In this week’s post, I’ll be exploring the stations between Leasowe and West Kirby on the Wirral Line. I won’t be visiting Bidston just yet, as I’m saving that station for a future post covering the Borderlands Line from Bidston to Wrexham Central. I’ve also filmed a video of this journey, which you can watch over on my TikTok page, and I’ll be sharing plenty of photos and highlights on my Facebook page too. I’d already visited the stations between Hamilton Square and Birkenhead North in a previous post, so this journey begins after travelling through Conway Park and continuing to Moreton, which is the first station I’ll be featuring in today’s blog.

From Moreton, I decided to walk to my next station, Leasowe. The walk took around 15 minutes and was a pleasant way to experience a little more of the local area rather than simply staying on the train. As I approached the station, I was reminded why I enjoy visiting some of the smaller stations on the Merseyrail network. Leasowe has a quiet, welcoming feel and is a great place to spend a few minutes watching the trains come and go.

One of the station’s most distinctive features is the nearby level crossing, which adds a bit of extra interest for both railway enthusiasts and local residents. As Leasowe is only a short distance from Bidston, it’s often possible to watch trains leaving Bidston before they make their way towards Leasowe just a few minutes later. It’s a great location for photography, especially if you’re hoping to capture Merseyrail’s Class 777 trains in action against the backdrop of the surrounding area.

After leaving Meols station, I boarded the 38 bus, operated by Stagecoach Merseyside, for the short journey to Hoylake. The route is set to become part of the Liverpool City Region’s new Metro bus network, with services in Wirral and St Helens due to transfer later this year in September and October, marking another significant step in the region’s move towards a more integrated public transport system. The bus journey provided a welcome change of scenery before arriving at Hoylake station, a place that brings back plenty of memories for me, as I lived nearby in 2016. Returning to Hoylake felt nostalgic, giving me the chance to revisit a familiar station while continuing my journey along the Wirral Line and seeing how both the station and the surrounding area have changed over the years.

One of the things I love most about this section of the Wirral Line is its architecture, with Hoylake being one of my favourite stations on the network. Every time I visit, it reminds me of travelling on the Piccadilly line on the London Underground, particularly Arnos Grove station. The striking circular booking hall, clean lines and distinctive Art Deco styling give Hoylake a unique character that really stands out amongst Merseyrail’s stations. It’s easy to see why this station is so popular with railway enthusiasts and photographers alike.

That’s no coincidence either, as Hoylake station was rebuilt in 1938 during the electrification of the former Wirral Railway, with its design heavily influenced by the work of Charles Holden, the architect behind many of London’s iconic Underground stations. Many of the stations between Birkenhead and West Kirby were rebuilt as part of this modernisation programme, which is why they share a similar architectural style and appearance today. Nearly 90 years later, these stations still feel timeless, and I always enjoy taking a few moments to admire the architecture before continuing my journey along the Wirral Line.

My final stop before reaching the end of the line was Manor Road, the penultimate station before West Kirby. Although it’s one of the newer stations on the Wirral Line, having opened to passengers in 1940, it fits seamlessly with the distinctive Art Deco architecture found along this section of the route. It’s a small, quiet station that serves the surrounding residential area and is only a short journey from the line’s western terminus.

From here, it was time to continue on to West Kirby, bringing another station-hopping adventure to a close. West Kirby has a much longer history, with the railway first reaching the town in 1866 when the Hoylake Railway extended its line from Hoylake. The railway later became part of the Wirral Railway before eventually joining today’s Merseyrail network. After visiting each station between Leasowe and West Kirby, it was satisfying to tick off another section of the Wirral Line, leaving me one step closer to my goal of visiting every railway station in the UK.