Autumn colours at Speke Hall
Enjoy glorious shades of yellow and gold, spot migrant birds on the sandy Mersey coastline and discover the history of this special place on this autumnal walk,
A beautiful autumn walk through woodland and meadows
There's yellow in virtually everything in autumn around Speke Hall. The trees will have yellow leaves in our ancient woodland of beech and oak. There will be grasses that go a yellow-brown when they die. There's the yellow of the sand along the estuary and even the skies get a yellow hue at dusk.
Map
Start:
Home Farm Courtyard, outside Reception, grid ref: SJ421824
1
Start your walk in the courtyard with the buildings behind you, facing out across the maze and the River Mersey.
2
Follow the estate walk signs that mark the route to the Bund and Coastal Reserve. This runs between the maze and play area. You'll need to follow the path onto the Coastal Reserve.
3
Follow the path around, go through the metal gate and onto the old airport taxiway.
Feed the birds
The wildflower meadow to your right will be dying back and preparing for winter at this time of year. It handily provides lots of food for the local wildlife. Look out for seed heads and the birds that like to snack on them - you may spot finches and thrushes.
4
Stop for a while and admire the autumnal scenery. The taxiway is a great place to get your first glimpse of the Mersey estuary and views across to the Wirral peninsula and North Wales.
River views
As a river estuary, the sights here are always changing. Depending on what time of day you take this walk, you may be able to see boats larking about on the river or spot wading birds feeding on the sandbanks. If you're very lucky, a seal may swim past!
5
Look out for the red line on the taxiway - this will lead you to a footpath along the Mersey shore. Keep following it around the back of the Yacht Club building. Before you get to the Yacht Club, stop for a moment and take in the views of the Mersey shore.
The River Mersey
This area is one of the most important wintering areas for wild fowl in Europe. Due to the river's flow, mud is moved back and forth in vast quantities and this is great for the molluscs and shellfish that live in it and the birds that feed upon them. In winter birds from Scandinavia and Scotland - teal, widgeon and mallard - return to Speke along with waders such as redshank and curlew.
6
You now need to head to your right and walk towards the Speke Hall fenceline. There's a gap in this and if you pop through it, you'll be on a meadow.
7
Follow the stone path around the left hand side of the meadow and then turn right. The path will lead you between two hedges.
Autumn snacks
The hedges should be chockful of autumn fruits such as blackberries, sloes, crab apples and cherries at this time of year. These look very tempting to us but please leave them for the birds and small animals to eat!
8
Turn left at the end of the path and follow the route to the metal gates that lead onto the main drive. Turn left and walk up past the avenue of lime trees. We believe these are around 150 years old, although the route of the drive predates them by many hundreds of years.
The Lime avenue
The lime trees that line the main drive are a verdant green for most of the year and they keep up their brightness in the autumn. No mellow shades for them! Look out for vivid yellows and golds - perfect for an arty photo or a spot of colourful leaf kicking.
9
When you reach the top of the drive, cross over (watching out for traffic) and go into Stockton's Wood.
Stockton's Wood
This semi-ancient woodland is managed for its rare invertebrates, bird life and wildflowers. It mostly consists of birch, oak and sweet chestnut trees which provide a wonderful panoply of colour in autumn. Pause and admire the many shades of red, russet and gold and enjoy the carpet of sweet chestnuts and acorns that provide food for the jays, squirrels and thrushes that call Stockton's Wood home.
10
As you walk down the woodland path you can still see the remains of a shooting break on your right hand side - the line of Scots pine trees was planted to form a natural barrier for the birds to fly high over. This is a reminder of the wood's Victorian past when it was heavily planted with rhododendron to act as cover for shooting game but it was also used in WW2 to hide planes that had been shipped over from America. At the path's end, turn left and cross a small bridge over a ditch. Take the next right and follow the route back to the car park. On this path you'll see another small shooting break on your left.
11
You are now back in the car park. Please cross carefully and follow the path back to Home Farm. If you've worked up an appetite on your walk, why not pop into the restaurant and enjoy one of our delicious autumn puddings and a nice cup of tea?
End:
Home Farm Courtyard, outside Reception, grid ref: SJ421824
