to the roof as well as installation of new windows and re-rendering the outside. The Grade II Listed Buildings provide residential accommodation for academic study on the Local Nature Reserve which is within the Dee Estuary Site of Special Scientific Interest, Special Protection Area, Special Area for Conservation and internationally designated Ramsar Site and during the summer months students studying a relevant degree are allowed to stay on the island and work as volunteer Coastal Wardens alongside the Coastal Rangers. Wirral Council s Senior Building Conservation Officer will ensure that when the outside rendering is removed the exposed sandstone and any brickwork is recorded prior to any pointing and repair. The Friends of Hilbre were established 12 years ago and one of the reasons the group was established was over concerns about the Victorian buildings and the damage being caused due to roof leaks and damp. The Telegraph Station was restored some years ago and is opened by the Friends of Hilbre once a month during the summer for their Seal Watching Open Days and the old stables, which had become a residential bunkroom, were renovated as a Day Room facility for visiting groups as part of the same project that saw the installation of composting toilets on the island in Allen Burton, Chair of the Friends of Hilbre writes: The Friends of Hilbre were delighted by the recent good news from Wirral Council. In recent years we have become accustomed to austerity measures leading to cuts in local government spending, so it was an unexpected but welcome announcement of 100,000 for repairs to the buildings. There have been several improvements made on the Island in recent months. Less than a year ago a section of boundary wall on a cliff top fell down. This was promptly repaired and is now better than ever. More recently, two chimney stacks had to be re-pointed. Internal improvements have been carried out as well. At the time of writing, work has already begun on the roof of the single storey building - probably the best place to begin! Further extensive improvements are to follow. Since it was set up in May, 2001 the Friends of Hilbre has always supported Council initiatives on the islands and have worked under guidance from the Coastal Rangers. The situation of the Islands in the mouth of the Dee Estuary is very exposed as the tides and weather constantly wear away at the natural fabric of the Islands themselves as well as the man-made structures. As a result, maintenance is a constant challenge so on behalf of the Friends of Hilbre and the thousands of visitors that visit the reserve each year and who will ultimately benefit from the improvements I would like to say Well Done Wirral Council! New window frames and a refurbished front porch will also be included as part of the improvements and the Friends of Hilbre have further supported the project by funding the replacement of the Buoymaster s Workshop doors to a specification in keeping with the listed buildings and approved by the Building Conservation Officer. Page 5

6 Wirral Council Horticultural Apprenticeship by Lucy Rhodes I am in my seventh week as a Horticultural Apprentice. It has been a lifelong dream of mine to work outdoors in nature so when the opportunity arose to become an apprentice through Wirral Council I eagerly jumped at the chance. Depending on which day of the week it is, I will be at one of several parks in Wirral. On Mondays, I am based at Wirral Country Park. My day begins with something very basic: I make sure I have all the necessary gear to do my work. This includes items like gloves, safety glasses, and clothing to keep me warm and dry. I will then walk the grounds at Wirral Country Park and make sure there is no litter or rubbish that would spoil the natural beauty of the park. After I get that task out the way, there are many varied activities that can be done. I have worked with a great group of volunteers, doing things such as clearing away Blackthorn, or prepping an area off the Wirral Way for a memorial picnic table to be put in place. The volunteers have been very welcoming and knowledgeable about gardening and nature, and have also given me useful practical tips. Working with the Rangers has been exciting and interesting. I have had the chance to visit Hilbre Island, something I have always wanted to do, but never had the chance to do before. I learned a lot about its history and how to safely get across to the island. Another thing I have done is to assist a Ranger with pond dipping during visits from local schools. One day, we had three classes in a row. Initially I was learning about the pond and its creatures alongside the students; by the third class, I was able to pass on information that I had learned, such as how to use nets safely when pond dipping in order to do no harm to the creatures living in the pond. I have been learning about all the different tools used on site, and have learned to use a ride on mower and a cross utility vehicle. I am becoming more familiar with various plants and trees, and their maintenance. A technique called coppicing is particularly interesting to me because it's a traditional method of woodland management done in rotation. I have applied this method to Willow, for example. Meeting visitors and interacting with them at Wirral Country Park has been a real pleasure. It's always nice to hear their stories and experiences about the park. It really highlights how important our outdoor spaces are. On Fridays, I have a college day as part of my apprenticeship. I have been studying the fundamentals of horticulture, such as soil sampling, soil types, and horizons. I have been learning about fertiliser types, and which types to use for which plant or tree. We do training outdoors as well. We have dug up a small patch of ground, and examined the soil layers. The contents of the soil really showed its history of past usage, which amazed me. This apprenticeship has been a positive experience for me, and I am sure that I have much more to learn in the coming months. I would like to thank all the staff, volunteers, and visitors for their support and kind words. Page 6

