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Parks and open spaces in Liverpool

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Liverpool, England, UK has a significant area of public parks and gardens. The English Heritage National Register of Historic Parks describes Merseyside’s Victorian Parks as collectively the "most important in the country" [1] The city of Liverpool has ten listed parks and cemeteries, including three Grade II*, more than any other English city apart from London.[2]

There are over 2,500 acres (10 km2) of parks and open spaces in the city [3].

Much of the open space was for centuries private estate land. In particular several of the city's grand houses of the Georgian and Victorian eras are now either demolished or in public ownership, with their grounds and gardens given over to the city. Notable, however, are several parks which were conceived from the outset as public parks, modelled in part on the nearby Birkenhead Park, outwith Liverpool across the River Mersey, which was amongst the first of its type in the world.

Historical background

In 1833, the government's Select Committee on Public Walks emphasised the need to provide accessible space for recreation to improve the health of the urban population, to defuse social tensions and to allow social classes to mix.

From the early 1850s onwards, Liverpool endorsed this policy with the introduction of a ring of major municipal parks through a significant level of investment in public parks. These included Princes, Sefton, Wavertree, Shiel, Newsham and Stanley Parks.

City centre parks

Parks in Liverpool city centre include St. John's Gardens and St. Nicholas Church Gardens.

Parks

Liverpool City Council owns and manages a number of parks in the city, including (the larger and/or more historic):

Entry to all of these parks is unrestricted in terms of opening hours, with the exception of the walled botanic garden in Wavertree Park; and free of charge in all cases.

Croxteth Country Park

Main Article Croxteth Hall

Today Croxteth Hall & Country Park is managed by Liverpool City Council. This park is an example of a working country estate, with the park featuring the historic Hall itself, surrounded by mature woodlands, a collection of rare breed farm animals in the traditional "Home Farm" yard, and a Victorian walled garden.

Academic studies

Academics from the University of Liverpool's School of History have undertaken research on the historic development of parks and open spaces in the city and their future contribution to community development, education, bio-diversity, public health and urban regeneration. The team have worked to compile the first definitive chronology of the city’s parks over the past 200 years and a book should document the changing role of parks, from their prominence during the Victorian era through to the present day.[4].

References

  1. ^ Dr. Peter Brown, chair, Merseyside Civic Society
  2. ^ Liverpool City Council News, 23/2/2009
  3. ^ "Parks and recreation". Liverpool City Council website. Retrieved April 23, 2007.
  4. ^ "Researchers explore history of Liverpool parks". University of Liverpool. Retrieved April 23, 2007.
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