With spectacular views across the River Dee, and surrounded by stunning countryside, Heswall has long been one of the Wirral Peninsula's most sought-after locations. First recorded in the Domesday Book in 1086, the townships of Heswall and Gayton grew rapidly from the late 1800s onwards as new railway and omnibus routes provided easy commuting links to Liverpool, and wealthy merchants chose to build grand mansions here. Hospitals and children's institutions were established to benefit from the fresh sea air, well removed from the increasing pollution of Liverpool.