All About Merseyside’s Central Park
Elsewhere on this site, you can read about Birkenhead Park, which had more than a small role to play in the creation of Central Park in New York City.
What some might not realise is that Merseyside actually has a Central Park all of its own, even if it has no relationship to the one in the United States of America. It is certainly not as big and impressive as New York’s, nor the park in Birkenhead after which that one was modelled, but it wouldn’t be out of the realms of the acceptable for you to want to head there to check it out.
The question is, what is Central Park in Wallasey all about and what do you need to know before going?
Wallasey’s Largest Park
Central Park is located in Liscard, Wallasey. It is the largest piece of parkland in the area, meaning that visitors can head along in order to enjoy a relaxing walk in the woodland if they so wish. Of course, there is a lot more to it than simply some woods, including a 12-piece fitness section as well as a meadow run and woodland area over one kilometre.
There is also a walled garden, which helps to disguise the actual size of the park from those who only give it a momentary glance. There are football pitches and cricket grounds within the park, whilst in the middle sits a reasonably impressive fishing lake for people to use.
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For those that wish to do more exercise than just what is available courtesy of the equipment in the fitness section, the presence of a pump track for them to use might well ensure that they are happy with what’s on offer.
If you are something of a history buff, you might be interested to know that there is a memorial to those that lost their lives in the Second Boer War in the park, which comes in the form of a statue of Britannia on a pedestal, holding a wreath in her right hand and a trident in her left. The front face of the base is inscribed with the ten names of those from the area who died fighting in the war, which took place between 1899 and 1902.
Liscard Hall
Another part of Wallasey’s Central Park that once existed but no longer does was Liscard Hall. The Grade two-listed building was once known as Moors Hey House, having been constructed in 1832 for a former slave-ship captain named Sir John Tobin on an estate that occupied 57 acres.
When Tobin died in 1851, his son-in-law Harold Littledale inherited it, with the Liverpool merchant living there until his own death in 1889. It was bought by the Wallasey Local Board, which turned the grounds of the estate into Central Park, seeing the Hall become the home of the Wallasey School of Art, which became the Liscard Science and Art College.
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Serve Wirral Training took over the residence of the Hall when the college moved out in the 1980s, resulting in the Youth Training Scheme for the area being run from there until it closed in 2003. After that, it remained empty, which proved to be just as well in 2008 when vandals inexplicably decided to set the building on fire.
When it was later deemed to be unsafe, the building had to be demolished, bringing to a close not only a building full of history, both good and bad, but one that was also where Central Park itself was born. It had been one of the longest surviving mansions from the time it was built, meaning it is a sad loss to history too.
Why it’s Worth a Visit
Although Liscard Hall is no longer there for people to visit and spend time looking at, that doesn’t mean that Central Park itself should be entirely forgotten. Working alongside Wirral Council, Wallasey Central Park Partnership does what it can in order to ensure that future generations can enjoy the park, volunteering in order to keep the area in good condition.
That includes looking after the likes of the pump track, which boasts banked turns and rollers that allow a bike to be ridden on it without the need to pedal. Skateboards, scooters and even rollerblades can also be used on the pump track, which can be used by different skill levels.
Of course, not everyone will want to head along to Central Park because of the pump track, whilst anyone hoping to fish on the lake will need to get a permit in order to do so. There are multi-game areas on offer, meaning that you can go along if you want to play some basketball or get involved in a game of bowls.
Those that want to have a walk around the walled garden will doubtless be pleased to discover the fact that there is a café there too. In other words, there is plenty to get up to if you want to spend some time at the park.
