An amazing maritime
and social history.

Rock Ferry - the history.

In Victorian times commercial activity was centred on the Royal Rock Hotel, a famous landmark which was popular not only with local residents but which also attracted wealthy merchants from Liverpool, and even Royal patronage. Adjoining the Royal Rock Hotel were the Olympian Gardens, a popular venue for music hall and looking at some of the Victorian photographs of the area, Rock Ferry was a thriving neighbourhood not only because of the hotel but also the prestigious Royal Mersey Yacht Club one of the oldest Yacht Clubs in the country, founded in 1844 with Queen Victoria as its Patron. The Queen visited the club in 1844 and presented a magnificent trophy, and the Clubs Royal connections continue even today with The Duke of Edinburgh and King Harald of Norway as Admirals of the Club. 

Maritime

In the days of sailing ships the waterfront at Rock Ferry was known as The Sloyne, a recognised mooring for ships sailing into the Mersey well before the Liverpool and Birkenhead docks were built. The moorings around Rock Ferry were so safe and secure that this was the permanent mooring for the famous HMS Conway a three masted fully rigged, 90 gun sailing ship of the line, the first merchant navy training ship of its kind in the United Kingdom.

Ferries have operated at Rock Ferry since 1709 and at their height of their popularity, at the turn of the 1900’s, they carried over one million passengers a year.

Residential

With the benefit of regular Ferry access from the pier the area became so popular that Rock Park was developed as an exclusive estate, providing grand villas for the influential and wealthy merchants of Liverpool. Notable residents included Nathaniel Hawthorne a famous American writer and the American Consul and the Norwegian Consul.

Commercial

In Victorian times commercial activity was centred on the Royal Rock Hotel a famous landmark which was popular not only with local residents but also attracted the wealthy merchants from Liverpool, and even Royal patronage. Adjoining the Royal Rock Hotel was the Olympian gardens, a popular venue for music hall and vaudeville entertainment.

In 1929 Rock Ferry was the first place where flying boats landed on the Mersey before the airport was built at Speke 

A great deal of additional history can be viewed on the various Wikipedia Rock Ferry web pages which contain a splendid history of the area including references to a ferry as early as 1357. It was reputed to have been used by William IV as Duke of Clarence, hence the use of the term "Royal" for establishments such as the Royal Rock Hotel (established in the early 19th century) and the Royal Rock Beagles, set up in 1845. 

Wikipedia links 

Wikipedia entries includes several interesting articles on Rock Ferry such as… 

I. History 

II. Ferry service and shipping 

III. Transport 

IV. Culture 

V. Listed Buildings

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