Thirty one walkers assembled at St Michael’s Station for our guided walk round Sefton Park. Before we reached the park, David Scott gave us a potted history of the development of St Michael’s Hamlet and the construction of its “cast iron” Church. We took a slight detour to admire the Grade I listed building, built in 1815 byJohn Cragg, the owner of the Mersey Iron Foundry, using cast iron in its structure.
We entered Sefton Park via Lark Lane and met our Guide, Andrea, by the “Eros” statue. She told us of the history of the park, from its opening in 1872 and how it has changed through the years (and that the “Eros” statue is actually Eros’s brother, Anteros).
Andrea took us around the park, explaining how the sweeping curves and mounds were designed to appeal to the eye. She pointed out various trees, flowers and plants and their interaction with the wildlife in the park, and showed us how to calculate the age of a tree with a tape measure. She took us to the Iron Bridge, Fairy Glen and the Palm House. Unfortunately, the Palm House wasn’t open, but she told us of its history and we could just about see the Peter Pan statue through the foliage. We finished the tour back at the “Eros” statue and thanked Andrea for a most informative and interesting tour. We then parted ways with some heading for home and some having a meal in Lark Lane. Thanks to Brenda for organising the trip and David for the St Michael’s talk.