So much to see and do

Whatever your reason for staying at West Mead Cottage, everything you could ask for is within easy reach. Below is just a flavour of what is on our doorstep… a short travel time away… and within reach for day excursions.

Activities in Wirral

GOLF: With 14 courses to choose from, including the world-famous Royal Liverpool Golf Club in Hoylake and four excellent municipal venues, even the most fanatical golfer will be in heaven. Find out more.

WALKING: Before venturing further afield there are dozens of beautiful walks to discover around Wirral’s countryside and coast, most of them gentle terrain, including the 12 mile linear country park Wirral Way, on the old railway line between West Kirby and Hooton. Find out more.

NATURE WATCHING: The Dee Estuary is one of the United Kingdom's best birding locations for wetland and shorebirds and the RSPB’s Burton Mere Wetlands nearby is a mosaic of freshwater wetland habitats, all bursting with wildlife and hosting avocets, egrets, harriers, noisy redshanks, swallows and swifts. Hilbre Islands, at the mouth of the Dee Estuary, can be reached on foot at low tide and are important as a stopping-off point for the twice-yearly migration of birds along the west coast of Britain. As well as thousands of birds, in summer months you can grey seals swimming just off-shore, bobbing their heads above water to watch those on the island. If weather and tides allow, a walk out to Hilbre Island is an absolute must when you’re in Wirral - an experience you’ll never forget. Make sure to read the advice on the safe times and route to cross to the islands.

WATER SPORTS: Being a peninsula, there is every imaginable water-borne activity to choose from! Find out more.

CYCLING: Close to home there is a plethora of quiet country lanes to explore, as well as the Wirral Coastal Route and the Wirral Way – all easy terrain. Find out more. For the more committed cyclists, longer routes round Cheshire and very challenging terrain in North Wales – on and off-road - are within easy reach.

Destinations

Just down the road is the beautiful Ness Botanic Gardens – a superb 64 acre garden which is an unforgettably beautiful and inspiring place.

The city of Chester is well worth a visit. It has the most complete city walls, the oldest racecourse and the largest Roman Amphitheatre in Britain, a 1000 year old cathedral with Europe's finest example of medieval carvings - and the unique 700 year old Rows galleries.

Chester Zoo, now even more famous after Channel 4’s Secret Life of the Zoo series, is home to 15,000 animals occupying a 125 acre site. A great day out (and if you cycle there you pay a reduced entry fee)!

Liverpool, a former European Capital of Culture, is a world-class city. It has the largest collection of museums and galleries anywhere outside London, a fascinating history, countless attractions and events, and a famously warm welcome. You can drive, take the bus (from nearby Heswall) or catch the famous ferry across the Mersey.

Snowdonia National Park covers 823 square miles and is the largest National Park in Wales, boasting the highest mountain in England and Wales and the largest natural lake in Wales. There is a wealth of picturesque villages like Betws y Coed and Beddgelert to explore and endless outdoor pursuits to choose from - including the unique and hair-raising Velocity 2, the fastest zip line in the world. Do you have what it takes to soar across a deep quarry at over 100mph?!

The Lake District, England's largest National Park, is now a World Heritage Site and needs no further recommendation. A perfect day out, at any time of year, as the 15.8million visitors annually prove.

Eating out

Just a step down the lane is our friendly village pub The Seven Stars, and a little further on is The Red Fox, the food and drink there will also not fail to please. In our neighbouring hamlet Raby is The Wheatsheaf, a pretty 17th century thatched inn which locals and visitors alike flock to. Our nearest town of Heswall offers just about every style of cuisine imaginable, and to suit every pocket. Whether you are looking for Michelin stars or meals-to-go, across Wirral there is all you could wish for.

And if a big fat homemade ice cream is what is guaranteed to put a smile on your face, make sure you visit Nicholls on Parkgate front. They have been adding to Wirral waistlines for 75 years… deliciously!