About The Army & Navy Stores

For over sixty years, The Army & Navy Stores has been kitting out the Wirral for the outdoors — from a child's first pair of school wellies to a serious expedition rucksack, and most things in between. We're a proper, independent shop on The Mount in Heswall, and we've been here, doing this, since 1961.

Since 1961

We started life as a traditional army & navy surplus store — the kind of shop where you could find a genuine field jacket, a set of mess tins, and someone behind the counter who actually knew what they were for. Six decades on, that hasn't really changed. We've grown into outdoor and walking gear, camping kit, cadet and Scout uniforms and workwear, but the heart of the place is the same: honest kit, fair prices, and advice from people who use this stuff themselves.

We've watched the high street change around us. Shops that chased fashion and footfall came and went; we stayed because our customers kept coming back — and sent their children, and then their grandchildren, in after them. That's not marketing. That's just what happens when you look after people.

A family-run shop

We're family-run, and we like it that way. When you call the shop, a person answers. When you come in to be fitted for boots, it's often the owner doing the fitting. We don't work to sales targets or upsell you kit you don't need — if a £60 boot fits your foot better than a £150 one, we'll tell you, and sell you the £60 boot. We'd rather you came back in five years than spent more today.

Being independent means we stock for real British weather and real local use, not for whatever a head office decided was on-trend. We carry the brands we trust — Regatta, Grisport, Highlander, Vango, Nikwax and more — alongside the genuine surplus and uniform lines we've always been known for.

We walk these hills too

Most of us behind the counter are out in it at the weekend — on the Wirral Way, up on Thurstaston Common, or over in the Clwydians and Snowdonia. So when we tell you a jacket will hold up to a wet day on Moel Famau, or that you'll want proper boots rather than trainers for Hilbre, it's because we've been there in the same kit. (If you're after ideas, our guide to walks on the Wirral is where we usually start.)

What we're here for

  • Walking & hiking — boots, shoes, waterproofs, socks and packs, fitted properly
  • Camping — tents, sleeping bags, stoves, lighting and everything for a weekend away
  • Cadets, Scouts, Cubs, Brownies & Guides — uniforms and kit, with the camp lists we see every season
  • Military surplus — the genuine article, as it always has been
  • Workwear — hard-wearing kit for people who earn a living in it

Come and see us

You're always welcome to just browse. We're at 7 The Mount, Heswall, Wirral CH60 4RE, open Monday to Saturday, 9am–5:30pm. There's parking nearby, we're a few minutes from the Wirral Way, and the kettle's usually on out the back.

Can't get in? Call us on 0151 342 4538 or email info@thearmynavystores.com — we'll happily talk you through anything before you order, and post it out if you can't make it down. Find us and plan your visit →