ITPAS - Thurstaston Common

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Professor Stephen Harding

Weds 4th June...

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Thurstaston Common

The National Trust are responsible for a vast swathe of Thurstaston Common. The Hill and some of the surrounding land is owned by Wirral Borough Council.

On this page we hope to bring you any news and information that may affect people who visit the common. Below is a lengthy article on the latest proposals for fencing parts of the common. The ITPAS committee have discussed this further and raised questions to the NT Wardens. Our main one is why? The answer appears to be to allow grazing, but we are not convinced it is required in this particular area and by fencing such a large paddock. It is our perception that medium - long term plans to place cattle or even ponies could be the reason for such a large area to be fenced. This has been confirmed by the Wardens as a possibility for future consideration.

ITPAS intends to raise objections to the proposals, but we will suggest a possible further option for consideration. Again though, people may prefer the relatively small area to be left alone as the open spaces are preferred by users of the common.

To assist you in making your own mind up though, we have re-produced the consultation document here in purple (Heather!) text, You will be able to view plans and fill in the questionnaire they have provided us with. You may need 'Adobe' to view some documents - click here to download the free version (legal). You can also take part in our quick survey, but you may wish to read the full details below first.

Thurstaston Common SSSI

A proposal by The National Trust, to extend grazing on lowland heath on the north part of Thurstaston Common

The National Trust is now seeking views of the local community on three Options for fencing on the northern part of Thurstaston Common, which is registered as common land.

The Value of Commons

The value of commons for wildlife and as part of the historic landscape is increasingly recognised and this can often mean that we need to carry out work to protect and enhance these assets. Commons like Thurstaston are highly valued as places for walking and quiet recreation. The heather clad parts of the common provide an open landscape which contrasts with the adjacent woodland areas and can offer glimpses of wider panoramic views to the Dee estuary and the hills of North Wales .

The original meaning of a Common was a piece of land over which various rights to graze, to cut turf, etc were held in common by the commoners, who were usually resident within the neighbouring village or community. Parliamentary Enclosure Acts in the C18th and C19th led to common rights being extinguished often with private enclosure of the land. At Thurstaston, Thurstaston Hill (45 acres) was acquired at the time of enclosure (1883) as a public recreation ground to be kept in its natural condition for the benefit of the people of Birkenhead and the surrounding district. From 1916 onwards, The National Trust acquired much of the remainder of Thurstaston Common and now holds this land inalienably for the benefit of the nation.

The 1965 Commons Registration Act enabled the registration of areas of land which were important for health and recreation as commons in the sense that that right of access may continue to be enjoyed in perpetuity. In the case of Thurstaston Common, both senses of the word ‘common’ are relevant and in caring for the Common, The National Trust aims to achieve a balance between the benefits of access and conservation.

Grazing on Commons

‘Grazing livestock and associated activities played a key role in the formation and maintenance of many semi-natural habitats including grassland, heathland and pasture-woodland, through slowing or altering the successional trajectory of these habitats towards increased woodland cover’; Grazing Animals Project.

Historically, Thurstaston Common was ‘manorial waste’ and was a grazing common for the village of Thurstaston . The heather clad hills of Wirral owe much of their present character to the practice of grazing in the past. The Enclosure Act of 1883 led to formal grazing rights being extinguished although informal livestock grazing and grazing by rabbits continued to maintain the open character of the common until the late 1950’s when Myxamatosis severely reduced rabbit populations locally. In subsequent decades, self seeded birch scrub developed across parts of the common. From the early 1980’s a management programme started to remove scrub and to conserve the heathland. The National Trust reintroduced grazing to three small paddocks around Benty Farm to help to reduce re-invasion by birch.

Grazing has proved to be a useful method for maintaining the typical, open character of the heathland. At Thurstaston, hardy breeds of sheep including Herdwick and Hebridean have been used successfully for this purpose although elsewhere traditional breeds of beef cattle such as Red Poll, Galloway , Shorthorn and Aberdeen Angus are particularly effective at controlling scrub development.

The current proposal seeks to extend grazing to a wider area of open heath on the north of the common. This could be either by creating an entirely new grazing paddock of 12.5 hectares, extending the existing Paddock 3, currently 4.4 hectares to 16.9 hectares, or fencing the outer perimeter of the common land.

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