Sankey Canal Valley Park and Trail
From Spike Island on foot or bike you can follow the towpaths of this ancient canal which runs all the way to St Helens. Look out for reminders of the rich industrial past, such as the historic Earlestown Viaduct. 01925 571836.

Fiddler's Ferry
Popular riverside location where you can watch the tide turn from a pub garden.

Spike Island
Wide-open acres of grassland, woodland and watersides for walking, fishing and wildlife watching. Yet once this was the home of the British chemical industry, dominated by factories and railway lines.
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Widnes Warth
40ha of salt marsh alongside the Transpennine trail and St Helens Canal. Area for watching birds and fishing (licence required). Access from Spike Island.

Catalyst (Pay)
Hands-on family fun museum where science and technology come alive. Find out about the industries which exported their wares via the region's canals. 0151 420 1121.
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Wigg Island Local Nature Reserve
A community local nature reserve reclaimed from contaminated land previously used by the chemical industry. The site is a peaceful place to view wildlife on and around the upper Estuary. Visitor centre.
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Moore Nature Reserve
200 acres of peaceful woodland, grassland and wetland between the Mersey and the Manchester Ship Canal. The home of a variety of animals, birds and plants. Bird hides overlook a lake and woodland. 01925 444689.

Bridge Foot and Howley
Close to Warrington town centre, riverside paths link to Victoria Park via a footbridge.

Black Bear Park
Nature park linked into local countryside. Good starting point for exploring the Trans-Pennine Trail and Mersey Way. Once part of an eight-mile canal built to avoid an awkward tidal stretch of the Mersey.

Kingsway Bridge
Today you can find swans living happily by the river while kingfishers come looking for the fish life that now thrives in the cleaned-up waters. Close to town centre, south of the cemetery. Many circular walks with surfaced paths.
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Martinscroft Picnic Area
With the high banks and rural atmosphere you feel deep in the countryside at this riverside site on the Mersey Way footpath. Access: end of Battery Lane.

Paddington Meadows
A green oasis of riverside grassland surrounded by a loop of the Mersey. Features include huge hawthorn trees, while in winter waterfowl may be seen roosting in the wet fields.

Woolston Park
A haven for wildlife with woodland and open parkland. The hazel coppice provides poles for woodland crafts while willow is grown for baskets and weaving. Caters for football and cricket as well as quiet walks. Picnics. 01925 824398.
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Norton Priory Museum And Gardens (Pay)
A medieval priory comes alive. 30 acres of picturesque woodland plus a contemporary sculpture collection. 01928 569895.

Halton Castle
Historic landmark offering wide-ranging views of the Mersey Valley.