Luke Sproule gets into the swing of things by the more genteel shore of the Mersey, on the Wirral peninsula

There are some places which are summed up by their most famous or iconic attribute.

There is something about New York, for example, which is conveyed by the Empire State Building or Times Square. It’s a big, noisy, confident city.

On the other hand Buckingham Palace hardly sums up vibrant, diverse London, even though it remains a draw for millions of tourists every year.

The Wirral falls somewhere in between those two categories.

There is something about its pleasant green fields, narrow country lanes and friendly locals, which is summed up perfectly by its 14 golf courses, including world-famous Royal Liverpool.

But there’s also something a little more edgy and exciting than you would expect to find in the members’ bar of a golf club.

Our accommodation summed up the more genteel part of the peninsula, which is just to the south-west of Liverpool, protruding out into the Irish Sea.

Peel Hey Guest house sits just outside the village of Frankby and can’t really be described as anything other than charming.

Just back off the main road with its own gardens it has the slightly old-fashioned feel of an Edwardian guest-house.

For our stay the rooms were neat, the breakfasts were excellent and the man in the kitchen was referred to as ‘chef’.

It was idyllic without being stuffy, which makes it a good destination for people taking a weekend away – the main tourist trade in Wirral.

New Brighton, on the other hand, is a very different part of the peninsula.

Once the destination of choice for day-trippers from Liverpool it fell into a sad decline in the 1970s with the boom in package holidays and cheap sangria abroad.

Now it is on the up again and although it isn’t yet the prettiest part of a beautiful part of the world it is well worth a trip.

The fantastic redeveloped Floral Pavilion Theatre is a symbol of its regeneration and the New Brighton Lighthouse is an enduring icon of the area’s former glories, which are hopefully on their way back.

Not to mention Championship Mini Golf, where one of the two 18-hole courses is inspired by famous holes from across the golfing world.

The other course has holes designed to look like famous Wirral features, such as the Mersey Tunnel.

If you’re staying with kids they’ll love it, although as a big kid myself I couldn’t resist imagining I was actually teeing off at Augusta.

Back up the road on the peninsula’s east coast you can slip back into the more laid back side of things with a trip to Port Sunlight.

It’s a delightful model village, which time almost seems to have passed by since it was built at the end of the 19th century by William Hesketh Lever for his workers.

He owned the company which produced Sunlight Soap, and which still has a presence in the area today as Unilever.

He also constructed the Lady Lever Art Gallery, which is housed in a beautiful building in the heart of the village and which holds a fantastic collection.

You can also spend a bit of time using a calendar that can tell you which month of the year it is according to your shadow, which is surprisingly impressive.

Even relaxation can be tiring work though, so it’s always good to know you have not only a wealth of restaurants to pick from, but also that so many of them are excellent.

Oxford Mail:

  • Taking a boat trip off West Kirby

We ate at Gusto in Heswall, which had a mind-bogglingly long menu but which was nonetheless excellent.

Their pizzas are apparently excellent, but I can vouch for the steak being superb as well.

It was also here that we witnessed what I had been told was a fairly common sight in the area when a famous former footballer whizzed past us in the street.

As it’s not far from Liverpool, or indeed Manchester, the area has always been popular with professionals at those cities’ big clubs. Our brief encounter with Ryan Giggs suggested it remains popular even after retirement.

Our second meal was at Hickory’s Smokehouse in West Kirby, a big, loud American-style restaurant.

Vegetarians should probably steer away (although there are meat-free choices) because it’s all about big slabs of red meat, bursting with flavour.

I had what were apparently beef ribs, although I am not sure how any cow could be big enough to provide such massive (and delicious) portions.

The Wirral had more to it than I had previously imagined, and its closeness to Liverpool, as well as the change in scene provided by New Brighton, means it is a good bet for a varied weekend away.

There is more than enough to see and do to keep you entertained.

THE FACTS

Where to stay: Peel Hey bed and breakfast, Frankby. Weekend packages from £95 per person for two nights. Winter and mid-week breaks from £75 per person. peelhey.co.uk
Where to eat: Gusto in Heswal or Hikory’s Smokehouse in West Kirby, are the pick of the crop
More information: visitwirral.com