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15-647: The Wirral Country Park is a country park on the Wirral Peninsula , England, lying both in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral in the county of Merseyside and in the borough of Cheshire West & Chester in the county of Cheshire . It was the first designated country park in Britain, opening in 1973. The park is located along the Wirral Way , which follows the trackbed of part of

30-403: A car park, toilets, maybe a cafe or kiosk, paths and trails, and some information for visitors. Some have much more, with museums, visitor centres, educational facilities, historic buildings, farms, boating, fishing, and other attractions. Many larger country parks organise entertainment for visitors, and are venues for firework displays, shows and fairs and other large, outdoor events. There

45-480: A country park is to provide a place that has a natural, rural atmosphere for visitors who do not necessarily want to go out into the wider countryside. Visitors can enjoy a public open space with an informal atmosphere, as opposed to a formal park as might be found in an urban area. For this reason country parks are usually found close to or on the edge of built-up areas, and rarely in the wider countryside. A country park usually has some more formal facilities, such as

60-483: A glimpse of certain birds of prey such as peregrines , hen harriers and day-hunting short-eared owls . Wirral Country Park is popular with ramblers and offers numerous walks, three being of particular note. First is the stretch of shoreline running a couple of miles from Thurstaston Beach to Heswall Beach, a popular route for horse riders as well. Second is The Wirral Way, a 13-mile (21 km) walk from West Kirby to Hooton . The country park itself lies along

75-454: Is not necessarily any public right of access to country parks, and visitors are usually subject to byelaws when they enter the park. Some charge for car parking, some are free. These parks vary tremendously from one to another, and really have only their purpose in common: to provide easy access to the countryside for those living in the towns and suburbs . They do not necessarily have any great nature conservation interest, although often this

90-856: Is popular with cyclists, especially at weekends. Part of the Wirral Endurance Ride , a horse-riding event in the Endurance GB National Championship, is held along the Wirral Way. Country park In the United Kingdom, the term country park has a specific meaning. There are around 250 designated country parks in England and Wales attracting some 57 million visitors a year, and another 40 or so in Scotland. Most country parks were designated in

105-505: Is the case. In Hong Kong a large part of the territory's countryside is officially designated as country parks. Most of these are reservoir watersheds, serving the dual purpose of providing recreational facilities and contributing to Hong Kong's water supply. Wirral Endurance Ride Endurance GB is the governing body for endurance riding in Great Britain as well as organising over 100 affiliated events per year. It

120-584: The 1970s, under the Countryside Act 1968 , with the support of the former Countryside Commission . In more recent times there has been no specific financial support for country parks directly and fewer have been designated. Most parks are managed by local authorities, although other organisations and private individuals can also run them. The 1968 Countryside Act empowered the Countryside Commission to recognize country parks. Although

135-448: The Act established country parks and gave guidance on the core facilities and services they should provide it did not empower the designation of sites as country parks, as it was left to local authorities to decide whether to endorse a site calling itself a country park. In England, country parks can be accredited by Natural England , and some also have Green Flag status. The purpose of

150-550: The Wirral Way towards the middle of this route. Third is a 3.5-mile (5.6 km) circular Heswall Dales and fields walk, via a small valley known as 'The Dungeon'. The Wirral Coastal Walk is a well-known route within Merseyside, passing through Wirral Country Park and encompassing some of the aforementioned walks. It is organised as an annual event by the Rotary Club , with over 5,000 taking part in 2008. The walk follows

165-634: The Wirral coastline from Seacombe Ferry on the River Mersey to Thurstaston Country Park on the River Dee , a distance of 15 miles (24 km). The annual event has become a popular way for local charities and organisations to raise money for their cause. Wirral Country Park is popular not only for its wildlife and country walking, but also cycling , horse riding , kite flying , quad biking and paragliding . The 12.2-mile (19.6 km) Wirral Way

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180-405: The degree of climb or descent. The park is home to badgers and foxes and to ten species of butterfly. The Dee estuary is home to populations of ragworm , lugworm , and cockles which support various species of bird in the area, including common redshanks , common shelducks , northern lapwings , skylarks , meadow pipits and common terns . During high spring tides visitors may also catch

195-399: The digging and forming of drainage channels, levelling and consolidation of thousands of tons of gravel or ballast, and the removal of some brick-built road bridges. Some of the few remains of the original railway line are the old station platform at Thurstaston, the preserved 1950s-era railway station at Hadlow Road, Willaston, a number of bridges and occasional railway incline signs indicating

210-402: The former Birkenhead Railway route from West Kirby to Hooton . The old line, which closed in 1962, follows the estuary of the River Dee for 7 miles (11 km) between West Kirby and Parkgate then heads inland, across the Wirral peninsula, to Hooton. There are two visitor centres along the Wirral Way, one near the site of Thurstaston railway station , at Thurstaston , and the other at

225-635: The preserved Hadlow Road railway station , in Willaston . Work began on the park in 1969, and the park was formally opened in 1973 by Lord Leverhulme . The park's creation followed a successful campaign by Captain Lawrence Beswick DSM, which prompted the necessary investment from the Countryside Commission . Construction of the park required the removal of 30 miles (48 km) of railway track and accompanying sleepers,

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