Our work in the garden and on the estate at Speke Hall

A view over the South Garden at Speke Hall with the timber-framed house in the background — The South Garden at Speke Hall, Liverpool | © National Trust Images/Andrew Butler

Speke Hall is home to a world of precious flora and fauna, and we want to make sure that it’s a haven that allows them to thrive. Throughout the year National Trust rangers and volunteers work in the garden, conducting everything from everyday maintenance to wildlife surveys or building homes for bees and bats.

Planting trees and wildflowers

The National Trust is breathing new life into the orchard by planting a new wildflower meadow amongst the fruit trees in the style of a traditional English orchard.

In spring 2022, we planted thousands of trees to create a new woodland on the estate in partnership with The Mersey Forest. This will further meet our target to increase priority habitats at Speke.

We're also planting more wildflowers as well as trees and bulbs across the wider estate to diversify our habitats even more, making Speke a great place to live for all wildlife.

Beautiful flowers

From the hidden delights of the Secret Garden to the row upon row of colour in the Kitchen Garden, Speke Hall is filled with beautiful flowers. Daffodils, bluebells, rhododendrons... and so much more.

Wildlife counts and surveys

While it's not hard to spot Speke's bustling wildlife, we want to know exactly what species live here and how many there are.

By carrying out counts and surveys of everything from wildflowers to birds, we’re able to paint a clearer picture of how well nature is thriving here and whether any of these species might need a helping hand from us.

Butterflies

Typical species of butterfly you'll spot at Speke include peacocks, red admirals and small tortoiseshells, amongst others. They particularly enjoy wildflowers, ivy and holly.

Spot birds

There are plenty of feathered friends that call Speke Hall home, from swallows and swifts to robins and goldfinches.

If you spot any interesting birds or wildlife while you're here, be sure to let us know. The Speke Garston Coastal Reserve or the Bund path are perfect places to watch birdlife thriving on the banks of the River Mersey.

A child in a blue t-shirt peering into a bug hotel at Speke Hall, Liverpool — Inspecting a bug hotel at Speke Hall, Liverpool | © National Trust Images/Arnhel de Serra

Introducing more wildlife homes

We all deserve somewhere comfortable to live, and to ensure Speke's wildlife have more places to sleep and rest we're adding even more 'homes' across the estate for birds, bats and bugs. They'll be safe and secure, giving these species the best chance possible to thrive at Speke.

Bees

You're likely to spot bees enjoying many of the colourful flowers in Speke's gardens, including cuckoo bees, honey bees and wild bees. Near the Kitchen Garden, we look after several hives crucial to Speke's ecosystem.

Bats

Often hidden from visitors, there are a variety of bats that call Speke home, including pipistrelles, noctules and Daubenton's bats. Look up and you may spot a bat box or two in the trees.