Birkenhead’s biggest
Arrowe
Park or garden
99 ha (244 acres)5.8 km of path
1 h 15 minto walk all 5.8 km of path
139 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1.7 mi south-westfrom the centre
3 listed
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: Marathon · CC BY-SA 2.0B+Outdoors Grade
Outdoors in Birkenhead · parks, paths & countryside
Birkenhead is on the coast, on the King Charles III England Coast Path
The sea makes up 25% of the area within 5 km. Parks and playing fields in Birkenhead add up to 3.1 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. A park or playing field is within a 5-minute walk for 71% of residents. Birkenhead grades B+ for the outdoors: #11 of 25 in Merseyside. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
3.1 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
71%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
164 km
2.8 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
0%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: Bryniau Clwyd A Dyffryn Dyfrdwy/clwydian Range and Dee Valley National Landscape
The sea
25%
of the area within 5 km
A coastal town
Character
What kind of outdoors city is Birkenhead?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
On the coast25% of the area within 5 km is sea; 26 beaches mapped.On a National TrailThe King Charles III England Coast Path passes through.Historic parks2 registered historic parks and gardens, including Birkenhead Park.
Birkenhead’s strongest suit is the sea, followed by the King Charles III England Coast Path.
Outdoors grade
Birkenhead grades B+ for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Birkenhead, the dashed line the typical town. The number is the share of towns it beats; the five are averaged and the average ranked again.
B+
Better than 65% of UK towns#11 of 25 in Merseyside · 32nd of 60 UK cities its size
Public green space3.1 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
71out of
100
100
A park within a walk71%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
33out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape0%of the land within 5 km · None within 5 km
31out of
100
100
Footpaths2.8 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
55out of
100
100
The sea25%of the area within 5 km
91out of
100
100
Graded, never part of the overall grade (like History and Civic life). It measures what is mapped: OS Open Greenspace leaves out woodland and open-access land that isn’t a park, and OpenStreetMap’s rural paths are more complete in some places than others.
Cities its size
Birkenhead is 32nd of 60 UK cities its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 78,200 to 143,400 people with an Outdoors Grade. Hover a dot for its figures; tap one for its page.
Outdoors score: the share of UK towns each one beats
Footpath, km per km²
Birkenhead2.8
Cities its size4.1
Merseyside towns2.6
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Birkenhead3.1
Cities its size2.4
Merseyside towns3.0
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Birkenhead71%
Cities its size86%
Merseyside towns87%
All UK towns83%
Against cities its size, Birkenhead stands out most for park space per resident: only 12 of the other 59 have more. It falls furthest behind on path per km², where 53 of the others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hastings East Sussex | A+ | 3.1 | 76% | 4.3 | 42% |
| 2 | Burnley Lancashire | A+ | 3.4 | 95% | 5.7 | 7% |
| 3 | Gloucester Gloucestershire | A | 2.7 | 93% | 6 | 22% |
| 4 | Gillingham Kent | A | 1.6 | 86% | 5.3 | 23% |
| 5 | Ashford Kent | A | 2.7 | 94% | 5.2 | 23% |
| 6 | Poole Dorset | A | 2.5 | 81% | 3.4 | 20% |
| 7 | Crawley West Sussex | A | 2.6 | 85% | 10.5 | 33% |
| 8 | Stockport Greater Manchester | A | 4 | 93% | 4.3 | 0% |
| 9 | Eastbourne East Sussex | A | 2 | 75% | 4.3 | 23% |
| 10 | Basingstoke Hampshire | A | 2.5 | 94% | 5.8 | 6% |
| 11 | Colchester Essex | A | 3.2 | 86% | 5.4 | 10% |
| 12 | Hemel Hempstead Hertfordshire | A | 3 | 95% | 3.6 | 18% |
| 13 | Bath Somerset | A | 1.8 | 89% | 5.6 | 50% |
| 14 | Harlow Essex | A | 3.7 | 99% | 8.2 | 0% |
| 15 | Bracknell Berkshire | A | 3.7 | 97% | 5.3 | 0% |
| 16 | Watford Hertfordshire | A | 2.8 | 88% | 4.5 | 1% |