7 Dee Cliffs SSSI Improvements Improvements to the Dee Cliffs Site of Special Scientific Interest at Thurstaston have now started. The half moon picnic area has been levelled with the old rotten wood revetment and railway clinker removed. The cherry trees and blackthorn have been removed along with a large area of gorse that had encroached into the grassland. The freshwater ponds are also part of the protected site and local entomologist Dr Ian Wallace was able to give some advice on site management during a recent site visit when he was looking for Tricholeiochiton fagesiia - a nationally rare species of caddis fly and which he found! Much of the willow carr vegetation will be removed, coppiced or pollarded to encourage diversity within the site and much of the reedmace will be removed to increase the areas of open water and to allow development of vegetation including Broad-leaved Pondweed Marsh Pennywort and bur-reed. The Dee Cliffs Site of Special Scientific Interest were classed as unfavourable by Natural England so the work is essential to the management of the protected site and the species it supports. Greasby Pond Clearance It s a little bit out of our usual operating area but the Coastal Rangers were happy to assist a local volunteer group who wanted to clean out an overgrown pond in Greasby. The volunteers were provided with tools and gloves and got stuck into removing the vegetation which had taken over most of the pond area at the end of Pump Lane. Mike Curtis, who set up the group to continue the work started by well-known Wirral historian Jim O Neil who died last year, was delighted that 8 additional volunteers agreed to join him. An Environmental Audit of the pond had been undertaken by Wirral Wildlife and by the Wirral Countryside Volunteers who will be undertaking a few hours of work in the pond later in November. Mike says: A big thank you for the support from Wirral Council s Coastal Rangers who undertook all the necessary Risk Assessments, provided all the tools and took all the removed vegetation away. Earlier in the year North West Construction supported our voluntary work by undertaking repairs to the hand pump free of charge. I think Jim would be delighted that so many people are willing to support projects like this that don t require much more than a willingness to get involved and to volunteer some time for your local community. Page 7

8 Mud Glorious Mud! Article and photographs by Lynne Greenstreet Last August, Wirral Council s Coastal Rangers and the RSPB decided to run a joint event at Hoylake with a bit of a difference and was hoped that its title didn t put people off! With help from Hannah Muelman and Sarah Spruce from the RSPB, the aim of the event was to show people the various creatures that live in the sand and mud around our coast and tell them about the different wading birds that feed on them throughout the winter months. Wirral Council s Parks and Countryside Mobile Information Unit was there with the Dee Estuary Voluntary Wardens display providing more detailed information about the wading birds and Katy Van Woerdekom from the RSPB was on hand providing information about the charity and their fantastic reserve at Burton Mere Wetlands. In the initial planning stage, the first job was to identify an area with suitable habitat in other words lots of sticky mud! We chose the area by the Lifeboat Station as this looked ideal. Our method was to dig up a sample of mud, add seawater to it and sieve out the small creatures for people to see. With the group assembled and thankfully suitably footwear attired, we explained that they were all going to get very muddy. It was great seeing that the parents were as enthusiastic as the children and very soon squeals of delight were heard when they found their first crab. Other creatures were found in the mud including Cockles and Ragworms and as you can see from the photographs everyone got very muddy and even having well manicured nails didn t put anyone off! This proved to be another successful partnership event with the Coastal Rangers and the RSPB as we were asked if we were going to be running another event. If you fancy joining us and getting very muddy, then look out for the details next summer as it will definitely be repeated! Thanks go to Hannah and Sarah from the RSPB whose enthusiasm helped make the event a great success. Page 8

