Forums Forums Wirral History : Chasing the Past Wirral History Flaybrick Hill 1815-2008

1840
Tramway into quarry, this tramway was used between 1815 and 1865, closing just after the cemetery opened. It was the first tramway in Birkenhead and went to Wallasey Pool.
Bottom road is Upton Road, Tollemache Road to the right.



1870
Birkenhead Cemetery has arrived (opened 1864).
Three Mortuary Chapels - C of E (not named), Dissenters and Roman Catholic.
Just to the east of the RC Chapel there is a quarry cutting which will have been the route of the tramway into the quarry.
Flaybrick Quarry is on both sides of Tollemache Road.
Bidston Avenue is called Bailey Street.



1882
The Dissenters Mortuary Chapel is now called non-conformist.
C of E Chapel is named C of E.
Flaybrick Quarry is named west of Tollemache Road, Quarry to east is unamed.



1899
Hospital for Infectious Disease has arrived, occupying the ground to the north of the quarry.
The west quarry seems to have closed and the east quarry is now called Flaybrick Quarry
Cemetery has grown to the south edge of the quarry.



1913
The hospital has expanded southwards, covering the West quarry.
Bailey Street has been renamed to Bidston Avenue.



1938
The newer part of the Hospital has been knocked down and rebuilt.
The Hospital is now called an Isolation Hospital.
The Corporation Yard has been created.
The tramway cutting has started to be filled in.
The Crossways Estate has been built.
The east quarry has closed and is converted in a childrens playground and recreation ground.
The hospital has its own mortuary.



1954
Nothing has changed since 1938!



1956
Hospital is now called St James' Hospital for Tuberculosis and Isolation.
The tramway cutting has been filled in and a small structure built against the wall within the cemetery.
Hospital has more buildings.
The cemetery is now called Flaybrick Hill Cemetery.
The chapels are no longer called mortuary chapels.



1966
The tramway cutting has been levelled off.
The hospital mortuary is no longer mentioned.



1972 - Aerial
The structure on the tramway cutting appears to be getting grown over.



1976
No change.



1997 Aerial
The hospital (except lodge) has gone and is now a housing estate.
The corporation yard has moved and the old one built on.
Roman Catholic Chapel has been demolished.


2001 Aerial
Hospital lodge is demolished.


2006 Aerial
The last house on Naylor Road has been demolished.



2008 Aerial
No change

this gets better every day dd..wow

brilliant info there dd

good work d.d.

I didn't realise the quarry tramway cutting was there up until 1950/60s (shows on 56 map but gone on 66 map). I'll ask my Dad if he remembers it. He used to play up there as a kid and also worked in the hospital during the 60s.

put some work into that dd nice one
Must enlist you on my side if I have to dig deeper for any info

When was Lower Flaybrick road actually made into a footpath then? I'm sure I remember cars being able to drive up there in the late 80's???? or maybe I'm wrong.

Great stuff! Well done d.d