| 17 | Weston-super-Mare Somerset | A− | 1.2 | 87% | 3.7 | 8% |
| 18 | Stevenage Hertfordshire | A− | 3 | 98% | 7.3 | 0% |
| 19 | Gateshead Tyne and Wear | A− | 3.3 | 95% | 5.2 | 0% |
| 20 | Basildon Essex | A− | 3 | 95% | 7.1 | 0% |
| 21 | Aylesbury Buckinghamshire | A− | 1.8 | 88% | 9.5 | 5% |
| 22 | Maidstone Kent | A− | 2.9 | 81% | 3.5 | 20% |
| 23 | Cheltenham Gloucestershire | A− | 1.4 | 87% | 4.5 | 44% |
| 24 | Redditch Worcestershire | A− | 4.1 | 84% | 5.2 | 0% |
| 25 | Worthing West Sussex | A− | 1.2 | 78% | 2.9 | 38% |
| 26 | Newport Gwent | A− | 2.8 | 85% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 27 | Bedford Bedfordshire | B+ | 4.2 | 88% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 28 | Wakefield West Yorkshire | B+ | 3.9 | 86% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 29 | Oldham Greater Manchester | B+ | 1.7 | 87% | 5 | 0% |
| 30 | High Wycombe Buckinghamshire | B+ | 1.6 | 68% | 5.4 | 67% |
| 31 | Huddersfield West Yorkshire | B+ | 1.4 | 94% | 4.3 | 1% |
| 32 | Birkenhead Merseyside | B+ | 3.1 | 71% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 33 | York North Yorkshire | B | 2.3 | 89% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 34 | Salford Greater Manchester | B | 2 | 91% | 5.1 | 0% |
| 35 | Kensington and Chelsea London | B | 1.5 | 99% | 7.1 | 0% |
| 36 | Chelmsford Essex | B | 2.4 | 87% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 37 | Wythenshawe Greater Manchester | B | 2.5 | 84% | 4.5 | 0% |
| 38 | St Helens Merseyside | B | 3.4 | 91% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 39 | Preston Lancashire | B | 3 | 80% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 40 | Wallasey Merseyside | B | 1.9 | 90% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 41 | Wigan Greater Manchester | B | 2.7 | 81% | 4 | 0% |
| 42 | Hartlepool County Durham | B− | 1.7 | 73% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 43 | Nuneaton Warwickshire | B− | 2.3 | 94% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 44 | West Bromwich West Midlands | B− | 2.7 | 83% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 45 | Grimsby Lincolnshire | B− | 1.3 | 75% | 2.4 | 3% |
| 46 | Halifax West Yorkshire | B− | 2 | 86% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 47 | Bury Greater Manchester | B− | 2.4 | 82% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 48 | Blackburn Lancashire | B− | 2.2 | 71% | 3.1 | 1% |
| 49 | Exeter Devon | B− | 1.8 | 81% | 4.6 | 0% |
| 50 | Royal Sutton Coldfield West Midlands | B− | 6.1 | 64% | 3 | 0% |
| 51 | Lincoln Lincolnshire | B− | 2.5 | 72% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 52 | Rochdale Greater Manchester | C+ | 1.7 | 88% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 53 | Stockton-on-Tees County Durham | C+ | 2 | 83% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 54 | Darlington County Durham | C+ | 2.2 | 87% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 55 | Worcester Worcestershire | C | 1.5 | 77% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 56 | Doncaster South Yorkshire | C | 1.8 | 72% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 57 | Solihull West Midlands | C | 2.9 | 54% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 58 | Scunthorpe Lincolnshire | C | 2.2 | 91% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 59 | Chester Cheshire | C | 1.6 | 86% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 60 | Southport Merseyside | C− | 1.4 | 60% | 2.1 | 0% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Birkenhead’s built-up area.
Green space: parks, gardens, playing fields and play spaces, named or not.© OpenStreetMap contributors · Contains OS data © Crown copyright · Natural England / NRW
Places to walk
Parks to walk in, in and around Birkenhead
The biggest is Arrowe, 99 ha (244 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
All 30 named parks by size: 315 ha (778 acres) and 31 km of path
Parks & gardens 286 haPlaying fields 29 haPlay spaces 0.2 ha
The two biggest, Arrowe and Birkenhead Park, are 49% of the named green space and carry 12 km of path between them. 12 of the 30 are under 2 ha: small gardens, play spaces and pitches.
