The Wirral Peninsula in north-west England, lying between the River Dee and the Welsh border to the west and the River Mersey to the east, has long had its own identity. The large towns of Birkenhead and Wallasey grew around their docks and industrialised rapidly, benefitting from their proximity to Liverpool across the River Mersey, and at the same time New Brighton was developed as a resort. The towns to the west of Wirral – Hoylake, West Kirby and Heswall – grew more slowly and many areas on the peninsula remain rural today.

Much has changed on the Wirral in the last 100 years. Industries have declined, particularly in the once busy docks. Some areas suffered immense destruction from aerial bombardment during the Second World War and coastal resorts suffered as British holidaymakers moved abroad, but more recent years have seen the regeneration of many areas.

Lost Wirral presents a portrait of this region of north-west England and a way of life that has radically changed or disappeared today, showing not just the buildings, streets and industries that have gone or changed, but also a way of life. This fascinating photographic history of lost Wirral will appeal to all those who live in the area or know it well, as well as those who remember it from previous decades.