In this issue
- Chair’s Report
- Green Flag Status
- Events on the Hill
- Bidston Observatory
- Bidston Lighthouse
- Ranger’s Report
- Membership
This issue is available to download as a PDF.
Chair’s Report
Earlier this year, our long-standing Chair, Roy Caligari, took the decision to stand down from the role he had held for fifteen years.
I’m honoured to step into the role of Chair for The Friends of Bidston Hill following Roy Caligari’s remarkable stewardship.
Over the past decade and a half, Roy championed countless projects that have helped preserve the natural beauty and historic character of Bidston Hill. His dedication has left a lasting legacy, and I’d like to thank him sincerely for his tireless service.
The Friends of Bidston Hill aim to support the development of the Hill for the local and wider community while preserving its unique character and natural beauty. We work in partnership with Wirral Council’s Parks and Countryside Service to create new ideas and projects for the benefit of the Hill and its visitors.
In my new role as Chair, I hope to build on that strong foundation by encouraging even greater community involvement with local schools and businesses, and by exploring new conservation initiatives that protect the Hill’s unique habitats.
Together with our dedicated members and team of volunteers, I look forward to enhancing the visitor experience, safeguarding the landscape for future generations, and ensuring that Bidston Hill remains a treasured green space for everyone to enjoy.
There’s always something happening on Bidston Hill, and we’d love for you to be part of it. Keep an eye on our events page to see what’s coming up – and we hope to see you soon.
Warm regards,
Chris Langton
Chair, Friends of Bidston Hill
Bidston Hill Newsletter Winter 2025-26
Green Flag Status
We are pleased to report that Bidston Hill continues to maintain Green Flag
status, the mark of a quality park or green space.
Given in recognition of achieving the national standard for parks and green
spaces.
Much of the credit for Bidston Hill’s continued Green Flag status goes to our
dedicated Friday Group who work tirelessly throughout the year – whatever the
weather! It is their commitment and love for the Hill that makes it possible for
us all to enjoy this wonderful conservation area in every season.
If you’d like to get involved, we’d love to hear from you! Contact us.
Or simply come along to the Tam O’Shanter Farm café area for 09:45am any
Friday morning to lend a hand with practical tasks on the Hill. All are welcome –
just wear suitable clothing and footwear for the weather.
Volunteers raising the Green Flag for Bidston Hill
Events on the Hill
Windmill Open Days:
The windmill is open to the public from 10am till 12 noon on the first Saturday of
each month. The next openings will be in April and May 2026. Members of our
‘Friday Group’ volunteers also open the windmill for visits most Fridays
throughout the summer months.
Bidston Observatory
2025 marks the sixth year Bidston Observatory Artistic Research Centre has
been open and we are thrilled to see our year-on-year visitor numbers steadily
increase. We have had a great mix of local, national and international artists,
musicians, academics, researchers and creatives stay at the Observatory
alongside the introduction of the Observatory Monthly Tours for which we have
taken over 1000 visitors around on guided tours of the building.
We are also in the process of applying for a license to hold a couple of
weddings per year at the Observatory and are doing a Christmas Dinners Fund
Raiser in December.
The building continues to demand a lot of maintenance work but this years
biggest job was the installation of secondary glazing on the first floor which has
dramatically improved heat retention which hopefully should bring down the
heating bills a bit!
In 2026 we look forward to hosting Wyrd Wyreal, a music festival featuring local
artists and performers as well as continuing the public tours.
We’ll update our Facebook page with upcoming events, hope to see you here
soon!
Bidston Lighthouse
In 2025, the lighthouse opened to the public on the second Saturday of each
month from April through August, and once more in October, running three
tours each day. We also ran a number of private tours for local history,
photography and walking groups.
Next year’s programme will be announced in March 2026 – check the events page on the Bidston Lighthouse website then.
Ranger’s Report
Steady progress has been made since last Christmas on the area along the
path to the Observatory, removing encroaching gorse, silver birch and bramble,
opening up the view to the Observatory and across to Liverpool. The area
below this has been cleared of gorse and silver birch to manage the area for
common lizards and to open up the view to Liverpool.
During the summer months, the volunteers have worked on the area to the
north of the lighthouse removing invasive silver birch, gorse, sycamore and
balsam. When it was hot we thinned out holly in the woodland near the car
park, increasing the light to get to the woodland floor.
I have also refurbished and replaced the QR codes, for the Heritage Trail, on all
of the posts.
The volunteers opened the Windmill on Fridays throughout the summer, with a
variation on the number of visitors. I have added to the interpretation material
in the windmill including, a dinosaur footprint, photographs, fossil casts and old
tools. Hopefully there will be some more additions in the new year.
Friday group volunteers at Bidston Windmill
In past few weeks we have worked removing scrub on the South heath near the Witches pond and creating more wetland areas by linking up water filled pools.
Footpath Route Maintenance
Several locations of work, ongoing on King Georges Way.
A big thanks again to all the volunteers for their hard work on the hill over the
past year in gaining the Green Flag award.
Here’s to another year of work conserving Bidston Hill.
Thanks to everyone
Neil Mutch
Ranger, Bidston Hill
Membership
If you would like to become a member of the Friends of Bidston Hill we would
be delighted to welcome you aboard! There is a very low joining fee of only
£5.00 per family.
If you haven’t renewed your membership for the current year (the renewal date
is 1st January each year), it’s not too late to do it now!
Here is a link to our membership form.
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