I explore Merseyside's beautiful green oasis that inspired New York's Central Park

With nearly 140 acres of historic parkland, beautiful woodlands and an almost 200-year history, Birkenhead Park is one of Merseyside’s most popular green spaces. A leading pioneer in parks across the world, it even inspired the iconic Central Park in New York.

Known to many as the People’s Garden - Birkenhead Park last year received government backing of its bid for UNESCO World Heritage status, and is currently hosting a range of events after being crowned the Liverpool City Region's Borough of Culture in 2024.

One such event is Luke Jerram’s incredible Gaia installation, which arrived at the park’s beautiful Grand Entrance earlier this week, but sadly ends tonight (May 30). Hovering in the air, the ‘floating earth’ installation measures seven metres in diameter and was created from 120dpi detailed NASA imagery of the Earth’s surface. While the attraction will have no doubt brought in hundreds of visitors, the park is truly beautiful in its own right, and although I’ve visited it countless times, it never ceases to amaze me.

With spring fully underway and summer on the horizon, I took a stroll through the gorgeous park and saw the beautiful floating globe, the fantastic Swiss bridge, wildlife and even some strange looking horses...