Rock Station Hotel demolition in progress

The 150-year-old Rock Station Hotel stands forlorn and roofless on the corner of Bedford Road and Highfield Road in Rock Ferry. It is currently being demolished, or rather carefully dismantled, for salvage of the brickwork, wood, and other items of architectural reclaim interest.

Dating from at least 1870 and once known as the Highfield Station Hotel, it was a Birkenhead Brewery Pub. Sadly, it suffered an arson attack which forced it to close permanently, in April 2019 and has remained vacant since.

The early days of the Rock Station Hotel. Image from the collection of Jayne Phennah, Birkenhead Memories.

Sadly, it suffered from a number of arson attacks since it closed and there was danger of fire spreading to other buildings nearby. Planning permission for the demolition of the 3 storey building and an adjacent building was granted in September 2019. Plans to build a part 3 storey, part 4 storey apartment block containing 25 self-contained flats was approved at the same time. Demolition work is expected to take 2 weeks.

Shack Architecture plans submitted to WBC.