An Asda store where thousands of people now shop has an interesting history many people won’t know about.
The Asda superstore on Seaview Road in Liscard is one of the most popular branches on the Wirral peninsula. But long before it became home to the supermarket, a tram depot stood in the same spot.
Wallasey Corporation Tramways operated an electric tramway service in Wallasey between 1902 and 1933, which electrified and expanded the existing horse tram system. The first electric trams ran on March 17 1902 from Seacombe Ferry to New Brighton Ferry via Wheatland.
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But the official opening wasn’t until two days later, when a more direct route from Seacombe to New Brighton via Seabank Road was brought into use, replacing a horse-bus service.
The third tram line opened on May 17 that year, linking Liscard with New Brighton via Wallasey. The depot on Seaview Road played an important in the tram network until trams fell out of favour in the early 1930s.
As attention turned to buses, a new bus depot was built adjacent to the tram sheds on Seaview Road, which later became a repair shop. The bus depot was eventually demolished to make way for a Gateway supermarket.
In 1988, Asda started expanding rapidly with the acquisition of 61 Gateway stores across the UK. The supermarket giant took over the Gateway supermarket on Seaview Road and completely redesigned it.
The Asda superstore has since undergone a £2.8million revamp in 2019, when it became the first store in the country to trial a food on the go hot range.
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