Tarleton

Museum of Wigan Life

Scholes Village · 12 miles

The Museum of Wigan Life is a public museum and local history resource centre in Wigan, Greater Manchester, England. The nineteenth-century listed building is by the noted architect Alfred Waterhouse. It originally housed Wigan Library, where George Orwell researched his book The Road to Wigan Pier in 1936.

Downall Croft

Downall Green · 14 miles

Doorstep Greens (Polygons). The Doorstep Greens initiative provides new or renovated areas of public open space close to people's homes that could be enjoyed permanently by the local community.

Croxteth Hall

Deysbrook · 17 miles

Set within the West Derby suburb of Liverpool, Croxteth Hall stands as a Grade II* listed country estate that once formed the ancestral seat of the Molyneux family, Earls of Sefton. The core of the house dates from around 1575 and later acquired Tudor, Georgian and Queen Anne elements, with the principal west façade erected in 1702 and a visitor wing added in 1874. After the death of the seventh Earl in 1972 the property transferred to Liverpool City Council; roughly half of the original grounds were sold, while the remaining 500 acres now operate as Croxteth Park, a public country park that retains play facilities for children. The hall itself welcomes visitors for a modest charge and is not wheelchair-accessible, although opening times are published on the council’s listing. The surrounding park offers a range of attractions. A Victorian walled garden houses the historic Liverpool Botanics collection, including national collections of dracaena, codiaeum, coleus and a variety of orchids and bromeliads. Adjacent to the hall is a working farm and Mull Wood, part of the 85-hectare Croxteth Local Nature Reserve, where a wild-flower meadow has been established near the old kennels. Regular activities include a free 5 km parkrun each Saturday at 09:00, events organised by the Friends of Croxteth Hall, and occasional concerts, fairs and markets managed by the council. Part of the hall also accommodates the Liverpool campus of Myerscough College, teaching around 350 full-time students. The historic kennels, designed by John Douglas in the 1870s, remain in use and are maintained by the Croxteth Park Volunteer Group.

Knowsley Hall

Stockbridge Village · 17 miles

Set within 2,500 acres (10 km²) of parkland on the edge of Liverpool, Knowsley Hall lies in the Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley, Merseyside, with Stockbridge Village the nearest settlement. The estate, designated a Grade II* listed building in 1953, encloses Knowsley Safari Park, offering a sizeable natural attraction alongside the historic house. The hall originated as a medieval hunting lodge attached to the Lathom House estate and was inherited by the 10th Earl in 1702, who expanded it into a substantial residence. Gothic castellations and further extensions were added around 1820 under the direction of architects such as John Foster and William Burn, the latter also providing a boathouse and park bridges. Early-20th-century alterations were carried out by W. H. Romaine-Walker for the 17th Earl, while post-Second World War reductions were overseen by Claud Phillimore, resulting in the demolition of a wing and a library and a reduction of the footprint by roughly a third. The family no longer occupy the hall itself, preferring a smaller house built later in the grounds. Architecturally, the house presents a long north-south wing dating from the 1720s-1737 (the east wing) in red brick with stone dressings, while the south wing and the detached Dynamo Tower are constructed of ashlar red sandstone. The oldest segment of the south wing, known as the Royal Lodging, features two round turrets with conical roofs and a façade of nine bays with tall sash windows. The east wing’s extensive frontage includes a two-storey stone portico with Doric and Ionic columns, adding a classical touch to the overall composition.

Sherdley Park

Sutton Leach · 17 miles

Spanning 336 acres (136 ha), this urban park lies on the outskirts of Sutton in St Helens, Merseyside, with Sutton Leach noted as the nearest settlement. The grounds were once part of the estate owned by 19th-century coal and copper magnate Michael Hughes, who erected the now-demolished Sherdley Hall. After the Second World War the local authority acquired the land to provide a recreational space for Sutton’s residents. A petting zoo operated on the site from 1965 until its closure in 2017, after which the area was restored to open parkland. Today the park is recognised as the town’s largest green space. It incorporates an 18-hole golf course, a formal garden, expanses of woodland and a lake, all of which support a programme of summer events. Historically the venue hosted the St Helens Show, once described as the largest free show in Europe, and more recently it has become the setting for the Sherdley Festival, a three-day music gathering featuring a range of genres. Facilities for visitors include the usual amenities associated with a municipal park, and the open landscape offers ample opportunity for walking, picnicking and informal sport.

Pennington Flash County Park

Aspull Common · 17 miles

Pennington Flashes Local Nature Reserve is part of the wider country park. The lake and surrounding marshland are home to a diverse group of mammals, birds and insects.