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The Great Britain Guide logoThe Great Britain Guide

Country parks · North West England

Birkenhead Park

In or near Liverpool.

VictorianFree admission♿ Wheelchair accessible🐾 Dog-friendly👪 Family-friendly4.6 · 4,202 Google reviews

Birkenhead Park — public park in Birkenhead, Wirral, Merseyside, England, UK.

Birkenhead Park, country parks in North West England

Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence

Plan your visit

Typical visit
1.5 h–3 h
Nearest railway station
Birkenhead Park · 0.5 km
  • Free entry
  • Family-friendly
  • Dog-friendly
  • Wheelchair accessible

Getting there & planning your visit

Birkenhead Park is located in Wirral, North Wales, with the postcode CH43 4AD. The nearest railway station is Birkenhead Park, which is 0.5 km away. Entry to the park is free.

Directions on Google Maps →

About

Birkenhead Park is a country park in the United Kingdom. Records date its origin to 1847. It covers approximately 58 km². Heritage designation: Tentative World Heritage Site. Wikidata describes it as: "public park in Birkenhead, Wirral, Merseyside, England, UK". Coordinates: 53.3930°, -3.0410°.

Photo gallery

Summary from the official site

Birkenhead Park is a historic public park spanning nearly 140 acres, known as the People's Garden. Visitors can enjoy scenic walks, beautiful woodlands, and various recreational activities in this community space, which has been a cherished landmark for nearly two centuries.

Read more on the official property page.

Protected designations

  • Site of Special Scientific Interest: North Wirral Foreshore SSSI
  • Ramsar wetland: Mersey Narrows & North Wirral Foreshore

Designations sourced from Natural England open data under OGL v3.

From the Wikipedia article

Birkenhead Park is a major public park located in the centre of Birkenhead, Merseyside, England. It was designed by Joseph Paxton and opened on 5 April 1847. Birkenhead park was designated a conservation area in 1977 and declared a Grade I listed landscape by English Heritage in 1995. In 2023 the park was placed on the UK government's "tentative list" of applications for UNESCO World Heritage Site status. The park influenced the design of Central Park in New York and Sefton Park in Liverpool. The park contains many listed buildings. The Grand Entrance was designed by Lewis Hornblower and is at the northeast corner; it consists of three arches flanked by lodges and is in Ionic style. The Swiss Bridge, a pedestrian span of stringer construction, is unique as being the only covered bridge of traditional wooden construction in the United Kingdom. There is also a Pavilion called the Roman Boathouse standing by the lake in the park, the upper storey of which was originally intended to be a bandstand. There are many historic listed lodges of various designs within the grounds of the park. The park has a modern visitor centre, café, children's play area, woodland walks and various sporting facilities and clubs.

Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.

Background

History

In 1841 an improvement commission within Birkenhead's local government proposed the idea of a municipal park. A local act of Parliament, the Birkenhead Extension Act 1843 (6 & 7 Vict. c. xiii), allowed it to use public money to buy 226 acre of marshy grazing land on the western edge of Birkenhead. Plots of land on the edge of the proposed park were then sold off in order to finance its construction. It is generally acknowledged as one of the earliest publicly funded civic parks in the world, following the opening of Peel Park in Salford on 22 August 1846 (Peel Park, Salford). The park plan was designed by Joseph Paxton and the building was supervised by Edward Kemp because both had…

Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Coordinates
53.3930, -3.0410
District
Wirral
Parish
Wirral, unparished area
Postcode
CH43 4AD
Parliamentary constituency
Birkenhead
Phone
0151 652 5197
Established
1847
Nearest railway station
Birkenhead Park0.5 km
Opening
Open 24 hours a day, every day of the year; Visitor Centre 9am–4:30pm daily, closed Christmas Day, Boxing Day, and New Year’s Day.

Sources

Other places nearby

Nearby

Lake, Birkenhead Park, Birkenhead - geograph.org.uk - 5628575📷 4

Historic bridges · North West England

Swiss Bridge

Swiss Bridge — Grade II listed building-listed bridge in wales-north, United Kingdom.

Free🐕
Cannon Hill, Park Road West, Birkenhead - geograph.org.uk - 6734177📷 3

Memorials & monuments · North West England

Eisteddfod Genedlaethol

Eisteddfod Genedlaethol — a memorial in wales-north, United Kingdom.

Free🐕
Wallasey Corporation bus 41 on Park Road North, Birkenhead – 1967 - geograph.org.uk - 6522175📷 5

Natural landmarks · North West England

Laird School of Art

Laird School of Art — a school heritage in wales-north, United Kingdom.