Historic park · Grade I
Birkenhead Park
Park or garden
55 ha (136 acres)6.5 km of path
1 h 25 minto walk all 6.5 km of path
77 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.7 mi north-eastfrom the centre
Playground Grand Entrance Gateway with North and South Lodges Grade II* +20 listed
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Bidston Hill
Park or garden
49 ha (121 acres)5.6 km of path
1 h 15 minto walk all 5.6 km of path
69 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1 mi north-westfrom the centre
Peak Bidston Windmill Grade II* +2 listedKing George's Way
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Upton Meadow
Park or garden
16 ha (40 acres)3.7 km of path
50 minto walk all 3.7 km of path
23 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
2 mi westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Victoria Park
Park or garden
11 ha (28 acres)2.0 km of path
25 minto walk all 2 km of path
16 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1.3 mi south-eastfrom the centre
1 listed
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Upton Park
Park or garden
13 ha (31 acres)0.7 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.7 km of path
18 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
2.1 mi north-westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Mersey Park
Park or garden
8.4 ha (21 acres)2.0 km of path
25 minto walk all 2 km of path
12 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1.3 mi eastfrom the centre
Playground
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Duck Pond Lake Park
Park or garden
10 ha (25 acres)0.8 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.8 km of path
14 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Birkenhead
Directionsto the nearest entrance
All 30 named parks and green spaces
ArrowePark or garden · 99 ha · 5.8 km of path
DirectionsBirkenhead ParkPark or garden · 55 ha · 6.5 km of path
DirectionsBidston HillPark or garden · 49 ha · 5.6 km of path
DirectionsUpton MeadowPark or garden · 16 ha · 3.7 km of path
DirectionsVictoria ParkPark or garden · 11 ha · 2.0 km of path
DirectionsUpton ParkPark or garden · 13 ha · 0.7 km of path
DirectionsMersey ParkPark or garden · 8.4 ha · 2.0 km of path
DirectionsDuck Pond Lake ParkPark or garden · 10 ha · 0.8 km of path
DirectionsBidston Moss Local Nature ReservePark or garden · 6.8 ha · 0.5 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsCoronation ParkPlaying field · 7.4 ha · 1.0 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsNew Ferry ParkPark or garden · 4.9 ha · 0.7 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsWalker ParkPark or garden · 5.6 ha
DirectionsLC McAllester Memorial FieldPlaying field · 5.7 ha
DirectionsBidston Court GardensPark or garden · 2.9 ha
DirectionsUpper Bidston Village ParkPark or garden · 2.0 ha · 0.5 km of path
DirectionsWarwick Hey Recreation GroundPlaying field · 2.0 ha · 0.6 km of path
DirectionsUpton Cricket ClubPlaying field · 3.2 ha
DirectionsOxton Cricket GroundPlaying field · 3.1 ha
DirectionsBirkenhead Park Rugby ClubPlaying field · 2.7 ha
DirectionsOld Parkonians AssociationPlaying field · 1.6 ha · 0.1 km of path
DirectionsOld Rockferrians Rugby Union Football ClubPlaying field · 2.0 ha · just outside town
DirectionsThe Woodlands Community ParkPark or garden · 0.6 ha · 0.1 km of path
DirectionsSaughall Grange Recreation GroundPlaying field · 0.5 ha · 0.3 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsWayfarers Cricket ClubPlaying field · 1.0 ha
DirectionsEdward Kemp Community GardenPark or garden · 0.6 ha
DirectionsCourtney ParkPark or garden · 0.1 ha
DirectionsBidston Community GardenPark or garden · 0.0 ha
DirectionsThe JunctionPlay space · 0.1 ha
DirectionsUpton Pines Play AreaPlay space · 0.0 ha
DirectionsFender SkateparkPlay space · 0.1 ha · just outside town
DirectionsClose to home
7 in 10 Birkenhead residents live within a 5-minute walk of a park
Each square is 1 in 100 residents: green lives within 400 m of a public park, garden or playing field (Census 2021 output areas against OS Open Greenspace).
