Walwen

The Dungeon (SSSI)

Thurstaston · 8.7 miles

The Dungeon is a 1.2-hectare (3.0-acre) Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) situated 1 mile north-west of Heswall, on the Wirral Peninsula, England. The site was notified in 1988 due to its geological features which show the Tarporley Siltstone Formation of the Mercia Mudstone Group.

War Memorial

Port Sunlight · 13 miles

Set within the model village of Port Sunlight on the Wirral, the war memorial occupies the most prominent position at the junction of The Causeway and The Diamond, the two broadest avenues in the settlement. Conceived by the village’s founder, William Lever, the monument was intended to commemorate the employees of Lever Brothers who fell in the First World War. Lever commissioned the sculptor Goscombe John as early as 1916; the finished work was unveiled on 3 December 1921 by Sergeant E. G. Eames, blinded at the Somme, and Private R. E. Cruickshank, a Victoria Cross recipient, both former Lever workers. The stone is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a Grade I listed building and bears the names of staff who died in both World Wars. Constructed from granite, the monument centres on a runic cross set upon an octagonal plinth that supports eleven bronze figures, including three soldiers, a wounded man attended by a nurse, a seated woman with infants, a girl with her brother and a Boy Scout. The surrounding enclosure features a circular parapet broken by four stepped approaches, each flanked by distinct reliefs of children holding wreaths and additional reliefs depicting the Naval, Military, Anti-Aircraft and Red Cross services. Four seating areas and flower beds lie between the steps, while the overall height reaches approximately 11.6 metres and the diameter spans about 22.4 metres, providing a substantial focal point for reflection within the village’s public space.

M&S Bank Arena

Waterfront · 16 miles

A multi-purpose indoor arena in Liverpool’s city centre draws audiences for music, comedy and sport, and is recorded on OpenStreetMap as a landmark close to the Waterfront. Forming part of the ACC Liverpool event campus, the venue offers flexible layouts, with 7,513 permanent seats around three sides of a central floor and a maximum capacity of 11 000 when standing. Designed by Wilkinson Eyre architects and Sport Concepts, the arena includes corporate boxes, six dressing rooms, five team locker rooms and two promoter offices, and carries a BREEAM rating of “very good”. The arena opened on 12 January 2008 under the name Echo Arena, coinciding with the Capital of Culture celebrations that marked a decade of regeneration in the city. A sponsorship agreement with M&S Bank led to the current name from 7 January 2019, with a full rebrand completed later that month. Since opening it has hosted events such as the 2008 MTV Europe Music Awards, the Eurovision Song Contest 2023, and regular Premier League Darts fixtures. Sporting highlights include former home games for the Mersey Tigers basketball team, the Liverpool International Horse Show, the British Gymnastics Championships, and the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in 2022, with further world championships scheduled for 2030. The arena also accommodates professional wrestling, with All Elite Wrestling’s Dynasty PPV slated for 7 February 2027. Access is provided by direct bus services, and James Street railway station lies a short walk away, offering Merseyrail connections to Liverpool Lime Street. The site sits opposite the portal of the disused Wapping Tunnel, for which proposals exist to create a new station serving the arena and surrounding docks.

Memorial to Heroes of the Marine Engine Room

Pride Quarter · 16 miles

Set on St Nicholas Place at the Pier Head, the granite monument stands close to Liverpool’s Pride Quarter. The structure, listed at Grade II* for its historic and architectural interest, rises 48 feet (14.6 m) and is topped by a gilded flame. Its square, chamfered pedestal supports an obelisk whose lower corners bear carvings representing the four classical elements. Life-size stone figures of stokers and engineers adorn the east and west faces, a rare early-20th-century acknowledgement of working-class heroism in public art. The monument is publicly accessible and, as a street-level feature, does not require an admission charge. The original purpose of the memorial was to honour the thirty-two engineers who perished when the Titanic sank on 15 April 1912, reflecting Liverpool’s role as the ship’s port of registry and the home of the White Star Line. Funding came from an international public subscription, and the design was commissioned to Sir William Goscombe John. After the heavy loss of life in the First World War, the dedication was expanded to include all maritime engine-room fatalities incurred in the line of duty. Visible shrapnel damage from bombs dropped during the Blitz of the Second World War remains on the stone, attesting to its survival through conflict. Historic England notes the monument’s influence on later war-memorial design, and architectural commentary highlights the naturalistic quality of the figures. Visitors can view the monument at street level from the surrounding promenade, with easy pedestrian access from the nearby city centre.

Ringo Starr's childhood home

Toxteth · 16 miles

A modest two-up two-down terrace in the Toxteth district of Liverpool marks the address where Ringo Starr spent the bulk of his childhood. The house at 10 Admiral Grove was the family home from the early 1940s until 1963, the year the future Beatle achieved fame. Its proximity to St Silas Primary School on Pengwern Street meant that the school lay only a few yards from his front door, although frequent illness and a serious bout of peritonitis kept him largely at home for much of his schooling. During the height of Beatlemania, the BBC documentary *The Mersey Sound* captured fans swarming the street as Starr walked past the property en route to George Harrison’s open-topped sports car. The dwelling is recorded on OpenStreetMap as a landmark, with Toxteth identified as the nearest town. It remains a private residence and is not operated as a museum; no admission fee, opening hours or visitor facilities are provided. In 2016 the house was bought by a Beatles enthusiast who also owns former properties of George Harrison and John Lennon's mother. Access is therefore limited to the public domain of the street, and any viewing must be from the pavement. The site’s significance lies chiefly in its association with Starr’s early life and the occasional media reference to the address, rather than in any on-site interpretation or tourist provision.

Huskisson Monument

Canning / Georgian Quarter · 16 miles

A stone column stands in the Canning area of Liverpool’s Georgian Quarter, marking the site of the Huskisson Monument. The structure is recorded as a historic feature and is listed by Historic England, indicating its recognised architectural and cultural value. Situated close to the city’s commercial core, the monument is readily visible from the surrounding streets and forms part of the urban landscape that many visitors encounter while exploring the neighbourhood. The monument commemorates William Huskisson (11 March 1770 – 15 September 1830), a prominent British statesman and long-serving Member of Parliament. Huskisson held several senior offices, including President of the Board of Trade and Secretary of State for the Colonies, and was noted for his influence on commercial and financial legislation in the early nineteenth century. His name entered public consciousness after he was fatally injured by Robert Stephenson’s locomotive Rocket during the opening of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway in 1830, an event often cited as the first widely reported railway passenger casualty. As a listed historic monument, the Huskisson Monument does not charge an admission fee and can be approached at any time. Its proximity to the Canning district means it is accessible on foot from nearby transport links, and the surrounding area provides typical city-centre amenities such as pavements and public seating. No on-site facilities are noted, but the monument’s open setting allows visitors to view the structure and reflect on the legacy of the man it honours.