Sefton Park Travel Guide

  Palmhouse, Sefton Park
by sandysmith
  • Palmhouse, Sefton Park
      Palmhouse, Sefton Park
    by sandysmith
  • Palm House Sefton Park
      Palm House Sefton Park
    by sandysmith
  • Glass Palm House
      Glass Palm House
    by sandysmith
  • Sefton Park
      Sefton Park
    by sandysmith
  • boating lake Sefton Park
      boating lake Sefton Park
    by sandysmith

Explore Sefton Park

Things to Do  

Charles Darwin

Charles Darwin, Sefton Park

 sandysmith Says:  Darwin (1809-82) This Shrewsbury man became a renowned plant collector and author of "On the Origin of Species" his theory of evolution through natural selection.He is buried in Westminster Abbey. 

Blooms in the Palm House

Blooms in the Palm House, Sefton Park

 sandysmith Says:  Admiring the botanical species is what most people will come for though so here's another pic - but don't ask me its name, the latin escapes me! 

Spiral Staircase

Spiral Staircase, Sefton Park

 sandysmith Says:  Although it can't be climbed by the public a little spiral staircase in the Palm House adds to its architectural interest. 

Giovita's Goats

Giovita's Goats, Sefton Park

 sandysmith Says:  This unusual sculpture is by Giovita Lombardi in marble. A second version is in a private collection in Italy. It seemed a strange inclusion really - not my favourite anyway. 

The Angel's Whisper

The Angel's Whisper, Sefton Park

 sandysmith Says:  My favourite marble sculpture of Benjamin Spence was this one though - "The Angel's Whisper" (1857) - which was transferred to the Palm House from the Walker Art Gallery. 

Highland Mary Marble

Highland Mary Marble, Sefton Park

 sandysmith Says:  This poignant marble sculpture is the work of Benjamin Spence - one of his best known work in fact. Mary, the favourite of Robert Burns, died in childbirth after their bethrothal in 1787. 

The Bench

The Bench, Sefton Park

 sandysmith Says:  As well as the plants there are other pieces of art work inside the Palm House too.One of them is an ornate marble bench with the head of a lioness on each arm and an inlaid inscription commemorating the opening of the Palm House. 

Admiring the Plants

Admiring the Plants, Sefton Park

 sandysmith Says:  Species from Europe, the Americas, Africa, Asia and Australia are on view. You needn't worry about all those Latin plant names - there are handy guides around explaining the plant habitat and nature. 

Restaurants  

Baguette Bite: A Picnic for the Park
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sandysmith 5725 reviews
Baguette bite

If you don't have sandwhiches to take with you for a picnic in the Park then the Baguette Bite is ideally situated near the park entrance and does great baguette sandwhiches to take out. Alternatively you can eat in here too on the way back if you wish as therre were a few table and chairs inside and drinks are served too.

There is a cafe in the Park but when you see signs inside saying "no rolling your own here" and "no skinnying" you get the impression its a bit rough!

Favorite Dish: We enjoyed freh crusty ciabatta bread with pastrami and salad fillings and hot italian meatballs with salad. There was a good selection for vegetarians too. Cost was about £2 - £2.50 depending on choice of filling.

Updated May 31, 2003

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Transportation  

St Michael's Station
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sandysmith 5725 reviews
train leaving St Michael's

We reached Sefton by train from Liverpool Central station and got off at St Michael's (just 6 minutes ride on the Merseyrail network Northern line) Some of you may recall this as the area where the Liverpool Garden Festival site was situated just down the road. This site is sadly neglected now - wasn't even worth a picture! Never mind just a 10 minute walk up Southwood Road and then Lark Lane will bring you to the green expanse of Sefton Park.

Updated May 25, 2003

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 Trains

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Off The Beaten Path  

Strange Artwork
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sandysmith 5725 reviews
art work

Just as we left St Michael's Station, on the left hand side, we saw this strange piece of artwork in a garden. Have no idea what its all about so if anybody knows..please let me know!
My thanks to a vigilant VT'er for letting me know about this artwork:
its found in the grounds of Southwood Hostel and is called Courage Within, and wascreated by local sculptor Tom Murphy. It was unvailed a few years ago by the actor who plays Will Manning in BBC drama Casualty.
Much more info can be found following the link for the web site below.

Updated Apr 4, 2011

Related to:
 Arts and Culture

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Favorites  

Lark Lane

Lark Lane, Sefton Park

 sandysmith Says:  After South Wood Road the busy main street of Aigbuth Road is crossed and onto Lark Lane. Lark Lane is a small and pleasant area of the city which is home to a sprinkling of top quality wine bars, restaurants, pubs and antique shops. Though on first glance the area may seem... 

Peep into the Palm House

Peep into the Palm House, Sefton Park

 sandysmith Says:   One of my favourite views of the Palm House was this view from the outside looking in through the glass arches. 

Pearl of the Park

Pearl of the Park, Sefton Park

 sandysmith Says:  The real jewel and attraction of Sefton Park though is the restored grade II listed victorian glass Palm House. The flowers and its artwork are expanded on in the must see tips section but it is also a beautiful location for functions such as small weddings and the stage has... 

Park in Bloom

Park in Bloom, Sefton Park

 sandysmith Says:   We visited the Park in late May - a pretty time to see the flowers in bloom here - I'd also like to revisit for the autumn colours though. 

Bandstand

Bandstand, Sefton Park

 sandysmith Says:  The Bandstand in the park looked liked it had seen better days, perhaps that is next on the list to be restored. However it did make a nice reflection picture for me :-)) 

Boating Lake

Boating Lake, Sefton Park

 sandysmith Says:  Sefton Park also has a boating lake - but we didn't see any boats on it during our visit and the boathouse has disappeared too. Its still a pleasant walk around though and there are benches to rest awhile on. 

Southwood Road

Southwood Road, Sefton Park

 sandysmith Says:   As we walked from the train station to Sefton Park we admired the houses in Southwood Road - must have been an affluent area in its day as there were large mansions with ornate fretwork decoraions. 

Sefton Park View

Sefton Park View, Sefton Park

 sandysmith Says:  Here's another view of our walk around Sefton Park. We enjoyed watching baby swans on the water here - we seem to see baby ducks and swans all the time at the moment, they are so cute. 

Sefton Park

Sefton Park, Sefton Park

 sandysmith Says:  Sefton Park in Liverpool was designed by Edouard Andre (of the Tuillieres Garden in Paris fame) and Lewis Hornblower after they won a competition in 1863. Not surprisingly the park is in the French style, with curved paths and a clever use of water features, hills and... 

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Explore Deeper into Sefton Park
Plant Showcase
Things to Do
Botanical Collection
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Henry the Navigator
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John Parkinson
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Christopher Columbus
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Linnaeus
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Mercator
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Palm House Close up
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Captain Cook
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Andre Le Notre
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The Palm House
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Map of Sefton Park