Posts Tagged ‘tourist spots’

Urban Chic’s top ten free attractions in liverpool part II

Friday, November 20th, 2009

Free family attractions in Liverpool and Merseyside

Plan your weekend break or stay for longer…

No6. National Trust, Formby (Sefton)

http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-vh/w-visits/w-findaplace/w-formby/

Not in Liverpool per se, but its not far away and there are good rail links from the city centre. You and your children are going to love this place, the area is one of only a handful of sites in the UK with indigenous red squirrels (now over run but the native American Gray Squirrel) they are actually pretty tame and will take food from your hand (if you stay still for long enough!). You may even find Coleen Rooney’s engagement ring somewhere in there, when she had an argument with her beau Wayne Rooney (of Manchester United football Club).

Situated in some lovely pine forests, it’s really worth preparing your picnic in your apartment first and making a day of it. Further on from the forest, you’ll find yourself on white sands with one of the biggest Sand Dune systems in the UK and there are hours of exhausting fun clambering around or just find your family a little piece of tranquillity and you’ll be hidden from the rest of the world on your own Sand dune. The only draw back is the sea, which is generally about 200m away from the Dune system, but you can still easily reach it if you want to throw the kids in for some bracing Irish Sea fun!

No7. Southport Pier

http://www.visitsouthport.com/site/guide-to-the-resort

The second longest pier in Britain, Southport Pier was first opened in 1860 with an original length of 3,600 ft. In 1868 it was further extended to 4,380 ft. Eighteen miles north of Liverpool is Southport, ‘England’s Classic Resort. The attractions exist inland and Adjacent to the pier is Marine Way Bridge Lake, the largest man-made leisure lake in the U.K, and Marine Way Bridge. The lake boasts various attractions such as the Miniature Railway Village and Southport Belle Mississippi style paddleboat. Southport is one of Liverpool’s more affluent areas. There is a large range of fair ground attractions including rollercoaster’s (http://www.silcock-leisure.co.uk/main/index.htm). Famously, painted by L.S. Lowry in 1948 the fair is still run by the Silcock family, it provides a great variety of entertainment and refreshments.

No8. Walker Art Gallery

The Walker Art Gallery is the national gallery of the North of England. With a 130-year history it has housed Liverpool’s most outstanding art collection. Many of the gallery’s most important works have been on display in the city for nearly 200 years.

The Walker Gallery offers a range of art exhibitions and is situated in close proximity to the Liverpool Museum, and St George’s hall. There are plenty of new and importantly free exhibitions visit the website for up to the minute information: http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/walker/

No.9 Atkinson Art Gallery

Heading out of Liverpool again up to Southport, its about 20 minutes on the train. Situated in Lord Street Southport, the gallery has over 200,000 visitors last year. There are family days and guides put on frequently that generally last an hour. You’ll need to check what’s on and what’s appropriate in advance on their website: http://www.seftonarts.co.uk/whatson.php

There are many famous exhibitors in the permanent collection including:

L.S. Lowry (Street Scene, 1935)
Henry Moore (Three Way Piece Points)
John Collier (Lilith / In the Venusberg)
Jacob Epstein (Maria Donska)
Dame Elisabeth Frink (The General)
Augustus John (The Red Toque)
Paul Nash (Vimy Ridge)
Ernest Normand (Pygmalion and Galatea)
John Piper (Ruin, Dentdale, 1940’s)
Walter R. Sickert (Theatre of the Young Artists / Sinn Feiners)
The Friends of Atkinson Gallery is a voluntary organisation that was founded in 1957 and has purchased over nineteen works for the gallery, including Mother and Child by Celia Baillie and Allegro Strepitoso by Carel Weight

No10. Lady Lever Art Gallery

(http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/ladylever)
The finalist in the top ten and most visited locations in Merseyside is again a Museum. This time based across the water on the Wirral peninsula. The coastline is beautiful and real jewel in Merseyside’s crown, hosting 2007’s Golf Major at Hoy Lake, the Wirral is worth investing some time to explore. Head for the Lady Lever Gallery first and take your day from there. The Gallery houses permanent collections that represent the personal taste of the first Lord Leverhulme who bought art in the late 1880s to use as advertising for the ‘Sunlight Soap’ brand (http://www.prints-online.com/pictures_589855/SUNLIGHT-SOAP-ADVERT.html) that he produced. From this modest beginning Leverhulme quickly grew into a discerning collector. The Lady Lever Art Gallery was founded by William Hesketh Lever (1851-1925) and is dedicated to the memory of his wife Elizabeth. The gallery contains the best of his personal art collection.

A new permanent display open from 5 July 2008, the Lever the Collector gallery, introduces the man and his collections, telling the story of how he built the gallery. It includes the following themes:

* The story of Lever – a remarkable man
* Art and advertising
* A great collection
* Collecting from other collectors
* Creation of the Lady Lever Art Gallery

Urban Chic offer luxury serviced apartments that meet all your families needs. We bring you these free hotspots in and around Liverpool because we live and breathe Liverpool and want you to love Liverpool as much as we do. We offer a great service and are always happy to help you with any more details you may require.