I went to a little known riverside park and one thing was missing

I noticed something when I visited the park for the first time

I went to a little known riverside park and one thing was missing

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There are a few places that come to mind when you think of green spaces in Merseyside. Among them are Sefton Park, which is often cited as the best, Birkenhead Park with its links to Central Park and Stanley Park which stands between Anfield and Goodison.

But there are many smaller, less well-known places that are the perfect antidote to the hustle and bustle of urban life. Therefore, before I visited Crosby earlier this week for a different ECHO article, I had a look at the different parks in and around the area and one place in particular caught my eye.

One article simply stated that Marine Garden was a “lovely, quiet spot to walk the dogs”. I had a look, saw it was right by the Marine Lake, and decided to pay a visit while I was there. It was easy enough to find, located a short walk away from Waterloo station. Waterloo is very close to Crosby and the famous beach is partially in the area, but it does have a distinct identity of its own.

In 2023, the Sunday Times Best Places to Live declared Liverpool as the best place to live in the north west, and singled out Waterloo as one of Merseyside's best districts. The study argued residents could enjoy the benefits of life on the coast for a "fraction of the house price” compared to Crosby and Blundellsands. It also cited Waterloo's bustling array of independent shops on South Road and St John’s Road, as well as its excellent transport links.

Marine Garden is located on a street called Marine Terrace, which has elegant blue, pink and green houses on one side and paths leading to Marine Lake on the other. It was a weekday afternoon when I visited, and there were indeed a few people walking their dogs, along with runners and people just enjoying a walk and a sit down. It wasn’t particularly big but I didn’t expect it to be. It’s effectively an oval shape, with two paths on both sides and grass in the middle.

As I walked around, I began to notice something. I’d assumed, being so close to the lake, that there would be some great views of the water in Marine Garden. But the clue really is in the name - it’s a garden. The trees block out both views of the road and nearly all of the lake. If you want to watch the water go by, this isn't the right spot for you.

Nevertheless, I think this is part of the garden’s charm. It’s a great place to soak in nature without having to go near the sea. I imagine on sunny days when the lake is busy that the garden is a peaceful retreat from the noise and hectic activity of the marina and Crosby Beach generally.

What’s more, there is more than one garden. Once you leave Marine Garden, there are two more right next to each other for you to enjoy. The Crescent Garden is quite similar, although there is a section where there are no trees, providing a lovely view out to the lake. Adelaide Garden meanwhile has the best views of those green and blue houses. I visited Waterloo hoping to find one great green space and ended up discovering three of them.

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