W HISTORY
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The Marine Lake was built on the shore in front of the
Hydropathic Hotel. The retaining wall needed a solid footing
so this would have required drilling down to bedrock. The Lake
opened on 21st October 1899 and, as built, it included an open-
air swimming pool which has long since gone. When the hotel's
proprietors realised that the Marine Lake would attract many
more visitors to the town. In the 1950s, the hotel was owned by
a Mrs Reynolds Jones. In 1963, it was sold to the Tetley Walker
Brewery. However, with the growing popularity of holidays
abroad, the hotel was unprofitable. It was partly demolished in
late 1967 and the remaining part was demolished the following
year.
Not long after the Lake was opened, a small group of gentlemen
decided to form a sailing club to race 12 foot (3.6 metre)
dinghies. The West Kirby Sailing Club was formed in 1901. In
its early days the club used a room in the Hydropathic Hotel for
its formal meetings, but in 1953 it moved into its own purpose-
built clubhouse which, with some alterations, is still in use
today. Racing took place both on the Lake and on the River Dee
until, in 1985, the retaining wall of the Lake was breached
The Lake is popular with sailing enthusiasts, because of its
unique combination of flat water and strong prevailing winds.
It covers an area of 52 acres (21 hectares) and is no more than 5
feet (1.5 metres) deep, which also makes it ideal for those who
are learning to sail. The Lake is large enough to hold sailing
events, such as the Wilson Trophy, the premier UK sailing
competition, which has been held at West Kirby for sixty years.
It is one of the biggest team sailing events in the world and
frequently attracts the World Team Racing Champions. The
Lake is also used for dinghy racing, sailboarding and other
activities including canoeing, kayaking, and power-boating.
Early in 2009 it was reported that the Lake had suffered
structural damage, probably due to estuarine erosion. Its
refurbishment cost £750,000 and it is now available again for
water sport activities.
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