Within 400 m (71%)Further (29%)
Birkenhead71%
Cities its size86%
Merseyside towns87%
All UK towns83%
About 31,000 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 75 playgrounds are mapped in and around the city, about one for every 1,465 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
The Bryniau Clwyd A Dyffryn Dyfrdwy/clwydian Range and Dee Valley National Landscape is 9.6 mi away
Protected landscapes within 30 km, by direction and distance from the edge of the built-up area; circle size shows each one’s area. National Landscapes were called Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty until 2023.
National ParkNational LandscapeThe 5 km the grade counts
National Landscape
Bryniau Clwyd A Dyffryn Dyfrdwy/clwydian Range and Dee Valley
9.6 mi west389 km²since 2011
Footpaths & waymarked walks
Birkenhead is on the King Charles III England Coast Path
164 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Birkenhead and the kilometre around it, 2.8 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the city.
NationalRegional
Wirral Circular Trail18.2 km
King Charles III England Coast Path: Birkenhead to Welsh Border2.8 km
King Charles III England Coast Path: Cleveleys to Liverpool1.9 km
Trans-Pennine Trail (Liverpool to Warrington)1.6 km
The King Charles III England Coast Path, a national route, passes Birkenhead. 2 regional routes pass through, including the Wirral Circular Trail and Trans-Pennine Trail (Liverpool to Warrington).
Waymarked walks are OpenStreetMap walking routes. Public rights of way are only as complete as the map in each area.
History along the way
2 historic parks, and what stands in them
Historic England’s register of parks and gardens, and the listed buildings and scheduled monuments that stand inside Birkenhead’s named parks.
Registered park · Grade I
Birkenhead Park
55 ha. A registered historic park (Grade I). 21 listed structures and monuments stand inside it or at its edge.
II*Grand Entrance Gateway with North and South LodgesIICastellated LodgeIICentral LodgeIICricket PavilionIIGate Piers at Entrance to Birkenhead ParkIIGate Piers to Birkenhead ParkIIGate Piers, Gates and Railings to Birkenhead ParkIIGothic Lodge, Gate Piers and RailingsIIItalian LodgeIIMemorial Drinking Fountain Opposite Main Entrance to Birkenhead ParkIINorman Lodge EastIINorman Lodge WestIINumber 57 with Gatepiers to Front GardenIIPavilion and Boat House on Bank of East LakeIIRoyden House including gatepiers and railingsIISwiss Bridge
Registered · Grade II*Flaybrick Memorial Gardens11 ha
Listed buildings insideBidston HillBidston Windmill, Bidston Lighthouse and Lighthouse Cottages and Perimeter Wall to Observatory and Lighthouse, With Entrance to West
Listed buildings insideArroweArrowe Hall, Entrance Gateway to Arrowe Hall with Flanking Screen Walls and Lodge at Entrance Gateway to Arrowe Hall
A listed building or monument counts when it sits inside the park’s OS Open Greenspace outline (to about 15 m), so a few at the boundary are included. Historic England, National Heritage List for England.
When to get out
The best walking months in Birkenhead: May to September
The city’s 1991–2020 averages (Met Office HadUK-Grid) and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have 12½+ hours of daylight, highs of 15 °C or more and little rain for the town.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 8.0 | 9.7 | 11.7 | 13.9 | 15.9 | 17.0 | 16.5 | 14.8 | 12.6 | 10.4 | 8.5 | 7.5 |
| High (°C) | 8 | 8 | 10 | 13 | 16 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 18 | 14 | 11 | 8 |
| Rain (mm) | 65 | 52 | 48 | 52 | 52 | 62 | 66 | 73 | 74 | 83 | 79 | 81 |
March is the driest month (48 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 20 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 83 mm of rain falls in October, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 19 nights a year. The climate in Birkenhead →
The coast
The coast and beaches near Birkenhead
25% of the area within 5 km of Birkenhead is sea. 26 beaches are mapped within 5 km, 4 with a name.
Tranmere Beach0.0 mi from town
DirectionsBrazil Bank2.5 mi from town
DirectionsEast Hoyle Bank2.7 mi from town
DirectionsThe King Charles III England Coast Path passes the town.
