Seacombe Ferry

Modern day Seacombe Ferry is either an architectural beauty or, as Prince Charles might say, "A Carbuncle", depending on your point of view.  The ferry terminal, on a floating stage, is ultra modern in design, giving excellent views all around the river Mersey.  Cruise trips are every hour.

Facilities are very good, especially for an afternoons trip.  There is a cafe, in the shape and style of a ferry boat, where you can relax whilst waiting for your boat if you don't want to go down to the stage.  For the kids there is a Pirates Paradise soft play area (chargeable), and a Seaquarium (chargeable) to visit. 

To make an afternoon, or day, of it, a ticket that inclusive ferry and  Seaquarium ticket can be purchased.  You can break your ferry trip at Birkenhead, where you can visit the Giant Grasshopper and the Tram Museum, then over to Liverpool to see the Maritime Museum, and back to Seacombe.  For the full experience I would recommend starting early, or giving the Maritime Museum a day on it's own. 

Visit the Mersey Ferries site for more information.

History

Seacombe Ferry was built between 1876 - 80, and was officially opened in 1880, on reclaimed land..  Since the 1600's there has been a pub above the high water mark, but it was replaced by the Seacombe Ferry Hotel on land to the left of the ferry, which itself was rebuilt in 1978.  The old building was continually being flooded by high tides when there was a storm.  Even the new one is susceptible to this, the last I recall being 1988ish.

The ferry terminal was rebuilt in the 1930's, with a new floating stage and buildings, but keeping the style of the previous terminal.  These buildings are still in use today.  The floating stage was replaced at that time because of numerous accidents to it, such as in 1909 when the Dominion Liner "Ottoman" rammed it and damaged the platform and hydraulic rams.

Seacombe Ferry has been a focal point for public transport for as long as there has been a ferry service.  When the town grew large enough to have its own service, there were horse drawn trams.  These were parked just outside and across the road from the ferry,   and were complete with stables.  The area is now housing and called Horsemans Place.  At various times there have been several different types of transport together at the ferries, ranging from horse drawn cabs, electric trams, motorised cabs, and motor busses.

At one time the ferry was serviced by trains, but that was finally closed in 1963.  The only remains are two sandstone walls that used to be parts of bridges.  One on Church St. still has a name and date plaque.  Pictures of Victoria Road show the L&NWR Railway offices

There have been many accidents to the Mersey Ferries floating landing stages.  At one time there were five such stages, Liverpool, Birkenhead, Seacombe, Egremont and New Brighton.  The pier to Egremont was cut in half by a tanker collision, and the New Brighton service stopped when the pier there was demolished.  The new landing stage at Liverpool actually sank soon after it was built to replace the original wooden stage (where the liners used to tie up, such as the Empress boats, and Cunard Liners like Lusitania (whose propeller is at the Liverpool Maritime Museum)).

The ferry terminal has been used in many films, such as "The Dressmaker", "Chariots of Fire" and "Dream Child".  Chariots of Fire used many local places as backgrounds, and in lieu of the real places.