Otterspool Promenade
Laura Harris
Liverpool is a windy city, and this walk along the shore of the River Mersey is one of the most bracing and invigorating walks it has to offer. The Otterspool Promenade (or ‘The Prom’) and its neighbouring parkland start in Aigburth and follow the course of the river. On a clear day, from the Promenade it is possible to see clear across the Wirral to North Wales, or, looking the other way, to see the industrial ports of the Mersey Estuary. For anyone fancying a night time stroll, The Prom is the single best place in Liverpool to see the full moon shining brightly and reflected in the choppy Mersey waters.
Otterspool Promenade links with Otterspool Park, with its dappled woodland walk, and is only a short step from Festival Gardens, with its designed walkways and faux-Japanese gardens. The parkland and Promenade together offer a good couple of hours of exploring—and if you need a pick-me-up it’s a short walk to the Britannia Inn with its popular beer garden. What better place to blow away the cobwebs?
Those fancying a brisk walk can join the constant flow of people wondering along the length of the Promenade’s wide pavement. For the sporty, there’s also a concrete skate park which opened in 2015 and is popular with the city’s teenagers. Alternatively, for a proper stretch of the legs, a 4.9 mile walk begins at the southern tip of the Promenade and links up with a narrower walkway and cycle route that follows the bank of the River Mersey all the way into the city centre. This route winds up at the Albert Dock, home to TATE Liverpool, the Beatles Story, the Merseyside Maritime Museum, and a host of wonderful restaurants looking over the water. Be prepared for this walk to take around two hours or more—and don’t underestimate the force of the Mersey’s winds!
