St Hildeburgh's Church, Hoylake

The district that now forms Hoylake was originally in the ancient parish of West Kirby, with the area now occupied by Hoylake, Meols, West Kirby and other surrounding settlements being part of that parish. With the growing popularity of sea bathing from the mid eighteenth century onwards, the existing small settlement of fishing families grew into the seaside resort of Hoylake. This development was very much the work of the major landowning family, the Stanleys. The Stanleys constructed Hoylake's first hotel (called "The Royal") in 1792, on what is now Stanley Road, Hoylake. Close by, they established a racecourse on the land now occupied by the golf links of the Royal Liverpool Golf Club.…

Inside the church the five-bay arcades are carried on round piers of polished granite. There is a low chancel screen, and a richly carved octagonal timber pulpit with a tester. Between the chancel and the chapel is a three-bay arcade with a parclose screen. The timber reredos is richly carved, and includes a panel in tile and mosaic of the Good Shepherd. On the north wall of the chancel are three painted panels, and in the south wall is a sedilia with crocketed gables. The font is octagonal and is carved with the symbols of the four evangelists. In the south wall of the chancel is a window of 2009 showing scenes of the Liverpool waterfront by David Hillhouse. A new second pipe organ was…