Gardens, River and 3 Parks

Today's 5.1144 miles (8.2309 km) meander through the Festival Gardens and the 3 Parks...

• Otterspool, 
• Sefton and 
• Princes

...has been saved. 

You can take a closer look at... 

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=6623629

Rain, rain, go away!

Not a good start to the day, raining all through the night...

Maghull Railway Station Car Park

 ...but it started to clear up and we decided to go for a walk.
The plan was to start and end at St Michaels Station, Dingle, and, depending on the direction of the wind, we would walk along the River Mersey with the wind at our back.

I'll say it now, and get it out of the way, the annoying thing about today was the time we spent waiting for connections on Merseyrail!
Eventually we arrived at St Michaels and wind direction got us walking through the Festival Gardens first...

 ...then on to Otterspool Promenade...

 Which was very windy indeed...

 The wind, as planned, pushed us along to...
Park #1 Otterspool Park...
Bird song, blossom, flowers (Californian Poppies) and sheltered from the wind.

Out of the park and across Aigburth Road, via the underpass, and up to Aigburth Drive and we arrived at 
Park #2 Sefton Park...

 Keeping to the right of the lake we saw...

 ...swans and cygnets, geese...

 ...and very large footed coots...

 Crossing little streams, via stepping stones...

 ...we saw the Palm House through the trees and baby coots...

 We also saw a very white Rock Dove...

 The Bandstand, said to be the inspiration for The Beatles’ Sgt Peppers Lonely Heart Club Band, was also seen...

 ...in amongst the blossoms and flowers...

 We also passed the fountain, made from bronze and aluminium, which was unveiled in 1932 and is a replica of the Shaftesbury Memorial Fountain created by Sir Alfred Gilbert in London's Piccadilly Circus....

It was restored in 2008 with a new aluminium Anteros statue replacing the original which now resides in Liverpool's Conservation Centre.
Anteros was the god of requited love, literally "love returned" or "counter-love" and also the punisher of those who scorn love and the advances of others, or the avenger of unrequited love.
Before leaving Sefton Park we saw some very old and large trees...

Leaving Sefton Park...

  We crossed the A5089 and  headed down Windermere Terrace to...
Park #3 Princes Park...

 ...where we saw more flowers, trees in blossom...

 ...and birds including Thrushes and Crows...

 We also went to view the Henge...

 ...the spectacular wooden “henge” was modelled on the world-famous ancient monument of Stonehenge.
It has been built near the Devonshire Belvedere gates and was designed and developed by young people from Toxteth who have been working on a project with Liverpool Youth Service, Plus Dane Group and Friends of Princes Park.
The wooden 'henge' at Princes Park is made from reclaimed wood and trees to create a unique seating area and aims to bring residents young and old together.
This innovative development is in the spirit of Joseph Paxton, designer and visionary who created Princes Park and who died in June 1865 (150 years before the Henge was created). 

Panorama of the henge

We then returned, via Belvidere Road, right onto the A561 (Dingle Lane), left along Dingle Vale and Buckland Street to return to St Michaels Station.

On the platform,while waiting for the train, we saw images of the Liverpool Plate...

 ...the winning entry into Merseytravel's 2010 Art on the Network Competition...

If you get the chance, it's a walk well worth doing and/or, each park and the gardens are worth visiting on their own!

Walk & Wednesday Pub Lunch #19 Disraeli's, Ormskirk

Our Walk, for the 19th Walk & Wednesday Pub Lunch, started at Maghull Station for a short train journey to Town Green...

...where we started our walk to Disraeli's...

...in Ormskirk.
The 4.2151 miles (6.7835 km) route, of the Walk part of the Walk & Wednesday Pub Lunch has been saved; it can be viewed at... 

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=6620577

From Town Green Station, we went onto Town Grenn Lane, turned right, crossed the bridge over the railway and continued to the T-junction with the B5197 (Prescot Road).
Here we turned right.
Where Prescot Road takes quite a sharp right, we crossed the road and headed down a small road...

Taking the second footpath on the left we continued along the edge of a woodland...

...then a field.
We crossed the stile on our left and headed straight across the field to a second stile; here we crossed the road and another stile and, keeping the hedge on our right, eventually emerged onto a drive to the farm we had just past.
Beside the path there were a number of fungi...

We turned left and, when reaching Long Lane, turned right, then first left along Cropper's Lane.
Throughout the walk there were lots of wild flowers, trees in flower...

 ...Hedges in blossom...

...and birds (Green Plovers and skylarks in particular); we also disturbed a rabbit.
At Catherine's Lane we turned left and, at the end of the lane, crossed Scarth Hill Lane following a clear path round to Altys Lane, where we turned left.
To our right we could see Edge Hill University in the distance, and more wild flowers next to a stream...

There was also further flowers developing on trees next to the road...

Just past Ormskirk Cricket Club we turned left down Brook Lane and under the railway line...

The small brook, beside the road, had sticklebacks in it.
On the other side of the tunnel under the railway we paused to stroke a somewhat heavily pregnant cat...

...which departed as a train crossed above us...

More blossom in bushes next to the brook...

...and at the B5139 we crossed at the zebra crossing and continued along the narrow path next to the brook...

When we reached Coronation Park...

...we headed towards the pond then, keeping the pond on our right, headed to Church Fields Road.
Heading up the hill to the junction with Ormskirk Civic Hall on our left, we crossed the zebra crossing and doubled back up the hill where the A570 meets Derby Street West.
Here we turned right and then first left along Church Street.
We had arrived at Disraeli's...

You can find out about the Pub Lunch at...

http://maghullfoodie.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/disraelis-snics-foot-hotel-ormskirk-our.html

For its Real Ales and Service, it managed to get into the League table which can be viewed at...

http://maghullfoodie.blogspot.co.uk/p/drink-no-food.html

After lunch we continued along Church Street, turning left along Railway Road, and then right along Derby Street. 
After crossing the bridge over the railway line, we turned left down Station Approach to Ormskirk Station.
All that was left to do was to catch the train back to Maghull.
Just got home before the rain started!
All in all, another enjoyable W&WPL - Number 19!