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Ball of Confusion

Maps & Resources

This is a list of some resources I have found useful in my historical researches on the Liverpool & Manchester Railway and Liverpool history more generally. I will hopefully update it on an occasional basis. The entries below were current as of 26th Aug 2026.

(A) = adverts

Archives

National

Regional & Local

Railways

Maps

Liverpool

North-west

UK

Railways

Images, etc

National & regional

Railways

Panoramas

Aerial panoramas

Aerial panoramas by Ed Farrell

Herdman

General art sites

Texts

General

Liverpool

Newspapers

Directories

Blogs

Data

Drizzle followed by light rain for this morning’s visit to #Royden. Fairly busy as befits a weekend. Greasby Brook back to the (very) occasional puddle.

A dirt path winds through a dense forest with tall trees and abundant green and brown foliage.A dirt path covered with fallen leaves winds through a dense forest with tall, green trees.A peaceful forest path covered with fallen leaves winds through tall trees with green and brown foliage.A forest path with scattered leaves and exposed tree roots runs alongside a dry, narrow stream bed surrounded by dense green foliage.

Enjoyable walk this morning in #Royden despite a heavy rain shower. Lots of puddles as a consequence (quite the novelty) and some accumulated flow in Greasby Brook, at least as far as the first (I assume) leaky barrier. Coffee and carbs at Benty’s which is closing at 2pm weekdays from 2nd Sept.

A gravel path winds through a dense forest with several puddles reflecting the surrounding trees.A muddy dirt path leads to a wooden gate under a large tree with green foliage in a natural, wooded area.A forest path covered with fallen leaves has a large puddle of water reflecting the surrounding trees.A small muddy creek runs through a forested area with green trees and ferns surrounding it.

Fairly quiet this morning in #Royden. Occasional light showers but dodged the worst in Benty’s which seems to be in sunflower mode.

A leaf-covered dirt path lined with a low stone wall runs through a densely wooded area with tall trees.A wooden fence borders a dry grassy field with a backdrop of green and autumn-colored trees, framed by branches and leaves.A dirt path winds through a forested area with tall trees and ferns on either side, along with some cut logs lying by the trail.A forest path covered with fallen autumn leaves winds through trees with green and brown foliage.

Cloudy but reasonably warm this morning in #Royden. Just a brief visit. Forecast for the rest of the week not great so will have to see how much I get out.

A dirt path winds through a forest with tall trees and dry, brown foliage on the ground.A narrow dirt path winds through a dry grassy field towards a dense forest under a cloudy sky.A dirt path winds through a forested area with tall trees and scattered green and autumn-colored foliage.A large Tudor-style house with distinctive black and white timber framing is set behind a hedge with dry grass in the foreground.

Sunny and fairly quiet first thing in #Royden this morning. Welsh coast a little hazy in the sun. Still a little colour courtesy of late blooming heather.

A rocky cliff edge overlooks a landscape of trees, fields, and distant hills under a clear blue sky.A dirt path winds through a forested area with trees displaying a mix of green and autumn-colored leaves under a clear sky.A sunlit clearing filled with flowering heather and various shrubs lies in front of a dense forest under a clear blue sky.A tall brick tower rises above a lush garden area with a wooden bench and various green plants under a clear blue sky.

Meols to Leasowe lighthouse and back this morning. Tide out but good show of waders, notably large numbers of egrets fairly close up. Moving much better. Coffee and carbs at the Green Hut.

A tall, weathered lighthouse stands in the distance behind bushes and tall grass beside a winding gravel path under a partly cloudy sky.A dense bush is filled with numerous clusters of small red berries surrounded by green leaves.Two white birds are standing in shallow water while another bird rests on the muddy shore.A calm beach landscape with shallow water pools, a marker post, and wind turbines visible on the horizon under a partly cloudy sky.

Just the occasional drop of rain this morning in #Royden. Still feeling a bit creaky. Coffee and carbs at a busy Benty’s.

A sunlit forest path with exposed tree roots leads to a small, upright stone marker surrounded by dense trees and greenery.A narrow dirt path winds through dense green and autumn-colored foliage under a cloudy sky.A winding dirt path runs through a scenic landscape of trees and shrubs under a partly cloudy sky.A scenic landscape features a dirt path winding through a field of autumnal ferns and shrubs under a partly cloudy blue sky.

Enjoyable morning wandering around RSPB Burton. Good weather, nice change of scene and a pleasant place to walk. Coffee and carbs at the cafe.

A grassy field with a body of water and a flock of birds flying under a partly cloudy sky stretches out toward the horizon.A serene pond is surrounded by lush greenery, including a large weeping willow tree, under a partly cloudy sky.A vast dry grassy field extends toward a distant coastline with trees and hills under a partly cloudy sky.A rural dirt path leads through dry grass and wildflowers toward a wooden gate with fields and trees under a partly cloudy sky in the background.

The passing of Terry Dyson reminds me that I used to have a book by his teammate Cliff Jones called How To Play Football. It was only a small thing, A6 I think, 34 pages apparently. Illustrated with photos of the author, arch exponent of the bullet header. Published 1963. Life was simpler then.

