Centre Park

Mesnes Park

Earlestown · 5 miles

Outdoor green space offering sports facilities, a playground & fitness equipment

Rixton Claypits Local Nature Reserve

Hollins Green · 5.6 miles

The former clay-extraction site at Rixton, close to the village of Hollins Green in Warrington, has reverted to a mosaic of ponds, scrub, woodland and damp grassland. Work on the boulder-clay began in the 1920s to supply a nearby brickworks and stopped in 1965; since then natural regeneration has created a range of habitats that are now managed as a local amenity by Warrington Borough Council. Two sections covering a total of 15 hectares are designated both as a Site of Special Scientific Interest and a Special Area of Conservation, recognised for their calcareous grassland and for supporting the largest breeding population of great crested newts in Cheshire. The reserve, formally created in 1996, offers waymarked paths that guide visitors around the water bodies and grassland, and a small visitor centre provides information about the site’s ecology. Angling is allowed on the lake that lies between the two protected sections, with the Warrington Anglers Association overseeing the activity; the principal fish species are tench, bream and roach, while carp and pike are also present. Access is via the surrounding countryside, and the reserve is under the care of the local council, which maintains the facilities for public use.

Sherdley Park

Sutton Leach · 6.2 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 · 7.5 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.

Downall Croft

Downall Green · 8.7 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.

Knowsley Safari

Eccleston Lane Ends · 9.9 miles

Located in Prescot, Merseyside, the Knowsley Safari park occupies the historic parklands of Knowsley Hall and is a member of both the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums and the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria. Opened in July 1971 by Edward Stanley, 18th Earl of Derby, together with Jimmy Chipperfield and under the management of Laurence Tennant MBE, the original drive covered 3.5 miles and allowed visitors to see lions, cheetahs, monkeys, giraffes, zebras, elephants and various antelopes. An extra 1.5 miles of track was added in 1973 when camels, buffaloes, white rhinos and tigers joined the collection. The park continues to support conservation and research through links with projects and universities in Liverpool, Chester and Manchester, and it was the filming location for the Channel 4 series *Secret Life of the Safari Park*. Today guests circulate the reserve in their own cars, with a dedicated bypass to avoid the olive baboons that are known to explore vehicle roof boxes. The Amur Tiger Trail, opened on 25 May 2018, provides a 10 000 m² forested enclosure for Siberian tigers, while the Equatorial Trail houses South American tapir, sitatunga, rhea and capybara and includes the small Equatorial Express train for an elevated view. A 381 mm gauge Lakeside Railway runs through parts of the site, and additional activities such as paintballing, off-road challenges and aerial ropewalks are available. The foot-safari area displays species ranging from Nubian giraffe and Andean bear to European bison and Iberian wolf. Admission is subject to a charge and opening times are published on the park’s listing; the nearest settlement is Eccleston Lane Ends. Facilities include visitor amenities and the railway, and the park continues breeding programmes, exemplified by the Southern White Rhinoceros herd that produced its 19th calf, Nomvula, in January 2016.