Free🐕thebritisheastindiacompany.com
Gateway, Conway Street, Birkenhead - geograph.org.uk - 6734158📷 4

Gardens · North West England

Grand Entrance to Birkenhead Park

Grand Entrance to Birkenhead Park — a garden in wales-north, United Kingdom.

🐕
Gateway, Conway Street, Birkenhead - geograph.org.uk - 6734158📷 3

Theatres · North West England

Gaumont Birkenhead

Gaumont Birkenhead in Wales North, United Kingdom.

Church of Christ the King, Birkenhead📷 3

Historic churches · North West England

Church of Christ the King, Birkenhead

Church of Christ the King, Birkenhead — grade II listed church in Birkenhead, Wirral, Merseyside, England, UK.

Freebirkenheadprioryparish.co.uk

Where to eat & stay near Birkenhead Park

Places to stay

Bridge EE, Liverpool Link Canal - geograph.org.uk - 4778924📷 5

Hotels · North West England

Malmaison

Malmaison — a hotel in wales north.

Gold Lamé, St Nicholas Church - geograph.org.uk - 5868184📷 5

Hotels · North West England

Atlantic Tower Hotel

Atlantic Tower Hotel — a hotel in wales north.

Freeliverpoolatlantictowerhotel.booksundays.com
Liverpool One Fountain, Thomas Steers Way - geograph.org.uk - 6734904📷 5

Hotels · North West England

Hilton Liverpool City Centre

Hilton Liverpool City Centre — a hotel in wales north.

Baltic Fleet public house Grade 2 listed - geograph.org.uk - 5689405📷 5

Hotels · North West England

Hampton

Hampton — a hotel in wales north.

Baltic Fleet public house Grade 2 listed - geograph.org.uk - 5689405📷 5

Hostels · North West England

YHA

YHA — a hostel in wales north.

"Great Escape", Liver Street, Liverpool - geograph.org.uk - 3761156📷 7

Hotels · North West England

Maldron Hotel

Maldron Hotel — a hotel in wales north.

Freemaldronhotels.com

Places to eat & drink

Birkenhead, Hamilton Street - geograph.org.uk - 7764504📷 5

Historic pubs · North West England

The Copperfield Public House

The Copperfield Public House in Wales North, United Kingdom.

Wallasey Town Hall - geograph.org.uk - 5383717📷 5

Historic pubs · North West England

That Part Of The Brighton Public House Contained Within Buchanan Road The Brighton Public House

That Part Of The Brighton Public House Contained Within Buchanan Road The Brighton Public House in Wales North, United Kingdom.

Lancaster House, Old Hall Street, Liverpool - geograph.org.uk - 2842587📷 5

Restaurants · North West England

Panoramic (restaurant)

Panoramic 34 is a restaurant and bar located on the 34th floor of West Tower, Liverpool. It is 300 feet above ground and claims to be 'one of the UK's highest restaurants' with views as far away as No

Freebiennial.com
Baltic Fleet📷 5

Historic pubs · North West England

Baltic Fleet

Baltic Fleet — Historic pub — listed building or notable heritage status.

Free🐕wappingbeers.co.uk
Queensway around dawn - geograph.org.uk - 8165782📷 5

Historic pubs · North West England

Rigby's Buildings

Rigby's Buildings in Wales North, United Kingdom.

thegreatbritainguide.com
Mathew Street, Liverpool - geograph.org.uk - 7832142📷 5

Historic pubs · North West England

Flanagan's Apple

Flanagan's Apple in Wales North, United Kingdom.

flanagansappleliverpool.co.uk

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Country parks · London

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Victoria Park — urban park majority in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets and small part in Hackney, England.

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Country parks · South East England

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Frequently asked questions

Where is Birkenhead Park?
Birkenhead Park is in North Wales, United Kingdom (postcode CH43 4AD), in the parish of Wirral, unparished area.
What is Birkenhead Park?
Birkenhead Park — public park in Birkenhead, Wirral, Merseyside, England, UK.
How do I get to Birkenhead Park?
The nearest railway station is Birkenhead Park, about 0.5 km away. Drivers can use postcode CH43 4AD.
When was Birkenhead Park built?
Built or established in 1847.
Who owns Birkenhead Park?
Birkenhead Park is owned by Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council.
Is Birkenhead Park a listed building?
Birkenhead Park is officially recognised as Tentative World Heritage Site listed.
Is Birkenhead Park a protected site?
Yes — Birkenhead Park is part of the North Wirral Foreshore SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest and the Mersey Narrows & North Wirral Foreshore Ramsar wetland.
Is Birkenhead Park free to visit?
Yes, Birkenhead Park is free to enter.