Afternoon walk around #Royden following rain overnight and this morning. A little accelerated leaf fall perhaps, the remains of rivulets, a few puddles but not much in the drainage ditches and just a little in Greasby Brook. No C&C (Benty’s closed).

A narrow dirt path winds through a forested area with green and brown foliage on either side.A dirt path winds through a wooded area past a moss-covered stone wall and a signpost.A small, shallow creek winds through a wooded area with green foliage and patches of exposed soil.A forest trail covered with fallen leaves winds through trees with green and autumn-colored foliage.

Overnight rain again but just a few drops this morning in #Royden. Mostly fast-walking, trying to resurrect a little muscle tone. Not just the silver birch that have atrophied in the hot weather. This one’s still in leaf btw.

A scenic view overlooking a grassy, slightly barren hillside with a bench on the left, leading to a small town and a body of water under a partly cloudy sky.A wooded area with a dirt path covered in fallen leaves and surrounded by trees and ferns.A dirt path winds through a forest with green and brown foliage under a partly cloudy sky.A large tree has fallen over with its extensive root system exposed in a dense forest area.

More rain overnight so a little damp underfoot in #Royden this morning but streams still dry (of course). Overcast sky contributing to muted, autumnal colours. Still a bit sluggish. Maybe it’s the time of year.

A rocky forest path covered with fallen leaves winds through trees with sparse autumn foliage.A narrow dirt path covered with fallen leaves winds through a dense forest with green grass, ferns, and birch trees.A forest path covered with fallen leaves winds through tall trees and lush green ferns.A dirt path runs through a forested area with trees showing early autumn foliage.

Overnight rain but mostly dry this morning in #Royden. Streams are still dry and the mere is the lowest I can remember. Feeling a bit sluggish tbh.

A rocky pathway surrounded by green and brown foliage leads through a wooded area.A wooden bench overlooks a scenic landscape of grassy fields, bushes, and distant water under a cloudy sky.A quiet forest path is surrounded by trees and ferns with leaves changing colors in early autumn.A tranquil pond is surrounded by lush greenery with a muddy bank and some scattered branches and leaves.

Occasional light shower for this morning’s visit to a slightly autumnal Birkenhead Park. Good to see all the bridges open again. Coffee and carbs at the cafe.

A pathway curves alongside a fenced grassy area with several benches and a cricket scoreboard amid tall trees under a cloudy sky.A wooden bridge spans a pond covered with green algae, surrounded by lush trees and purple wildflowers in the foreground.A wooden covered bridge painted red leads to a pathway surrounded by lush green trees.A vibrant floral arrangement shaped like a tiered tower stands in the center of a garden surrounded by colorful flower beds and greenery.

Nice morning walk from Thurstaston to Heswall and back. Managed to dodge the showers moving along the north Wales coast. High tide earlier left some mud and puddles. Support vessel spraying water on or between wind turbines in far distance. Coffee and carbs at YOT.

A wooden bench sits beside a dirt path surrounded by bushes, including one with ripening blackberries.A narrow dirt path leads through dry grass to a wooden bench overlooking a broad, grassy marshland under a cloudy sky.A winding dirt path runs alongside a grassy embankment beneath a cloudy sky.Support vessel spraying large cloud of water over or between wind turbines.

Warm and humid this morning in a fairly quiet #Royden. Hay baled, blackberries a bit underwhelming, paths dusty, everywhere still very dry.

Out even earlier to #Royden this morning to beat the heat. Surrounding fields newly mown, silver birch turning, second flush of ferns. Coffee and carbs at Benty’s where the fairy party was in full swing. 🧚

A wooden fence runs alongside a narrow dirt path bordered by tall dry grass, with trees framing a sunny, partly cloudy sky over an open field.A dirt path winds through a grassy area with scattered wild plants and trees under a partly cloudy sky.A forest path covered with fallen leaves winds through tall trees with autumn foliage under a clear blue sky.A field of purple heather is surrounded by various grasses, bushes, and trees under a partly cloudy sky.

Out early to #Royden this morning, quite a few others having the same thought in advance of the Big Heat later. Coffee and carbs at Benty’s.

A dirt path winds through a forested area with trees on both sides and sunlight filtering through the leaves.A wooden dock extends over a calm lake surrounded by lush green trees under a clear blue sky.A serene pond with lily pads and flowers is accompanied by a moorhen walking near the water's edge.A peaceful garden patio with a wooden bench surrounded by lush green trees and purple flowers.

Warm this morning in #Royden. Heather (Calluna?) doing its best to bloom despite the weather. The heather is partly responsible for Thurstaston Common’s SSSI status and studies have been carried out there on best practices for managing bracken.

A narrow dirt path winds through a sunlit forest with green and brown foliage on either side.A sunlit forest path winds through trees with autumn-colored leaves and dense green undergrowth.A dirt path winds through a sunlit forest with tall trees and scattered leaves on the ground.A sunny landscape features a field of purple-pink heather bordered by trees and a rustic wooden fence under a clear blue sky.