Wirral Country Park
| Wirral Country Park | |
|---|---|
The site of Kirby Park railway station, now given over to the Wirral Way. | |
Location of Thurstaston visitor centre, within Merseyside | |
| Type | Public park |
| Location | Station Road Thurstaston Merseyside CH61 0HN |
| Coordinates | 53°20′33″N 3°8′44″W / 53.34250°N 3.14556°W |
| Created | 1973 |
| Operated by | Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, Cheshire West & Chester |
| Open | All year |
| Status | Open |
Wirral Country Park lies on the Wirral Peninsula, England; it is split between the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral in the county of Merseyside and in the borough of Cheshire West & Chester in Cheshire. It was the first designated country park in Britain, opening in 1973.
The park lies along the Wirral Way, which follows the trackbed of part of the former Birkenhead Railway route from West Kirby to Hooton. The old line, which closed in 1962, follows the estuary of the River Dee for 7 miles (11 km) between West Kirby and Parkgate then heads inland, across the Wirral peninsula, to Hooton.
There are two visitor centres along the Wirral Way: one near the site of Thurstaston railway station, at Thurstaston, and the other at the preserved Hadlow Road railway station, in Willaston.