My Favourite LocationThurstaston Common by Mark Reeves ARPS

My Favourite LocationThurstaston Common by Mark Reeves LRPS

The Wirral, a peninsula in north west England across the River Mersey from Liverpool is steeped in Norse history. Many local names such as Irby, Frankby, Thingwall and Thurstaston are derived from old Norse and it is estimated that 42% of Wirralians have Norse DNA (1) .

Much of the Wirral landscape is farmland, with occasional hills and outcrops formed from the red sandstone which is characteristic of much of Cheshire and Merseyside. Thurstaston Common is home to one such outcrop known as Thor's Stone – named after the Norse god of thunder. Surrounding the stone is extensive is a remarkably diverse area of woodland and heathland which present excellent opportunities for the landscape photographer. Scenery includes pine woods, beech woods, coppiced birch woods, sandy heather-covered heath and areas of small ponds and marshes.

Being close to my home, I can visit the common – and the contiguous Royden Park – easily but it is well worth the visit for photographers living further afield. It could be easily combined with photography at Ness Botanical Gardens, the boat graveyard on the salt marshes around Lower Heswall or the seaside towns of West Kirby and New Brighton.

To visit Thurstaston Common, there is parking off the A540 (grid ref. SJ 246845) or at the entrance to Royden Park at SJ 245858. There is a cafe at Benty Farm, grid ref. SJ245850.

Mark Reeves ARPS

(1) https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2009/apr/04/secret-britain-vikings-wirral-liverpool

(2) http://www.cheshirelife.co.uk/out-about/wildlife/the-legend-of-thor-39-s-stone-on-thewirral-s-thurstaton-common-1-1921733