If you’re looking to travel as far west as possible for a pint in the Merseyside area you can’t get much further than West Kirby. Nestled in the top left corner of the Wirral peninsular West Kirby is a small town that enjoys a great clutch of places to drink, and is a great place for a day out to boot. You can walk out to Hilbre island, accessible only during low tide. (Please check tide times so you don’t get cut off! you already knew that though didn’t you?). Take in one of its famous sunsets, or the view from its hills just above the town by the memorials.

Getting there is a doddle either by Train, Bus or Car, when using public transport please note when the last outbound journey finishes, unless your local West Kirby is one of the areas most extreme geographical points! If you’re visiting from Liverpool I recommend using Merseyrail train services as the trip is quick and cheap. The only disadvantage is that as of this date trains to Liverpool do finish at 11pm

As with previous Pub crawls I have published please note that places are included and excluded at my own choice, you are as always encouraged to explore. I believe that this route provides a good representation of what is available in the area.

If you believe there are any mistakes or corrections please contact me directly.

The Route

The route is circular in nature and can easily be completed in an afternoon or a whole day depending on how long you wish to spread out your journey, West Kirby is relatively flat closer to the sea front however it becomes increasingly hilly towards the east. if you are planning on visiting and believe the inclines may be an issue you may want to consider the shorter version on the map which only misses out the Hilltop. you can toggle between the two route versions using the embedded map or by viewing directly. Currently the shortened version is displayed as the hilltop is currently closed.

The West Kirby Tap

On arrival at West Kirby Station take a right and a short walk up grange road to your first pub on the trip. Painted a shade of red that wouldn’t look out-of-place in a Mediterranean village its difficult to miss! The brewery tap has only been open a few years and is  Spitting Feathers second outlet pub the first being located in Chester. It has already become very popular amongst Wirral’s beer lovers and has been awarded by the local CAMRA branch.

At any time there should be 8 hand pulls available one often with a real cider. Blackboards above the bar display what is currently available be it draught, bottles or spirits. Another neat addition is small kilner jars filled with the beers to show you what colour they are, if you’re the sort of person who leans towards a particular end of the beer spectrum. Staff are quick to turn around beers that have finished and helpful in giving advice on your choice. In my experience the beers have always been in very good condition and a varied range has usually been available. A good range of Craft bottled and canned beers are available as are several foreign beers from Europe. Gin is also available owing to the recent resurgence and popularity of Liverpool Gin.

small plates are available and the bread cheese and meat platters are quite popular. The pub itself is quite open but also has cosy areas to settle down in, it looks and feels warm in winter and in the summer you can enjoy the large open front windows or sun yourself outside on the pavement. Entertainment is regularly planned so if you enjoy a bit of music with your drink you wont be disappointed. The tap is also very active on social media and today its something that pubs and bars cannot afford to ignore. So follow them on twitter and Facebook to keep up to date

The Dee Hotel

Once you have left the Tap, continue to backtrack towards the station, follow the main road as it curves around the station, opposite the bus stop you will find the large front of the Dee hotel.

UPDATE: Since this article was originally conceived JD Wetherspoons have decided to sell off several of their pubs, the dee is one of them and will close in the future. What date has been chosen for the Dee’s closure remains unknown, until then it is open for business! What will become of it is unknown though it is speculated it will return to a hotel.

Next on your route is the Dee Hotel. follow the road to the left as it curves around past the train station and municipal buildings. cross the road and you will see the classic Tudor styled front of the Dee Hotel. During the 1930s the hotel was expanded so today the interior of the Hotel is quite large and spacious and is similar in style to many other JD Wetherspoons outlets. The area closest to the bar is invariably the busiest so if your after a quiet drink you may want to move to one of the outlying areas of the bar. Several hand pumps are available dispensing regular ales as well as guest ales, usually at least one local ale, in previous visits I have seen offerings from both Peerless brewery and Cheshire Brew Bros.

On my previous visits the majority of the ales have been available and have been in good to fair condition, if sometimes a bit too cold. Food is served until late, and is standard Wetherspoons menu. A small back yard terrace allows you to enjoy the weather. The Dee did until recently have a social media presence but this seems to have disappeared, possibly due to the impending closure.

The White Lion

 

Turning right out of the Dee you can now walk uphill and around the corner to your next stop, please take care crossing the road here. The 200-year-old sandstone white washed white lion stands out like a beacon on the corner so its difficult to miss! As just mentioned the white lion is fairly old and has a great warm, solidly built traditional free house feel to it. Exceptionally cosy in the warm winter months thanks to its hobbit hole like nature and real fires, the white lion is all bare stone and wooden beams. It’s a great example of  a classic British pub. The white lion is a pub for all seasons with a large beer garden at the back which is a great sun trap in the warmer months, its also full of all sorts of quirky garden decorations.

Black sheep bitter and Directors Courage best bitter are the regular ales on but there are also 2 guest beers on at a time as well, often one from a local brewer. I have seen beers from Frodsham brewery and Peerless in previous visits. While the White lion may not have a massive variety of Ale available it has been consistently good when I have visited, and has a look, feel and atmosphere unique on the circuit.

Route alternatives

From this point onwards you can continue uphill on grange road until you reach the top and take a left down Black Horse Hill road, this will take you to the next pub on the route The Viking. The walk takes between 10 to 15 mins depending on how fast you walk and your mobility, the hill is quite steep so if you don’t fancy the uphill battle you can skip the next part. Take the small public path just opposite The White Lion that leads to Carpenters lane and Rectory lane a pleasant shortcut skirting Ashton Park that will take you to the Ring O Bells. the map has full route details.

