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Liverpool Open Spaces

Liverpool is not just a vibrant, buzzing city. It also has peaceful open spaces and green city parks.

A Brief History of Liverpool's Parks
In the late eighteenth century, the distinguished William Roscoe cherished the notion that one day Liverpool could become as beautiful a city as Florence.
The first public open space in Liverpool was established in 1767. St. James' Mount Gardens were opened as a public walk commanding fine Mersey views from close to the present site of the Anglican Cathedral.

The early nineteenth century brought further open space initiatives, as private garden developments sought to enhance property ventures, notably at Abercromby (1800) and Falkner (1835) Squares, coupled with the founding by Roscoe of Liverpool's Botanic Garden (1802) initially at Myrtle Street, later re-established at Edge Lane (1836).

Edge Lane Botanic Garden and adjacent Wavertree Park became a public facility in 1846; at this time Liverpool still lacked the scale of open space befitting either its municipal ambitions or its social need. This was rectified when, between 1870 and the end of the century, some of Liverpool's largest and grandest parks were established.

Three Victorian Parks - Newsham (1868) Stanley (1870) and Sefton (1872) - were opened. The century closed with the gift of Wavertree Playground (`The Mystery' of an anonymous benefactor) in 1895 and Greenbank Park (1897), together accounting for nearly a fifth of our present open space resource.

The twentieth century brought a new era of park development, marked by the purchase of the Calderstones Estate in 1902.

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Information taken and adapted from the City of Liverpool website. For further information please visit City of Liverpool