How Did They Come?

Many of the Vikings travelled by longboat to Ireland and then across to Wirral.
The longboats were large ships consisting of a single deck with oars and a sail which could be put up or down as suited. They were designed to be long and slim so that they could travel in and out of narrow rivers quickly. The boat could be driven forwards or backwards so there was no need to turn the boat around.

They would have arrived in Wirral probably between Meols and West Kirby.

Meols (old Norse melr - sandbank) had been used many years earlier by the Romans and was revived by the Vikings as a major seaport after their arrival.  So it was probably here that many of the refugees expelled from Ireland disembarked some 1100 years ago.  
This video clip has more information about the seaport at Meols

Unfortunately none of the longboats used by the Wirral Vikings have survived. In fact only a small number remain in Scandinavia, such as the Gokstad and the Oseberg ships which are now restored and on display at the Viking ship museum in Oslo.

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