The Viking (Formerly The Hilltop)

Now opened after an extensive refurbishment the Viking is a large gastropub owned by Celebrity chef and local lad Simon Rimmer. If you have ever visited the Elephant in Woolton Liverpool the formula is somewhat similar here. Inside the Viking the pub has been opened out into one large room with a mixture of modern and retro fixtures, a single large island bar dominates the centre of the Viking with 5 Cask hand pulls displayed on the end facing the door and other keg taps on the longer sides.

Local beers often mix with beers from further afield. One of the unique selling points of the Viking is that Tank Budweiser Budvar is available, an unpasteurised keg beer shipped as fresh as possible direct from the Czech Republic. Outside a large beer garden is on offer to take in the views across the peninsular east towards Liverpool. Note this beer garden will get very busy during summer months.

I would categorise the Viking as a gastropub and despite just opening has been very busy on each visit so please be aware of this affect on seating, during weekends and evenings it is very popular with families.

After leaving the Viking you will need to walk back up the hill a short distance, you will then need to take a left onto the A540 Column Road and then a Right down Village road.

The Ring o Bells

Continue to follow the road as it winds it’s way down hill and you will reach your next stop. Nestling on the corner of Village Road and Rectory Road is the mock-tudor styled Ring o Bells. Regardless of which route you take both walks to the ring o bells is a enjoyable affair, as this is the older leafier part of West Kirby. Indeed the pub dates from 1801 and is one of the last two remaining original village pubs. Currently a Greene King pub this operates more of a family dining pub in keeping with other similar Greene King pubs.

There were 8 hand pulls on during the last visit the majority taken up by Greene King’s own ales there were others sourced from national brewers as well. A generous wooded beer garden sits just next to the pub and is very popular during good weather. recently there have been strides taken to try to improve the beer range and organise small beer and cider festivals. Beer quality is usually good if maybe occasional a bit too cold. Recently the cask hand pulls have been moved to the top most tier of the two tier bar. this is immediately visible on your right as you enter.

Owing to the nature of the pub expect it to be filled with mostly families during the evening and weekends. so seating may be at a premium if many people are eating.

Hickories Smokehouse

Just down the hill and around the corner from your previous stop is Hickories. This was previously known as the Moby Dick pub built in post-war style. Now owned by a small USA Smoke-house restaurant chain the hickories is often genuinely rammed at weekends, with tables usually booked weeks in advanced. It is a nice place to grab a bite to eat, but be warned if you don’t book ahead you could end up waiting a long time for a table owing to its popularity. Noise is also something you may want to be aware of because of its popularity, open kitchen, TV’s and family friendly atmosphere it can be quite loud at weekends. Don’t let this put you off though as it’s a nice place to visit for a drink on the route and the food is very good! outdoor seating is also available.

Beer wise owing to its north American styling you will find several USA beers available. On my latest visit I found Brimstage trappers hat and one house cask ale has been available “Hickories Old” which is brewed by Weetwood in Cheshire. USA craft beers are available bottled however and the other usual suspects are also available at the bar.

The Hilbre *note currently closed for refurb*

UPDATE: during a visit in November 2016 i discovered that the Hilbre seems to be shut temporarily it would seem that it is going to be updated and the closure is only temporary.

Coming out of hickories the road forks, take a right down Sandy lane, over a small bridge that crosses the Wirral Way, follow the road around as it becomes Banks road and continue walking until you find the Hilbre pub on your left hand sign. Another post-war style pub.

Inside it’s very open plan and spacious with the bar dominating the centre of the pub, there are TV’s and pool tables. The Hilbre is currently a tied pub so is somewhat limited by what it can sell. Four regular big name ales appear at the bar, and also one guest. Recently a craft keg line for Brewdog punk IPA was added, whether this will stay will probably depend on its popularity. The quality of the ales on offer was good on previous visits. There is a decked outdoor area for enjoying better weather. It tends to be quiet during the times of day I tend to visit The Hilbre so I cant really postulate if it gets busier during the evening.

Curio *currently closed*

UPDATE: on a recent visit this November it appears that the curio has sadly closed. I am unaware to the circumstances behind this. It is possible that it will reopen again. until I have more information i will leave the entry for the curio in place but please be aware that you will not be able to visit until further notice

Continuing up Banks Road you will eventually come across Curio sited on the corner with South Road. A great cosy restaurant/bar, its a good place to grab a bite to eat as part of your walk, as it serves some lovely food made with fine locally sourced ingredients. Curio doesn’t actually have any cask ale available but don’t let that stop you for a minute! What it does offer is several draught continental beers and a range of bottled ales, including Mad hatter and Liverpool Craft Brewery ales. If your feeling curious (see what I did there?) you can even try some of their cocktails! A blackboard above the bar will let you know what craft beers are currently available. Curio also features regular live acts, the intimate atmosphere of the place really suits having live music on, so keep an eye on who is on via their Facebook and Twitter accounts.

The choice of bottles changes frequently so there is usually always something new on and the friendly staff will be able to offer suggestions! be aware of Curio’s opening hours as they are not open all day, subsequently you may find it better to visit towards the end of the day, especially if you can fit it in with a meal and some entertainment!

Full Circle

Once you have left curio you have completed the circuit. from this point you can return to any of the other establishments in the crawl if you have a favourite and you would like to spend some more time there. Worth noting is there are several other bars long Banks road, while real ale may not be available they are quite popular and often busy. You may wish to visit these, continuing north along Banks road will eventually return you to the train station our initial starting point.

West Kirby is a fantastic beer destination for Merseyside, easily reached from most parts of the region and has a great array of pubs and bars, and also individual eateries. It’s entirely possible to visit other nearby destinations too, Hoylake also has a few noted pubs. The crawl is suitable for any time of year, if however you fancy taking in some of the views of the Dee, the sea or views from the top of the hills you will of course benefit from it being a clearer day.