9 Coastal Rangers Winter Events Programme November December Thursday 21st 10.45am 3pm Willow Coppicing at Cubbins Green Join the Rangers and Wirral Country Park Task Force volunteers in the traditional management of coppicing for National Tree Week to cut willow for the Sunday Willow Weaving event. There will be enough willow for volunteers to take home too. Volunteers can stay all day or just turn up and cut what you want to take home! A cup of tea/coffee for all volunteers at lunchtime. Suitable clothing and footwear are essential. Booking essential (0151) Sunday 24th 2pm 3pm Willow Weaving Come and learn about the traditional craft of willow weaving as part of National Tree Week. Ideal for families and people wanting to make plant supports or ornamental sculptures and you can even take some cut willow home. No need to book. Meet outside the Thurstaston Visitor Centre, Wirral Country Park, Station Road. All children must be accompanied by an adult and it will be cold so please wear suitable clothing and footwear! Saturday 30th 12noon 3pm Take Tea on Hilbre with the RSPB Walk across the sands to Hilbre Island where the RSPB and Wirral Coastal Rangers will be serving tea and biscuits during the above times. They will be on hand to show you the island s unique wildlife and will tell you about the work the RSPB are doing at their new reserve at Burton Mere Wetlands. Suitable clothing and footwear are essential for your walk to the islands. Please note: this is not a guided walk to the islands, and please bring some money for tea! Booking not required. Saturday 7th 12.30pm Start Birdwatching at Hoylake Join the Coastal Rangers, the Dee Estuary Voluntary Wardens and the RSPB to see the large number of wading birds on Hoylake Beach. Beginners are welcome. No need to book. Meet on the promenade at King s Gap, Hoylake. Please wear warm clothing and bring binoculars if you have them. Saturday 14th 12noon 2.30pm Take Tea on Hilbre with the RSPB Walk across the sands to Hilbre Island where the RSPB and Wirral Coastal Rangers will be serving tea and biscuits during the above times. They will be on hand to show you the island s unique wildlife and will tell you about the work the RSPB are doing at their new reserve at Burton Mere Wetlands. Suitable clothing and footwear are essential for your walk to the islands. Please note: this is not a guided walk to the islands, and please bring some money for tea! Booking not required. Access For All Many of our events are accessible to people with limited mobility. However it is recommended that you check for each event if you have specific requirements including wheelchair access or are unable to step over stiles. In many cases the walk route can be adapted to provide access for all. Also, if you are unable to attend a walk at the time shown, again please contact us and we will be able to advise alternative meeting points for you to join the walk at a different location later on. Photograph by C & P Sadler Page 9

10 January Thursday 2nd 1pm 3pm Winter Walk Join the Ranger for a winter walk around Thurstaston (includes stepped access and probably mud!) Suitable clothing and footwear. Only 20 places available. Booking essential (0151) Saturday 11th 11am 2.30pm Take Tea on Hilbre with the RSPB Walk across the sands to Hilbre Island where the RSPB and Wirral Coastal Rangers will be serving tea and biscuits during the above times. They will be on hand to show you the island s unique wildlife and will tell you about the work the RSPB are doing at their new reserve at Burton Mere Wetlands. Suitable clothing and footwear are essential for your walk to the islands. Please note: this is not a guided walk to the islands, and please bring some money for tea! Booking not required. March Saturday 1st 9am Start Hoylake High Tide Birdwatch Join the Coastal Rangers, the Dee Estuary Voluntary Wardens and the RSPB to see the large numbers of wading birds on Hoylake beach. With a rising tide, we should see the birds at close quarters as they roost and feed. Beginners welcome. Meet on the promenade at King's Gap, Hoylake. Dress warmly and bring binoculars if you have them. Booking not required. Sunday 16th 2pm 3.30pm Biodiversity Walk Join the Coastal Ranger on a walk (organised as part of Biodiversity Month ) to discover the work being undertaken to conserve and improve the biodiversity within Wirral Country Park. Suitable footwear and clothing. Booking essential (0151) Saturday 29th 1pm 3.30pm Take Tea on Hilbre with the RSPB Walk across the sands to Hilbre Island where the RSPB and Wirral Coastal Rangers will be serving tea and biscuits during the above times. They will be on hand to show you the island s unique wildlife and will tell you about the work the RSPB are doing at their new reserve at Burton Mere Wetlands. Suitable clothing and footwear are essential for your walk to the islands. Please note: this is not a guided walk to the islands, and please bring some money for tea! Booking not required. February Saturday 8th 11am 2.30pm Take Tea on Hilbre with the RSPB Walk across the sands to Hilbre Island where the RSPB and Wirral Coastal Rangers will be serving tea and biscuits during the above times. They will be on hand to show you the island s unique wildlife and will tell you about the work the RSPB are doing at their new reserve at Burton Mere Wetlands. Suitable clothing and footwear are essential for your walk to the islands. Please note: this is not a guided walk to the islands, and please bring some money for tea! Booking not required. Sunday 16th 2pm 3pm Bird Box Building at Wirral Country Park Join the Ranger in building a bird box for National Nest Box Week. We will put the boxes up in the park or you can take it home for 3.50 per box to cover cost of materials. Ideal for kids to have a go at making things. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Places for 15 families/ boxes only. Booking essential (0151) A Date with Nature The RSPB awarded the local group a grant earlier this year to help with the national initiative A Date with Nature which aims to showcase the best wildlife watching opportunities in the UK. Dan Trotman, based at the new RSPB reserve at Burton Mere Wetlands, will be leading the local project with support from John Langley who has been appointed to deliver a series of events from November through to next April. Wirral Coastal Rangers will be working in partnership with the RSPB at a number of Wirral coastal sites where people will be able to see the spectacular movement of thousands of birds as the rising tides push the birds together into increasingly denser flocks as well as seal watching on Hilbre. If you want to see for yourself why the Wirral coast is one of the most highly protected wildlife sites in north west Europe, check out the Date with Nature site for info on the events below: Saturday 16th November Thurstaston Visitor Centre Wednesday 20th November West Kirby Marine Lake Friday 22nd November Fort Perch Rock Monday 25th November Leasowe Lighthouse Wednesday 27th November Thurstaston Visitor Centre Sunday 1st December Thustaston Visitor Centre Tuesday 10th December Leasowe Lighthouse Thursday 12th December Hilbre Islands LNR Monday 16th December Thurstaston Visitor Centre Tuesday 17th December Fort Perch Rock Wednesday 18th December Fort Perch Rock Thursday 19th December West Kirby Marine Lake Page 10

