There are some incredible destinations to discover on paths less travelled
Mimosa Tea Garden, Eastham(Image: Photo by Colin Lane)
Merseyside is overflowing with phenomenal destinations for days out, places to eat or simply to admire. Some of the best are on paths less travelled, largely under the public radar.
Setting aside the objectively familiar hospitality suggestions by TikTokers, I’ve compiled a list of true hidden gems around the region you might not have known existed. Everything from fairy gardens and tucked-away bakeries to underground speakeasies and restaurants in barns is well worth the visit.
Taking a few colourful destinations from across the region, these are my top 10 hidden gems you should seek out the next time you have a day off. You can also check out my favourite restaurants and favourite bars around Liverpool.
Sticky Fingers
Thomas Nicol from Sticky Fingers Bakery, Wavertree(Image: Andrew Teebay)
Located on Grove Street, Wavertree, the unassuming front is a plain brick wall with only a small sign above the door informing customers of its whereabouts. Sticky Fingers is without windows, and you’ll barely notice the sign at the end of the street beckoning you in, but your effort to find it is well worth it.
The tiny bakery packs a big punch in flavour and offers so many options that it warrants many return visits. The staff are friendly, the array of food was mouth-watering, and it was relatively gentle on my wallet, too. I’d say get there as early as you can to avoid disappointment, but you’ll face stiff competition to get the bestsellers before another customer snatches them up. Sticky Fingers is open Wednesday through Sunday.
- Address: 2b Grove St, Wavertree, Liverpool L15 8HU
Fairy Village
Vale Park is home to its own Fairy Village(Image: Vale House Community Centre)
Vale Park in Wirral is home to Fairy Village, an enchanting family garden perfect for taking your little ones exploring. The driftwood forest is near the couple’s lodge at the far end of the park. They created it by repurposing driftwood left over from the Black Pearl to build a fairy glen.
Since then, the glen has grown into a huge fairy village that attracts visitors from across Merseyside every day.
- Address: Vale Park, New Brighton, Wallasey CH45 1NU
Little Hardware
The rusty wheelbarrow which marks the entrance of Little Hardware(Image: Liverpool Echo)
Little Hardware is a unique speakeasy bar on Cropper Street, behind sister site Hardware Café. In a cryptic message on its website, it says you can find it by “looking for the rusty wheelbarrow,” and it’s well worth seeking out. Inside, you’re greeted with a series of hammers, wood chisels and other tools before you head through another door down a long corridor.
Sometimes hidden bars with a theme can feel a bit gimmicky, but Little Hardware definitely doesn’t. Once you’re inside, it feels like any other bar, albeit a quiet one sheltered from the hustle and bustle above. If you’re looking for something a bit different next time you’re in town, it’s well worth a visit.
Address: Cropper St, Liverpool L1 4AT
Rollerdome
Rollerdome at the Invisible Wind Factory(Image: Andrew Teebay Liverpool Echo)
Rollerdome has been around for quite a while, but I’m not convinced everyone knows about it. Rollerdome hosts several events every week at the Invisible Wind Factory in the Ten Streets area of Liverpool. A tight-knit community of skaters gathers multiple times a week to let their hair down and keep the spirit of skating alive and kicking.
Rollerdome takes place every Thursday from 6.30pm, with beginner and improver classes catering to all abilities. An hour later, the lights dim and the Rhythm & Roll Skate begins, allowing people to skate, dance and twirl to their heart’s content. Rollerdome provides skates and crash equipment, so you don’t need to source your own – unless you prefer to do so.
- Address: 3 Regent Rd, Liverpool L3 7DS
Mimosa Tea Garden
Mimosa Tea Garden, Eastham(Image: Photo by Colin Lane)
This little café is enchanting – like stepping into a whimsical stop-motion childhood film – a place likely run by fairies and mythical creatures. Brimming with character and charm, every corner is decorated with colourful trinkets and well-loved items, giving the open-air space an unexpectedly cosy feel.
There are hanging birdcages filled with plants next to moss-covered wind chimes, colourful bunting strung from the roof, various tents and hideaways to pull up a seat with their own district characteristics, and trees towering over the premises. Photos don’t do Mimosa Tea Garden justice.
