Coastwalk

Liverpool → Birkenhead

Distance: 4.01 miles
Ascent: 26 metres
Duration: 1 hour 28 minutes

Underground
« Hightown | West Kirby »

Here are a few things that made today's walk unique.

1. Our walk was started by a celebrity (if Cheggars still counts) and a samba band
2. We walked with 11,998 others (though they didn't know it was a coastwalk)
3. At the end we were congratulated and awarded medals
4. It rained but we didn't need coats to stay dry
5. The transport back to the start inspired a top ten hit in 1965

Yesterday was the seventy-fifth anniversary of the opening of the Queensway tunnel between Liverpool and Birkenhead. To celebrate, Merseytravel opened the tunnel to walkers today. Taking a two hundred mile train journey just to walk two miles seems a little crazy, but the opportunity proved impossible to resist so at noon we entered the UK's longest road tunnel on foot.

There's not much of a view underground. Having said that, the two mile tunnel went by remarkably quickly. Every few hundred metres specially erected signs told us which landmarks were directly above; near the two underground junctions (the tunnel has four exits) archive footage was projected onto the walls.

Of most interest however were our companion walkers. A group of Scouts ran past us; families struggled with push-chairs and uncooperative children. Wheelchair users seemed to enjoy the downhill part; we didn't see how they fared on the way out. The friendly stewards waved and chatted to everyone. There were other couples too - some our age, and at least one couple who may have been around to see the tunnel opening.

It was a long way to go for a short walk. It was a walk like none other so far on this coast.