Laptops and smartphones may have taken over a major part of our daily lives, but that doesn’t mean we still can’t enjoy the fresh air and greenery of mother nature every once in a while.
In fact, you don’t even need to go camping in the far off isolated woods every time to do that. In order to help you find that occasional natural refuge which doesn’t take you too far away from your home, we have gathered this list of the five best parks and green spaces in Liverpool that you can go to for spending quality time with your family.
Otterspool Promenade
There are no vehicles in Otterspool, only families on cycles and some kids on stunt scooters having a ball. In fact, I had to get my son a stunt scooter from skates.co.uk last week before returning to Otterspool for another visit this weekend. Considering how much time he spends just sitting in front of a computer, I think it was an investment in his health! If you are not in the mood for exercise, just walking by the side of the Mersey River, overlooking the Welsh mountains in the distance is worth it. The park also has a tree top adventure trail, children’s activities and the Otterspool Café for hungry families.
Calderstones Park
This 126 acres family park has a botanical garden, a playground and the six ancient Calderstones, after which the park is named. If you have kids, or if you yourself like animals, you will love the park. The park lake has ducks and geese swimming in it, always coming close in the hope of being fed. We on the other hand, like the squirrels more. They would come really close to you and take the nuts right from your hands if you don’t move around too much. I also recommend visiting Calderstones House and the Allerton Oak, which is more than 1,000 years old!
Childwall Woods
On your way to Childwall Woods, you are now leaving parks and stepping into woodland territory, but don’t worry because you are still not that far away from home. The ancient woodland is a nature reserve now, not owned by any man. It’s the perfect place for bird watching and a little adventure for your children. If you are lucky, you may even see a few foxes while you are there. The Childwall Abbey is just outside, waiting to feed hungry children and provide a drink or two for the grownups.
Sefton Park
At 235 acres, Sefton is the largest park in Liverpool and is also a grade one historic park in the English heritage. It still holds heritage sites like the Palm house, the Eros Fountain, the Shaftesbury Memorial and the beautiful Field of Hope, filled with daffodils. Unfortunately, the aviary and the boating lake is now gone. Nevertheless, it’s worth a visit if you haven’t been there already.
Belle Vale Park
The only open green space in the area, Belle Vale Park is a small but beautiful mix of grasslands and tall trees. You can take your children to the playground or let them run around and do whatever they want for a change. Granted that the supermarket, shopping centres and fast food centres do not exactly make it the most ideal natural getaway, but it is the only option for local residents.
If you have already been to all of these, then you might have to drive off a bit further and explore the likes of Bidston Hill and Royden Park in Wirral. But if you really don’t want to drive off that far, we recommend a revisit to any of the places mentioned on this list (preferably in the top four). Chances are that you won’t be disappointed.