News & Notices

Notice posted 10 April 2023

Unesco World Heritage Status: Birkenhead Park proposed by UK government

Birkenhead Park is on the UK government's list of sites it has presented to Unesco for consideration as a World Heritage site.

Congratulations to the Park's team which has been working so hard and for so long on the bid.

More information - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-65225817

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Notice posted 8 May 2022


Local Heritage Listing - Wirral


Wirral, as part of the Liverpool City Region, together with the boroughs of Knowsley and Sefton has received central government funding to compile a Local Heritage List of historic assets which are currently not designated. The project is led by Alex Starritt (Alexandra.Starrit@sefton.gov.uk) and the means of participating in it are fully explained on its website.(see below). Once identified and confirmed, locally listed assets will be recorded on Merseyside’s Historic Environment Record, based in Sefton.


This is a welcome opportunity for everyone in Wirral, with an interest in its history or heritage, can ensure that undesignated buildings and other historic assets are recorded and considered when planning decisions are being made.

If interested, any individual or group can participate in the project and nominate an asset via its website (https://local-heritage-list.org.uk/merseyside).

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Notice posted 8 December 2021

Plans for the future of Wirral Museums Service

The plans can be viewed here

Feedback on the plans can be made before 21 January 2022 at   https://williamsonartgallery.org/wirral-museums-strategy-survey-2020-25/

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Notice posted 18 November 2021

Threat to the income of small societies and community groups

Wirral Council's consultation on its proposed Market Rights Policy has been extended until 22 December 2021.   The Council wants to use 180 year old legislation to grant, or not grant, licences to "any event deemed a market or fair (private or charity)" held within virtually the whole of the Wirral Council area.  Organisers of such events (churches, community groups, history societies, etc) would have to appoint a Licence Holder and pay a  Licence Application fee.  If granted, there would be a charge for an Issue Payment.  All of this would apply to any group including not-for-profit groups run by volunteers.

There is a short period for raising objections to this draft Policy,  see www.wirral.gov.uk/licences-and-permits/market-rights-policy-consultation

From the Council draft Policy -

Wirral Council bought back Birkenhead Market in February 2019 which gave them the exclusive right to operate a market within 6 ⅔ miles of Birkenhead Market, defined as the ‘Charter Area’. 

The legal definition of a market, being ‘a concourse of buyers and sellers’ with five or more trading positions that is freely open to the public, shall apply when determining the nature of any event.

The term ‘Market’ includes, but is not limited to:

· Fairs

· Car boot sales

· Seasonal Markets such as Christmas or Summer Fairs

· Heritage markets

· Farmers’ markets and Food Markets

· Jumble sales

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Notice posted August 2020

Wallasey Historical Society puts its Glass Slides Collection online

Wallasey Historical Society has over 1500 glass slides of which over 1000 have been converted to digital images which the Society has placed on its revamped website.  They mainly, but not exclusively, show Wallasey scenes.  The collection is free to view and many of the images can be purchased as prints.

View them at  www.wallaseyhistoricalsociety.co.uk/the-glass-slides-collection

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Notice posted November 2019

News about Cheshire Archives and Local Studies:-

The excellent CALS tithe maps website has improved even further with a complete redesign.  However the address for it has changed - it is now https://maps.cheshireeast.gov.uk/tithemaps/

Some of the pages of the CALS website have changed addresses.  The homepage is at http://www.cheshirearchives.org.uk/home.aspx

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Notice posted September 2017

Signs on all entrance roads to Greasby announce the history of the township. 

National Museums Liverpool carried out archaeological excavations in Greasby during 1987 to 1990. Sample material from that dig was sent for radiocarbon analysis in 2016. Results from that analysis confirm the opinion of the experts at National Museums Liverpool that Greasby is one of the earliest settlements in Britain at circa 8500BC.
More information here and here.

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