West Kirby Museum

West Kirby Museum is a small, but perfectly formed, little enclave in the gorgeous and well ancient St Bridgets’ Church (parts of which date back – unbelievably – to 900AD, which is only marginally older than Ringo).

Set a few minutes’ walk from the main hustle and bustle of the seaside town, it’s a well-loved local building, and a team have spent the past year curating, collecting and doing all kinds of boffin-y museum things to get a great little collection of local history together.

So what’s there at the West Kirby Museum? Plenty of stone-based artefacts, as you can imagine, given its location. There’s an 11th century grave slab, found in 1864 on Hilbre Island, a bulky 12th century Norman font basin and child’s coffin, and more, alongside displays on West Kirby’s Old Village (of which St Bridget’s, and the school of the same name, is part of).

For those who haven’t been to St Bridget’s before, and who visit during the main church opening hours (most weekday afternoons 2.30-4.30pm), you’ll also get to see the incredible hogback stone, dating back to 10th Century AD, which would look rubbish in your living room but in the confines of St Bridget’s looks rather spectacular.

Visit the West Kirby Museum for free or extend your visit outside by picking up our walking guide for a measly 50p, which will take you around West Kirby and explain the significance of the oldest buildings nearby.

Small carpark close to the entrance of St Bridget’s Centre, which can be used by museum visitors. Groups must be prebooked with a maximum of 20 per visit; cost from £2 per head.

• Main image of West Kirby Museum via