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ONLY £39.95 24-month subscription (12 issues) NEW! You can now set up a new subscription on the Shire website 58 SHIRE MAGAZINE | March/April 2023

Scandi style

Viking links to the Wirral are well-documented, but several aspects of their time here remain a mystery to this day.

The Wirral peninsula, too, is steeped in history and mystery. The area has a rich and diverse heritage, with evidence of human habitation dating back over 6,000 years. One of the most intriguing aspects is its connection to the Vikings, the seafaring warriors who left their mark on the world in the form of settlements, trade and their infamous raids. Despite the widespread impact of the Vikings on the Wirral, there are still mysteries regarding their time here.

The Vikings first arrived in the Wirral in the late 8th and early 9th centuries, during a time of widespread expansion and exploration. They established a number of settlements along the coast, taking advantage of the rich fishing grounds and trading opportunities presented by the Irish Sea. The exact locations of these settlements are not known, but there is evidence to suggest that they were located in the areas of West Kirby and Meols, both of which have strong Viking links.

Buried at sea

One of the biggest mysteries surrounding the Vikings is the reason for their sudden departure. They were known for their ability to adapt to new environments and to establish themselves in new territories, yet their settlements in the Wirral disappeared after only a few hundred years. There are a number of theories as to why they abandoned the area, including changes in the trade routes, political instability and environmental factors such as changes in the climate.

Equally mysterious is the location of their burials. The Vikings were known for elaborate burial rituals, and graves were often marked with distinctive mounds or runestones. However, despite the presence of a number of Viking settlements in the Wirral, there is no evidence of any Viking burials. This has led some experts to speculate that their dead may have been buried at sea, a common practice among seafaring communities. The lack of evidence for Viking burials in the Wirral has led to further speculation about the nature of the Viking settlements in the area. Some experts have suggested that the settlements were temporary in nature, used only for trading and raiding rather than for permanent habitation. This would explain the lack of burials, as the Vikings would have taken their dead with them when they moved on.

Ancient artefacts

DID YOU KNOW?

Place names are an important clue to the Wirral’s Viking connections – the -by

Over the years many historical items and evidence of Viking habitation have been found in the Wirral. One of the most interesting is the Wirral runestone, a Viking-era stone found near the village of Willaston. The stone is believed to have been used as a marker for a burial or a settlement, and it bears a number of Nordic runes, or characters, that have yet to be fully deciphered.

The runestone is not the only artefact with Viking links to be discovered here. A number of other objects, including coins, jewellery and weapons, have been found that suggest a thriving Viking trade network. These objects provide valuable insight into the lives of the Vikings in the Wirral, as well as the trade routes and networks that connected the area to the rest of the world.

Despite the many unanswered questions surrounding the Vikings in the Wirral, one thing is clear: whether through trade, settlement or raiding, the Vikings left their mark on the Wirral, and their presence continues to be felt in the area today.

Digging deep

As this edition of Shire went to press, archaeologists were leading an investigation to find out if a Viking longboat is in fact buried deep underneath The Railway Inn, Meols, on the Wirral. It has long been rumoured that the original builders discovered ancient remains in 1938 but were told to cover them up and carry on. However, in a twist worthy of a Dan Brown thriller, one of them drew a map to the find… Decades later, historians and researchers have succeeded in pushing for a proper investigation.