Sea: the area outside the ONS coastline (mean high water). Bathing water quality is published by the Environment Agency (England) and Natural Resources Wales; check it before swimming.
Things to do
3 viewpoints and 75 playgrounds
Mapped within 2 km of the city in OpenStreetMap, against the typical UK city its size per resident. Named places are listed with directions; unnamed ones are only counted.
3Viewpointsabout the same as cities its size2Hills and peaks3Nature reservesabout the same as cities its size75Playgroundsabout the same as cities its size
Every named place, with directions
Hills and peaks 2
Bidston Hill70 m (230 ft) · in town
DirectionsPrenton Hill81 m (266 ft) · in town
DirectionsNature reserves 3
New Ferry Butterfly Park0.3 mi from town
DirectionsPort Sunlight River Park21 ha · 0.8 mi from town
DirectionsDitton Lane Nature Area1.2 mi from town
DirectionsPlaygrounds 75
Birkenhead Park Playgroundin town
DirectionsMersey Parkin town
DirectionsSeacombe Park0.3 mi from town
DirectionsMad House0.4 mi from town
DirectionsCentral Park Playground0.8 mi from town
DirectionsMidghall Street Playground1.2 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 69 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Next door
The outdoors in nearby towns
The nearest towns of 1,000+ within 12 miles. Tap a town for its outdoors page.
WallaseyGreasbyHeswallBebingtonMeolsCaldyBirkenhead
ABCDOutdoors Grade
Meols, 4.6 miles away, grades A, the best next door: every resident lives within 400 m of a park. Caldy has at least twice Birkenhead’s green space per resident. None of the neighbours has a protected landscape within 5 km either.
Questions about the outdoors in Birkenhead
What is the biggest park in Birkenhead?
Arrowe, 99 ha (244 acres), with 5.8 km of path. Birkenhead Park (55 ha) is second. 30 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the city or within 400 m of it.
Is Birkenhead near a National Park?
The nearest protected landscape is the Bryniau Clwyd A Dyffryn Dyfrdwy/clwydian Range and Dee Valley National Landscape, 9.6 mi west of the city’s edge. It covers 389 km² and was designated in 2011.
What are the best walks near Birkenhead?
4 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the city, including the Wirral Circular Trail, King Charles III England Coast Path: Birkenhead to Welsh Border and King Charles III England Coast Path: Cleveleys to Liverpool. Arrowe alone has 5.8 km of path.
How many people in Birkenhead live near a park?
71% of residents live within 400 m, about a 5-minute walk, of a public park, garden or playing field (Census 2021 output areas against OS Open Greenspace). The typical UK town is 83%.
When is the best time of year for walking in Birkenhead?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Which parks in Birkenhead are historic?
Birkenhead Park (Grade I) and Flaybrick Memorial Gardens (Grade II*) are on Historic England’s register of parks and gardens.
Is Birkenhead good for walking?
About average for paths: 2.8 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 55% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 71% (3.1 ha per 1,000 residents).
How is the Outdoors Grade worked out?
From five measures, each placed among UK towns of 1,000 or more: public green space per resident, the share living near a park, National Park or National Landscape within 5 km, footpaths per square kilometre, and the sea within 5 km. It is a character grade and isn’t part of Birkenhead’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Birkenhead’s outdoors figures come from
- Parks and green space: Ordnance Survey OS Open Greenspace (parks and gardens, playing fields, play spaces, and their access points). Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026, Open Government Licence v3.0.
- National Parks and National Landscapes: Natural England and Natural Resources Wales boundaries, areas and designation dates, Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Footpaths, walking routes, beaches and things to do: © OpenStreetMap contributors, Open Database License (ODbL), via Geofabrik, 16 October 2026.
- Historic parks, listed buildings and monuments: Historic England, National Heritage List for England, Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Rain and temperature: Met Office HadUK-Grid 1991–2020 averages for the town; daylight calculated from its latitude.
- The sea: ONS Countries (December 2024) boundaries clipped to mean high water. Residents near a park: ONS Census 2021 output areas.
- Grade: TownRatings’ Outdoors Grade, ranked against UK towns only.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.