Top Rated Parks to Visit in Ditton

"This 126 acres family park has a botanical garden, a playground and the six ancient Calderstones, after which the park is named. If you have kids, or if you yourself like animals, you will love the park. The park lake has ducks and geese swimming in it, always coming close in the hope of being fed."

"Calderstones Park is a stunning 94 acre family park in South Liverpool and is home to a woodland, a lake, fields, beautiful Japanese & old English gardens and even a one thousand year old oak tree!. There is also a cafe for relaxing with a cup of coffee. View this post on Instagram"

"A post shared by travel.gram.guy (@travel.gram.guy) on May 16, 2018 at 9:48am PDT. When it comes to parks in Liverpool, they don’t come much better than this. This park is in fact named after its ancient megaliths."

"Open every day of the year, from morning until nightfall – and completely free to visit – the vibrant Fletcher Moss Park and Botanical Garden in Didsbury is a lovely place to spend an afternoon. In spring, the space comes alive with a burst of colour from its various wild flowers – with deep purples and warm oranges. It’s home to a host of wildlife, too – including a wide variety of birds."

"The first publicly funded park in Britain, Birkenhead Park opened in 1847 as an architectural landscape of cultivated woodland, meadows, and lakes. Birkenhead Park has a wonderful family tree in the shape of New York’s Central Park, which was greatly influenced by this inspirational setting, and as you take a stroll and encounter listed buildings, lodges, the Swiss Bridge, and a Pavilion, called the Roman Boathouse, which stands by the lake, you’ll discover why. Further details here"

"Designed by Sir Joseph Paxton, Birkenhead Park is acknowledged as the first publicly funded park in the world having first opened in 1847 and influened the design of New York's Central Park. Alongside the beautiful architecture and lush green spaces there is an adventure playground, tennis courts, bowling greens and football pitches. A great place to head to on a trip over the water to the Wirral."

"With plenty to do including a children’s play area, walled botanic garden and the Grade II listed Curator’s Lodge, everyone in the family is catered for at Wavertree Botanic Gardens. This 19th century park played a part in the early cultural life in Liverpool, before its botanic glasshouses were bombed in World War 2. The Gardens were first opened in 1836 and remain an important part of the city’s history today."

"A hidden gem in the heart of the Baltic Triangle, the Botanical Garden is a pretty little suntrap perfect for day drinking with friends. Laiden with flowers, bunting and boasting a bar fashioned from a real life VW camper van, the photo opportunities are endless…"

"Nestled into the back streets of the Baltic Triangle, pull up a bench and soak up the sun with a gin cocktail or a Gin In a Tin. With grass bleachers, a shed to cool down and a DJ on the decks - you can't really go wrong. View this post on Instagram"

"We’re happy to give St John’s Gardens top marks for looks - after all, they’re meticulously kept, lined with a series of pretty walls and dotted with all kinds of lovely statues and flowerbeds - but the inner city location and relatively modest size mean it can seem a bit cramped (there's also something a bit wrong about cracking open a can of lager 50 feet from a dual carriageway). Still, it's great for a quick walk around."

"If you’re around the St George’s Plateau then head round the back to chill out in St John’s Gardens. The garden, which is part of the William Brown Street conservation area, has been a Green Flag site since 2003 and contains ornamental flower beds and various memorials to notable people in the city. A great spot to soak up the rays."

"A local gem, located in the Baltic Triangle, Love Lane Brewery is continuing to offer up their innovative brews during the pandemic, with a whole host of new beers available to try. Some brews have emerged in time for winter, known as Sgt Peppermint, which will be available online from Friday 20 November. The brewery is well known for its innovative flavours and has concocted this winter warming brew, a stout which tastes like mint choc chip ice cream and it’s 12%!"

"Love Lane Brewery Bar & Kitchen could be one of our favourite venues in the city. You can explore the working brewery on a special tour, tuck into some delicious food from the kitchen or drinks some or book yourself a place on their special Rooted Real Gin Yoga class which relaunches this month. Find out more and book here."

"Another one that you'll have to exercise patience for is the RNCM (Royal Northern College of Music), which is - understandably - prioritising the return of students and tutors. You can see the latest updates at www.rncm.ac.uk."

"The Royal Northern College of Music is an internationally acclaimed conservatoire, as well as an eclectic performance venue delivering a diverse programme of music and opera performances."

