Walking Trails Liverpool: Hidden Nature Spots

Liverpool City Council opened new access gates at the southern end of the Loop Line on 1 July, giving walkers and cyclists direct entry from Childwall Valley Road without crossing the main A5080.

Residents cite longer daylight hours and recent spells of dry weather as reasons to seek out these routes now rather than wait for organised group events later in the season.

The Loop Line runs through Wavertree and Broadgreen, where disused railway cuttings now support oak and birch woodland that shades the path for most of its eight-mile length inside the city boundary. Croxteth Country Park, reached from the same line via a short spur at West Derby, maintains formal gardens alongside 500 acres of farmland and woodland managed by the council’s countryside team.

Both sites sit within five miles of the city centre and connect to National Cycle Route 62, allowing visitors to travel by bike from Lime Street station in under 40 minutes. A single adult day ticket on Arriva bus services covering these northern and eastern districts costs £4.50 and runs every 15 minutes from the city centre on weekdays.

Routes through the parks

At Croxteth, the red trail marked on site maps covers 3.2 kilometres through mixed woodland and past the 16th-century hall, with firm gravel underfoot even after rain. The Loop Line itself stays mostly flat and is lit between 7am and 10pm from the West Derby entrance to the Page Moss section. Local volunteers from the Friends of the Loop Line group clear litter twice monthly and record bird sightings that include bullfinches and occasional kingfishers along the former track bed.

Council figures released in May show 1.8 million visits to these two sites combined in the previous 12 months, with the highest monthly total recorded in June 2025.

Getting started this weekend

Walkers can start at the new Childwall Valley Road gate and reach Croxteth’s visitor centre in roughly 90 minutes on foot, or turn south toward Halewood for a shorter out-and-back. Bring water and check the council website for any temporary path closures before setting out, as seasonal maintenance continues through the end of July.