Hunts Cross to Aintree CLC Trackbed Walk
Tuesday 15th September 2020
Report by Nick Porter
The Branch Line Society
Guest
One consequence of the pandemic is that I have had more time for walking. There's a lot of local interest still to discover. So, I was pleased to book on our Liverpool Loop Line guided railway walk. I drove to Maghull North, a new station for me (OP 18 Jun 2018), then took a train to Liverpool Central passing a very different looking Kirkdale Depot, and on to Hunts Cross. We met at 10.45 at the station entrance splitting into our two social distanced allocated groups of six each led by organiser John Cameron and Paul Stewart.
Keeping a safe distance, we firstly headed through residential streets following the Cheshire Lines Committee (CLC) main Liverpool to Warrington Central and Manchester line, still of course very much in use. To gain access to Liverpool North Docks, Aintree and Southport beyond (Blackpool was the target), the CLC opened their North Liverpool Extension line in 1879 with a large triangle at Halewood big enough to include another triangle within its extensive yards. It's now mainly returned to nature, and is a park; the tree cover along much of the walk was very welcome on this warm sunny day.
Heading northwest now, following the route taken by our Chairman 49 years earlier (previous report), it took a while before the east curve joined, demonstrating the extent of the yard. From here the two track line headed north to Aintree Central, and eventually along the beach to Southport Lord Street. There was a branch with another triangular junction at Fazakerley (North, South and West Jns) via Walton-on-the-Hill to Huskisson for dock access. Built at the height of railway mania, the line was never busy past Aintree serving a sparsely populated area, even avoiding built up areas in Southport.
Long before Doctor Beeching could rub his hands together with glee, beyond Aintree Central CP 1952 (five trains daily each way at closure) and passenger services from Gateacre to Aintree Central, sparse except on race days, ceased in 1960. Gateacre to Liverpool Central went in 1972 but freight traffic continued until 1975. Much of the line has been incorporated into the Trans Pennine Trail and we could see the levels of investment. It is no ordinary path being very well used during our walk with many other walkers and mainly considerate and friendly cyclists. At least one tandem was spotted!
No signs remained of Gateacre or Childwall (the latter CP as early as 1930) stations, although their sites were identified from One Inch Ordnance Survey Maps a member had brought along. We then passed under the M62 and the 'other' Liverpool to Manchester railway line, now electrified and very busy, with Broad Green station just to the west. Had plans developed by the Merseyside Passenger Transport Executive in the early 1970s been carried out, the rail network would be very different.
Our walk was to be incorporated into the Liverpool outer orbital loop all 750v dc electrified. Broad Green was to be a major junction with a six platform underground station to be named 'Rocket'. All quite amazing but, other than the loop and link lines in central Liverpool, very little work actually took place due to financial constraints. Even the modest proposal to extend the Northern line from Hunts Cross back to Gateacre was abandoned although the track bed is still protected for potential rail use.
Moving on, the path is slewed to the west around a very large Sainsburys, then, although we had our tickling sticks ready, there was little trace of Knotty Ash & Stanley station and no Diddy Men around. The path moves into a series of sandstone cuttings which were dug out for double track but most bridges and the short tunnels were built for four tracks, with minimal sandstone removed each side of the halves that never had track. The plan was to extend via a viaduct over the Ribble Estuary, the prize being Blackpool and it was thought that four tracks would be needed. We did explore beneath one overbridge, it was amazing to see the sandstone each end never dug out. Next was West Derby where we stopped for our packed lunches. It was a pleasant surprise to see a two platform station with ramps up to road level buildings that passengers would have used. The station building is 'The Gas Station', a fireplace showroom, joined to the stationmaster's house. If you are in the area, it's well worth a look.
We saw little of Clubmoor station, but just after was an underbridge over an intersection of two dual carriageways, each of which once had tram routes that crossed, running along the centre reservations - in the gaps between the rows of trees. Next was the large triangular junction at Fazakerley where the Huskisson line turned southwest. The area has been extensively developed and landscaped; railway heritage is hard to see. Beyond this a further Midland Railway branch ran west to Langton Dock. Then a footbridge takes the path over the Merseyrail line to Kirkby, with Rice Lane station (Preston Road until 1984) to the west, before continuing past the site of Warbreck station and under Walton Vale shopping centre through a much widened, austere looking overbridge made up of concrete beams.
Passing under the Ormskirk line, the path ended and we could go no further, it enters a deep flooded cutting, is fenced off and has returned to nature. The path joins the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway North Mersey Branch (one to explore another day) before we used local roads to reach Aintree (Sefton Arms!) station for our various trains home. An enjoyable and interesting day with 10 miles walked in just under 5 hours.
Thanks to John Cameron for organising this excellent walk; hopefully we can do some more soon.