A Walk Around Bidston Village

The Beautiful Village of Bidston

Bidston Village has appeared in records since Doomsday, but evidence for occupation goes back to the Stone Age. The Village still maintains its medieval shape of church, farms, village green and manor house.

The Village has a rich heritage, and has been involved in several key points of British history. At one time, the village was owned by the Stanley family, who became Earls of Derby. The 6th Earl of Derby has been closely associated with William Shakespeare and is credited with bringing Shakespeare to Bidston as a member of a band of actors.

As Royalists, the Stanley family forfeited their lands during the Commonwealth, but on the Restoration of the monarchy the village came into the possession of the Vyners family. It is because of the Vyner family that the village has remained in the style of a Medieval village, and in the late 20th century was designated as a Conservation Area.

Bidston Village status as a conservation area has meant that the village remains a genuinely beautiful place for visitors. A walk around the village should take approximately an hour, and you can see the buildings which chart the village's history.

Start the walk from Bidston Church, the site of the original church in the 12th century, and take in the tower which dates from 1520. From the church, travel through the village and see the variety of farm houses (all from different eras), through to Bidston Hall which was built in the 1580s, and is where Shakespeare is believed to have visited.

Within the Bidston area is Flaybrick Memorial Gardens, Wirral's finest Victorian cemetery. Set in 26 acres of landscaped gardens, it contains a great variety of memorial architecture.

Tam O Shanters Urban Farm is a working farm, designed as a family attraction. It is based at Tam O Shanter's cottage which is around 300 years old.

Bidston Hill is also an area of great beauty and is well worth a visit in its own right.