11 Nature s Calendar Article and photographs by Lynne Greenstreet Huge numbers of wading birds come to spend the winter around our coast and estuaries feeding on the rich supplies of invertebrates hidden beneath the sand and mud. One of these species is the Knot. They arrive from their Arctic breeding grounds from September onwards and stay here until March. This small wader has grey plumage, medium length bill, greenish legs and a pale eye stripe and form spectacular large twisting flocks. They feed by continually probing the sand and mud with their highly sensitive bills for worms and small shellfish such as Baltic Tellins. As with all wading birds, they roost when the tide is in and feed when the tide goes out. They can easily be observed just by standing on the promenade at Hoylake where close views of wader flocks are possible depending on the height of the tide. Once the leaves have fallen from the trees look out for Witches Broom on Silver Birch. At first glance this deformity can be mistaken for a very untidy bird s nest, but it is in fact usually caused by a fungus attack that promotes the overgrowth of shoots and branches. Birch trees can have several of these growths on them which don t appear to have any harmful effects to the tree. In medieval times these misunderstood overgrowths were blamed on witchcraft and as traditional besoms or broomsticks are produced from birch twigs hence its name! If you feed the birds in your garden, you may be lucky enough to see Siskins on the feeders - especially those that are filled with Nyger seeds. This small sized member of the finch family is quite distinctive with bright green plumage. Males can be identified by the brighter green colour, pale streaked plumage below and black cap on its head, whereas the females are paler and lack the black on the head. Away from the gardens they can be seen upside down extracting the seeds from Alder cones. If you do feed the birds don t forget to put fresh water out too. The Grey Heron is unmistakeable by its large size and grey and white plumage. They can be found in a variety of habitats such as ponds, riverbanks and estuaries. Their food consists mainly of fish, but they will take small birds such as ducklings, Water Rails, small mammals and frogs. They can be observed standing completely still for long periods patiently waiting at the waters edge for passing prey which is taken with its long sharp bill. Grey Herons breed early in the year so as we approach mid-february and early March they can be seen taking twigs and sticks high up in the trees to make their nests. Their nests form colonies called a Heronry and can hold more than 20 breeding pairs. Page 11

12 All articles and photographs by Josef Hanik (Senior Ranger for Wirral s Coast) unless shown otherwise Coastal Scene Thurstaston Centre Wirral Country Park Phone: Fax: wcp@wirral.gov.uk Wirral Coastal Rangers wcp@wirral.gov.uk To receive an electronic copy of this newsletter by (Adobe Reader required) wcp@wirral.gov.uk Information will be entered into a database and will not be made available to any other persons other than the editorial team and will be used solely for the purpose of assisting in the distribution of this newsletter. Alternatively a downloadable version of the newsletter can be found at Wirral Lifeguard Service West Kirby Marine Lake Wirral Country Park Friends Group The Friends of North Wirral Coastal Park Friends of Leasowe Lighthouse Friends of Hilbre thefriendsofhilbre@hotmail.com The Green Lodge Hotel The Green Lodge Hotel is situated on the edge of Hoylake, only a few yards from Hoylake Beach, and offers a popular two for one food menu. A traditional British menu and meals from around the world are available along with a varied specials board. The Green Lodge also offers hotel accommodation with six bedrooms offering a home-from-home experience. Telephone: greenlodgehotel.wirral@marstons.co.uk Dee Estuary Voluntary Wardens Hilbre Safe Crossing Times /3884 Boat Launching Permits Page 12