Blog Tour ~ The Mersey Estuary by Kevin Sene

Delighted to host today's Blog Tour stop

Matador
February 2020

My thanks to the author and Random Things Tours for my copy of this book
and the invitation to the blog tour

Stretching for around thirty miles to the coast, the Mersey Estuary is perhaps best known for Liverpool s spectacular waterfront and the Mersey Ferry. But there are many other hidden gems along its shores, including waterside parks, sandy beaches and poignant reminders of the days of steamships and sail.

The Mersey Estuary: A Travel Guide provides suggestions for places to visit along the estuary, from its upper reaches in Warrington to where it meets the sea at New Brighton and the Sefton Coast. Along the way, the book calls in at Widnes, Runcorn, Ellesmere Port, Port Sunlight, Birkenhead, Liverpool and Formby Point, and includes an interesting mix of walks and cycling routes, ranging from a couple of hours to a full day out. Readers will also discover some less well-known sights, including lighthouses, a castle, medieval buildings, and a transporter bridge, one of only eight left in the world.

For those interested in the history, environment and wildlife of the estuary, there is also an introduction to its nature reserves, geology, canals and bird life. Other topics include the development of the Port of Liverpool, including its famous Liver Birds, and how the estuary has been cleaned up in recent decades so that even salmon have returned. There are also tips on bird watching and photography and on where to see seals and the Mersey s little-known tidal bore.

What did I think about it..

I am no stranger to the Mersey Estuary, only 18 miles away, the city of Liverpool is practically on my doorstep. One of my favourite visits takes place, usually early on a Sunday morning, to one of the Mersey estuaries most famous beaches, that of Crosby beach, which features the installations by the sculptor, Antony Gormley, in an area known, quite simply, as Another Place.

The Mersey Estuary is filled with a rich maritime history, as is the whole of the Liverpool seafront, with its iconic buildings standing proud in, what was, and still is, a prosperous port. The legacy of this history can be seen up and down the coastline and the author has done a truly great job of bringing this area to life in an informative and well-written travel guide book which is filled with detailed descriptions of places to visit and history to discover.

I have a great respect for the Mersey Estuary, its tides and coastline are notoriously fickle and tidal conditions can change in a heartbeat, which is why a good travel guide is so important if you are going to explore this area in any detail. The book is a handy size and not too cumbersome to be able to fit comfortably in a back-pack and contains important safety information alongside all those fascinating places which make this area such a joy to visit. 

The travel guide is expertly written and contains such a wealth of information that even though this area feels like my home patch, I have discovered things which I never knew, and have ear-marked all the places that I would love to visit once these interminable lockdown restrictions are finally lifted.

Regardless of whether you're local or a visitor then I do recommend The Mersey Estuary as valuable insight into this fascinating area.

About the Author

KEVIN SENE is a scientist and writer with an extensive knowledge of the maritime history, wildlife and environment of the estuary, and is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society. Now based in Edinburgh, he is a regular visitor to the area having lived in Warrington for many years, and also posts articles on the Mersey Estuary, Cumbria and beyond at https://www.meteowriter.com

Twitter @MeteowriterNews #TheMerseyEstuary

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