I never really was crazy about the song Ferry Cross The Mersey by Gerry and the Pacemakers over the years. It was an okay song at best; but it just seemed too British for me and I simply could not relate to it. When I was younger, I thought to myself, what the heck is a Mersey, anyway?
So, Ferry Cross The Mersey.
I did not hear the song — which was released in the United States in 1965 — all that often; but whenever I did hear it, I pictured a cloudy, dreary day by the water. Maybe rain was falling. Perhaps seagulls were flying. I don’t know…
…but when I recently embarked on a road trip throughout Ireland and the United Kingdom, I would stay not far from Liverpool on the day prior to leaving to return to the United States. This was my opportunity to actually be a passenger on a ferry across the River Mersey, which I did not realized exists. I honestly never really thought about it until this trip was planned.
I arrived at the Seacombe Ferry Terminal in Wallasey, which is on the Wirral Peninsula along the west bank of the River Mersey in England. I expected it to be crowded for some unknown reason; and I thought that parking the rental car that I was driving would be a nightmare. On that day, an ample amount of free parking was available on the residential streets only two blocks away from the terminal.
Tickets can either be purchased electronically or in person at the ticket desk. One can choose to take the regular commuter ferry, which simply travels across the River Mersey. We opted for the River Explorer Cruise.
The time had arrived to board the vessel.
Much of the vessel was unoccupied, as approximately one dozen people were aboard for the voyage.
Seating is also available on the outside — which was not desirable on that cold rainy morning.
Arena and Convention Centre Liverpool opened in May of 2008. The cranes in the background indicate that new construction in Liverpool still continues.
The Three Graces which line the waterfront of Liverpool are the Royal Liver Building, the Cunard Building, and the Port of Liverpool Building; and to the right of them is the Museum of Liverpool.
The Port of Liverpool building is in the Edwardian Baroque style and is noted for the large dome that sits atop it, which actually was not part of the original design. It was constructed between 1904 and 1907 with a reinforced concrete frame that is clad in Portland stone.
The Royal Liver Building is one of the most recognizable landmarks in the city of Liverpool. Note its two fabled Liver Birds, which can be easily spotted by their greenish colours: Bertie is the male Liver Bird who looks over the city; and Bella is the female Liver Bird who looks to the sea. According to legend, if the two birds were to fly away, the city of Liverpool would cease to exist.
To the north of historic Victoria Tower — which was constructed between 1847 and 1848 — is Everton Stadium, which is a football stadium in Walton that will be the new home of Premier League football club Everton and is located two miles north of the city centre of Liverpool. This stadium will replace Goodison Park, which has been the home of Everton since 1892.
Wallasey Town Hall can be seen on the Wirral Peninsula along the west bank of the River Mersey…
…as is the ventilation station for the Queensway Tunnel, through which I drove after the ferry ride had concluded.
Royal Iris of the Mersey was the vessel on which I was a passenger.
A plaque commemorates the Wirral Maritime Heritage Trail — Seacombe, of which the ferry is a significant part.
Final Boarding Call
I am not sure why this trip captivated me. For some reason, I just had to do it…
…and I did enjoy it. The cost was £12.75 per person for the River Explorer Cruise. Other ferry and excursion options are available.
- Victoria Place
Seacombe
Wallasey
Wirral
CH44 6QY - Pier Head
Georges Parade
Liverpool
L3 1DP
Pricing for the River Explorer Cruise
Adults who are a minimum of 16 years of age: £12.75
Children between 5 years of age and 15 years of age: £8.30
Infants who are younger than 5 years of age: FREE
Concession: adults who are older than 60 years of age and student card holders: £11.25
Family of two adults and a maximum of :
-
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- Two children: £36.00
- Three children: £39.00
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Vessels leave every hour on the hour from Liverpool; and they leave every hour 20 minutes after the hour from Seacombe.
Parking is free on the streets near the terminal in Seacombe if they are available — otherwise, discounted paid parking is available in both Liverpool and Seacombe.
All photographs ©2024 by Brian Cohen.
