Birkenhead Park — Attraction in Wirral

The first public park, everyone that knows it will tell you that it was the basis for New York's Central Park which is true.

But those that know it will also tell you about the magnificent grand entrance, the two big lakes, the beautiful Swiss Bridge, and not forgetting the iconic sandstone boathouse.

Home to a number of sports including crown green bowls, rugby, football, and a couple of cricket clubs. There's regularly cycle races, park runs and other events to take part in. There's also the regular sight of joggers and dog walkers.

Growing up nearby we always wanted to run up and down the hills or to play on the swings, now a much more safer and better play area. Or to have an ice-cream from the van that seemed to be the all the time. And who could forget trying to see one of the rabbits that once lived on one of the islands.

It now has a visitors center that has a lovely Café Cream eatery surrounded by beautiful flower beds.

Home to lots of wildlife, including grey squirrels, ducks, geese, as well as smaller birds and fish in the lakes.

A lot has been lost over the decades such as the greenhouse, the many flower beds, the rose archways etc. all of which should have been saved for future generations of young and older visitors alike to enjoy.

But definitely worth a visit on a lovely sunny day or to enjoy one of the many events/ talks that...

Birkenhead park is a place that is steeped in history and a fantastic example of a Victorian era public park. The park is internationally famous for influencing the design of Central Park in New York. The park is split into two main parts, simply known as the lower and upper end. The lower end is the largest of the two and includes several features including a visitor centre and cafe, children's playground, bowling greens, and a pavilion. You will also find the swiss bridge and boat house on the lake in the lower end. The park itself is very easy to find and has its own Mersey rail train station, however, there is no carpark on site but it is very easy to park on one of the surrounding streets. I really enjoyed the parks history and walking the grounds, however I do think that more could be made of the parks influence and in parts it did feel as if the grounds had been a little neglected, which was a real shame. However the cafe was really enjoyable and we all enjoyed a very tasty cheese and ham toastie. The ice creams were also really good. In summary, Birkenhead park is definitely worth visiting, however if you don't live local you may want to combine the visit with another local place to make a...

It's a large park with lakes, ornate bridges and attractive shelters. A country oasis in an urban area. On a sunny day it would look glorious, on a cloudy day perhaps less glamorous.

Many interesting attractions nearby.

The railway station at Hamilton Square is splendid. Walk up the 162 stairs from the platform to the entrance and on to the stunning Hamilton Square with its eye-catching architecture.

The docks nearby at Wallasey evoke memories of a bygone age. There's some old buildings in disrepair, some nice conversions of old warehouses, an amazing bascule bridge allowing access to the docks for the cruiser and container ships.

You're best going by train (or even the ferry) as you can then take walks (or more short train trips) across the Wirral peninsula. There is an excellent train service so you could go onto New Brighton with its lovely cafes and bars and theatre. A wonderful day or afternoon or to be had.

(Some might think I've overrated the park and overdone on its splendor, but it's personal taste and I'm at an age where I like to appreciate and celebrate our country's...