Oglet

Greenbank Park

Wavertree · 5 miles

The park lies in the Mossley Hill suburb of south Liverpool, close to the well-known Penny Lane and adjacent to Sefton Park. Although the nearest town listed on mapping data is Wavertree, the site is set within a residential neighbourhood and is bounded by mature trees that frame a small central lake. The water feature dominates the middle of the grounds and provides a visual focus for visitors strolling along the perimeter paths. The land that now forms the park was part of the Greenbank estate owned by the Rathbone family from the late eighteenth century until the mid-twentieth century. In 1897 the city corporation reached an agreement with the Rathbones to acquire a portion of the property, and the resulting public space retains the walled garden as the sole surviving element of the original house grounds. Within the garden an artwork by Lulu Quinn commemorates Eleanor Rathbone, linking the site to its historic owners. Facilities include a children’s playground, football pitches and a fishing pond where anglers may try their luck while observing nesting waterfowl and herons. A bridge spans the northern end of the lake, and the surrounding open grassland is designated as a conservation area. Managed by Liverpool City Council, the park is open to the public without charge and can be accessed on foot from the surrounding streets. Information about the site is available through the council’s official web page.

Huskisson Monument

Canning / Georgian Quarter · 6.8 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.

Newsham Park

Fairfield · 7.5 miles

Spanning 121 acres, Newsham Park is a Victorian public park in Liverpool that mapping data places close to the town of Fairfield. Opened in 1868, the grounds were the first independent commission of landscape architect Edward Kemp, who had trained under Joseph Paxton. The park hosted the Royal Agricultural Show in 1877 and is protected as a Grade II* listed site, forming part of Liverpool’s group of Victorian parks that also includes Stanley, Walton Hall, Princes and Sefton parks. Within the park the Grade II listed Newsham House, once visited by Queen Victoria, now provides lodgings for judges attending the Crown Court. The Grade II listed Seamen’s Orphan Institution stands nearby, having later served as a hospital and been earmarked for residential conversion. Two lakes dominate the landscape: the smaller supports model-boat sailing, while the larger is used for fishing for roach, carp and tench (a registration permit is required). A children’s play area and the Lakeview Kiosk, operating from 09:00 to 17:00, serve families. The western edge contains the Academy of St Francis of Assisi, a four-storey secondary school built in 2004, whose contemporary design sparked local debate over its fit with the Conservation Area status that protects the surrounding Victorian housing. The park’s condition has been flagged by English Heritage as “poor”, placing it on the Heritage at Risk list. In July 2012 the lakes were temporarily closed because of a blue-green algae concern but were subsequently reopened. Formerly, the site was served by the now-closed Stanley and Tue Brook railway stations.

The Bombed Out Church

Ropewalks · 7.5 miles

The roofless shell that dominates the corner of Berry Street and Leece Street, at the upper end of Bold Street, is the former St Luke’s Church, locally called the Bombed-Out Church. Its ruined form, recorded as a historic feature on OpenStreetMap, lies within Liverpool’s Ropewalks area and is protected as a Grade II* listed building. The surviving ashlar sandstone walls, a three-stage west tower and fragments of stained-glass windows give a clear impression of the original Perpendicular style while the surrounding garden, laid out in 1885, frames the site. The church originated from a parcel of land donated by Edward Smith-Stanley, 12th Earl of Derby, in 1791 with the stipulation that it remain a place of worship. Designed by John Foster senior and later his son, construction began in 1811 and concluded in 1832, incorporating a nave, chancel and a tower that once housed a ring of eight bells and a three-manual pipe organ. On 6 May 1941 the building suffered extensive bomb damage during Liverpool’s May Blitz, leaving the present roofless structure that now serves as a war memorial. Since the early 2000s the site has been maintained by community groups, first Urban Strawberry Lunch and later the organisation Bombed Out Church, which continue to host exhibitions, film screenings and performances within the grounds. No admission fee, ticket office or visitor facilities are mentioned in the source material, and access is via the surrounding streets that border the historic ruin.

M&S Bank Arena

Waterfront · 7.5 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.

Wellington's Column

St George's Quarter / Cultural Quarter · 8.1 miles

A prominent tribute to the Duke of Wellington marks the corner of William Brown Street and Lime Street in Liverpool, standing as a Grade II* listed monument. The structure rises to a total height of 132 feet, with an 81-foot Roman Doric fluted column of Darley Dale sandstone supporting a 25-foot bronze statue of the Duke. The foundations are laid in Runcorn sandstone, the pedestal in granite, and the stepped base is adorned with bronze plaques on each face and bronze eagles linked by swags at the corners. Inside, 169 steps ascend to a viewing platform that crowns the column. The statue itself was cast from melted-down bronze cannons captured at the Battle of Waterloo, the Duke holding a scroll in his right hand and his left hand resting on his sword’s hilt. Following the Duke’s death in 1852, Liverpool formed a committee to raise public subscriptions for a memorial. A design competition in 1856 selected Edinburgh architect Andrew Lawson for the column, while a second competition in 1861 appointed George Anderson Lawson, his brother, to sculpt the statue. The mayor laid the foundation stone on 1 May 1861, but subsidence delayed construction. An inauguration ceremony on 16 May 1863, attended by the mayor and Sir William Brown, preceded the addition of relief panels that depict Wellington’s victories and the charge at Waterloo. The monument was finally completed towards the end of 1865, incorporating pre-metric Board of Trade length standards on its base, including a brass strip marking 100 feet and a chain of 100 links set into the surrounding pavement.