"Manchester Opera House is the Palace Theatre’s little sister. It’s located on Quay Street, near Spinningfields. It is smaller than the Palace theatre however, there are still some amazing productions to see here."

"Royal Exchange Theatre, St Ann’s Square, Manchester, Greater Manchester, M2 7DH - Visit now. This former trading hall underwent a £32m redevelopment after being severely damaged by the 1996 IRA bomb in Manchester’s city centre – and has been delivering stellar productions from its unusual seven-sided glass and steel theatre-in-the-round (the biggest in the UK), and smaller (but still excellent) studio, ever since. Productions here are renowned – both Vanessa Redgrave and Helen Mirren have graced the Royal Exchange’s stage."

"The Royal Exchange Theatre is free to visit, also when you don’t have tickets for a show. Besides the round stage in the middle of the dome you’ll also find the Rivals restaurant and bar and a theatre shop in the Royal Exchange Theatre. The pink illumination makes this theatre great for Instagram pictures."

"A glorious sister venue to London's Natural History Museum (both designed by Liverpool-born architect Alfred Waterhouse), it's worth a visit to the University of Liverpool's gallery and museum for its exterior alone. The Grade II-listed building's gothic terracotta design led to the coining of the term "red-brick" university and is a shining example of Victorian prowess; more so now after a recent £8.6m refurb. Expect a really creepy museum (fossils, taxidermy, skeletons and curios from the university's 130-year history), a special collections gallery (including the largest display of paintings and prints by wildlife artist John James Audubon outside the US), and a regularly revolving programme of contemporary art exhibitions."

"The Victoria Gallery & Museum is run by the University of Liverpool. The building itself is a beautiful, classic red brick Liverpool building and boasts many stunning weddings. The exhibitions range from the weird (false teeth) to the wonderful, and it is definitely worth a visit."

"A museum that beats all the traditional boring museums around the world, the Victoria Gallery Museum is known for its fun and interesting exhibits which truly captivate the young and old alike!"

"Arts space and cafe LEAF was included in Guardian Travel's first "budget eats" guide to Liverpool, in 2008, and is still going strong, albeit at a new address. In the meantime, owner Natalie Haywood has branched out at the media arts centre, FACT, and at Oh Me Oh My, a weekday cafe in a grand, Grade II-listed property opposite Liverpool's totemic Liver Building. LEAF and FACT are natural allies – way beyond their preference for upper case logos – and last year cemented their union when LEAF opened the Garden cafeteria at the centre."

"Just turning 15 years old, this cinema and gallery is, in fact, a leader in visual arts. It strives to support local visual and media-based artists who are passionate about technology. The location offers space for video and new (sometimes experimental) media, creating a platform for many UK artists to explore."

"FACT on Wood Street is hoping to open again from May 19 with three brand new exhibitions including Biennial artists. Soft Boys, in the foyer gallery, is a short film about queer and trans joy, specifically within the Somali culture and community. It’s free, no booking needed."

"Organised by the Ashmolean Museum, which holds a world class collection of over 200 prints made by Rembrandt Harmensz van Rijn, it will present the artist as an unrivalled storyteller through a selection of around 50 outstanding prints, dating from 1630 to the late 1650s. Widely hailed as the greatest painter of the Dutch Golden Age, Rembrandt was also one of the most innovative and experimental printmakers of the 17th century, and the works displayed at the Lady Lever will cover a varied selection of subjects including intense self-portraits, atmospheric landscapes, intimate family portraits, biblical stories and confronting nude studies. June 1 to September 15, 2019"

"Yes, we know, it's not strictly Liverpool, but it is well worth the short train journey across the river. For visitors to the Lady Lever, its location in the picturesque model-village of Port Sunlight will make for a pleasing, if slightly uncanny, addition to the experience. Both the village and the gallery itself are a legacy of the benevolence of English industrialist William Hesketh Lever, who wanted to share his collection with the public, even personally selecting works for display."

"A grand focal point in the picturesque village of Port Sunlight, this gallery is named after Lady Elizabeth Lever, the wife of Lord William Lever, a Victorian-era entrepreneur who founded the village to house his factory workers. Its collection boasts some of the 19th century’s most decorative arts. Selected by Lord Lever for exhibits at the gallery, it is still considered to have some, if not the best works displayed to the public from his own art collection."