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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
Entertainment
Aaliyah Rugg

Quiet woodland walk on the edge of Merseyside with lovely views

A village that is a "completely different world" to Liverpool is home to one of the region's most scenic walks.

Whether you're a keen cyclist or promised yourself you would hit 10,000 steps a day, there are many incredible places across Merseyside that you can visit and enjoy along the way. From coastal walks to woodland strolls, Merseyside really does have it all.

But there is one walk just over the border that is definitely worth the visit. Hale Village is a small village that is renowned for its thatched cottages and green space. Locals previously described it as being a "completely different world".

READ MORE: Ranked: the best places to live in Liverpool 2023

It's also home to local legend John Middleton, better known as the 'Childe of Hale', who was said to be nine feet and three inches tall. Heading past the church where the famous statue is placed, you will find yourself at the start of the route down to the lighthouse.

Today’s Hale Lighthouse was built in 1906 after replacing a shorter tower built around 1838. The tower is 45ft high and the lamp's beam could be seen 40 miles away.

Beautiful Hale Village and John Middleton known as the Childe of Hale. (Colin Lane/Liverpool Echo)

The lighthouse was last used in 1958 when it was decommissioned and the main light now stands in the Merseyside Maritime Museum in the Albert Dock. But the secluded walk is perfect for those wanting a bit of peace and quiet, with stunning views of the River Mersey.

According to AllTrials, the circular route takes an average 54-minutes to complete, but if you carry on going, you can walk straight to the Speke coastal reserve which would probably take just under two hours to walk.

We decided to take a walk along the secluded route and it was as serene as it sounds. Living not too far away, I walked there, keen to get my 10,000 steps in that I'd been neglecting, so I didn't need to worry about a parking space. Parking can be a bit tricky as you cannot drive past a certain point, but it's definitely worth a visit.

On a warm summer's day, the pathway was quite wet and muddy due to recent bursts of rain we were having, but what else can you expect? We headed down to the lighthouse before stopping at the rocky beach to take in the views of the Mersey and beautiful wildflowers. This would have been the perfect place to have a picnic had we brought one.

We even saw some planes heading past towards Liverpool John Lennon Airport. We decided to stay a little while before completing the circular route and heading off home but the walk can be as short or long as you wish. There's even a way to get to Hale park if that's where you want to go.

According to the All Trails app, there are so many top reviews as people all say the same thing. One person described the route as having "splendid views" and another said it was "excellent".

Read more about AllTrails here.

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