Forums Forums Wirral History : Chasing the Past Wirral History Leasowe Lighthouse - excavation

I heard the other day that they were digging around
Leasowe lighthouse.

It seems they have found the old foundations of an additional
building that used to be attached to the lighthouse.
If you look at it carfully you can see where it would have
fitted into the side of the light house. Just to the right and the first floor of the now main door.

The prehistory sea snake.
There was an old gentleman hanging around. And he pointed
this "Sea Snake" in the Rock. Its opposite the main entrance
to the light house so you can check it out your self at any time.
Its in the rock for sure and apparently used to have a tail sticking out too.

Apparently the "Germans" would use the moonlight as a guide
across the Wirral to drop there bombs and frequently fly
over where the light house is now. (Thanks to that old man).

Here is a photo of how it used to look: (taken from www.leasowelighthouse.co.uk)

Some more at http://www.merchantnavyofficers.com/topp16.html

202N 97E just looks like a housebrick to me

lol

Good Find
Yeh that's what there digging up the foundations,
our friend (Jack) told us.

good find lads

Lol, he was quite sound that man, I rekon he's the type of man you could just get tons and tons of info out of and probably spend hours with him if you had the time lol.

He even knew straight away about the Bidston sir raid shelters!! As soon as we mentioned the Bidston Tunnel's, he immediately linked them to the air raid shelters under Bidton Hill lol.

That 'sea snake' looks like a large crinoid stem (commonly seen in limestone at Halkyn).

ye they prob did use it as a guide to drop bombs, i got told thats why the liver buildings where never bombed cos when the planes came 1 way up the mersey they done a left at them and half a mile in dropped bombs and when coming the other way done a right and half mile in dropped them. always making sure they got the city centre

That's quite surprising. I'd have thought that the docks would have been the prime target.

Doesn't really compute as there are many landmarks they could have used. New Brighton baths for one, tower building, fort perch rock. The river itself was unique so once here I don't think they had much bother finding the targets which were usually the docks. Okay they missed a lot but so did ours over their country.

Did you know that they had a Morse light on top of the Liver buildings flashing Morse to convoys gathering at the bar? I was told that and can believe it.

That great Liverpool historian Frank Carlisle was on Radio Merseyside today talking about the wreck of a world war two German fighter that was at a school in Liverpool. He said it had been shot down here which is patently nonsense because no German fighter had the range to reach this side of the country. Bombers obviously but not fighters.

I remember being told by a guy from here that he was talking with a German and when he mentioned the bombing of Merseyside the German said impossible, Liverpool could not have been bombed because they never had the range. Well it must have been woodworm that brought all those buildings down he replied. Not sure if the joke wasn't lost on the German though?

Leasowe Lighthouse Excavation 2007

The National Museums Liverpool (NML) was commissioned by Wirral Council to carry out a community dig in Wirral on the 24th September 2007 as part of Wirral’s contribution to the European Capital of Culture Year of Heritage. The project was undertaken by NML’s Field Archaeology Unit with a team of experienced professional excavators from the museum under the direction of Dr Robert Philpott, head of the unit.

The dig focused on Leasowe lighthouse, which was used as a base for the duration of the project. Three or four smaller trenches were also be excavated close to the shore at Meols, based on the results of test-pitting undertaken earlier in the year. These were close to areas which produced finds or structures in the 19th century.

Prior to the excavation Dr Philpott, head of the unit said:
“The project is timely as a major new book is being completed on the ancient finds from Meols, to be published later this year by Oxford University. The book places the remarkable Meols finds in a national context. The site is of national importance yet we know very little about how much survives of the early settlements. The research for the book will now be followed by fieldwork, including excavation, field walking and surveying to shed light on settlement and activity connected with the important ancient port at Meols.”

After 4 weeks of excavation the project finally shut down and all agreed that the work was both interesting and valuable to take part in. Among the finds are the walls of a stable block, chimney pots, welsh slate, discarded glass and even a small 19th Century porcelain doll's head. There were initially some ideas that the floor of the building was slate, and flat slates were found, but small holes in them suggested they had been used as roof tiles, and then, as they were lifted a brick floor started to be revealed underneath.


Full Story

Is it true that many years ago they found a Roman burial in that area??

I havent heard that mate but there is a grave yard further out under the sea, prob dating 17th or 18th century. There is lots of Meols & Moreton now under the sea. A project is currently underway to reveal how much is still there.

Yeah, pretty clued up on Moreton, Meols and Hoylake. Lived there most of my life. The burial was just something i read / heard about years ago.
My mum remembers the fossilised forest off Hoylake in the 60`s.