The menu offers everything from sticky toffee pudding, apple crumble and thick hot chocolate to sandwiches, baps, warm drinks, sweet treats and ice cream. There’s a lot to discover with a long list of delicious treats to keep you occupied.
- Address: Green Lane, Birkenhead, Wirral CH62 0BH
Norris Green’s bug hotel
Norris Green Park(Image: christopher megrath)
Norris Green park is relatively humble but has everything a child could ask for. There is a slide, swings, a climbing frame, monkey bars and a jungle gym to keep kids more than entertained. The ground around the play area lacks the park’s vibrant green grass, but this is likely a sign that the area is thoroughly enjoyed.
Walking onwards, you’ll be met with two football posts taking centre stage in a sprawling expanse with a few public gym pieces that have seen better days. However, tucked away among the bushes is a secret hideaway of sorts.
Towards the back is a path leading to a “bug hotel”. I previously stumbled upon the Harry Swinburne Wildlife Area, which looks like a gardener’s dream, but refrained from stepping inside in case it was private land. Near the entrance, however, was a charming little bug hotel with plenty of wooden signs reading “wildlife only” and warnings that bees are in the area.
- Address: 277 Lorenzo Drive, Liverpool, L11 1BG
LOST
LOST restaurant on Claremont Farm in Wirral
Tucked away in the back farm roads of Bebington lies a stunning food haven unfamiliar to many. Located in Claremont Courtyard, adjacent to Claremont Farm, a former barn has transformed into a cosy dining and event venue. To reach the entrance, you must travel along dirt roads surrounded by high hedges and trees with very little signage. It’s ironic that the space is named LOST because that’s what you might be on your first visit.
LOST includes a feature stone staircase with a glass floor and a wrap-around mezzanine, creating extra seating in the beamed loft area. Candles surround the perimeter on both levels, along with chandeliers and hanging plants positioned near, but not directly over, the tables. Ever-changing menus, themed evenings and guest chefs mean you’ll likely never experience the same thing twice, so be sure to return.
- Address: Unit 1, Claremont Buildings, Old Clatterbridge Rd, Birkenhead, Wirral CH63 4JB
Ron’s Place
‘Ron’s Place’ the home of Ron Gittins in Birkenhead which has now been Grade II listed by Historic England pictured Sarah Charlesworth, Listing Team North at Historic England(Image: Photo by Colin Lane)
The family of Wirral artist Ron Gittins hadn’t been inside his rented home for years when he died in September 2019. When Ron’s sister Pat Williams entered his ground-floor flat in Oxton Village for the first time in a long time, she was astonished by what she found.
The property hides an extraordinary collection of rooms with walls, ceilings and sometimes even floors decorated with vivid murals, Egyptian hieroglyphics, underwater scenes and portraits of historic leaders.
And if this wasn’t unusual enough, a 3m-tall fireplace shaped like a lion’s head in the front room seems to roar as you enter. Across the hall, a fierce bull-shaped fireplace scowls at the stack of rubbish piled high in the bay window. Ron’s family managed to secure a lease with the building’s owners, social landlord Salisbury Management Services, to preserve the art for people to enjoy.
- Address: 8 Silverdale Road, Oxton, Birkenhead, CH43 2JR
Allerton Towers
Allerton Towers ornamental gardens and woodland walk(Image: Colin Lane/Liverpool Echo)
Allerton Towers is a beautiful 35-acre park tucked away between Menlove Avenue and Woolton Road. The park takes its name from an elegant Italianate mansion that once stood on the grounds. Though the mansion is now a tragic, ivy-covered ruin, its history remains just as compelling.
The ruins of Allerton Towers have a reputation for being haunted, but don’t let that put you off the park. There’s still a gorgeous expanse to enjoy. The park is full of hidden corners and interesting features, including a partially walled garden. The large hill on the Woolton Road side is a hotspot for kids running up and down or even sledging if we get lucky with the snow. There’s also a play area near the Menlove Road entrance, complete with a large climbing frame.
- Address: Woolton Rd, Liverpool L25 7UL
Calderstones Japanese garden
Beautiful autumn colours at the Japanese garden(Image: Colin Lane/Liverpool Echo)
Calderstones Park in South Liverpool is 94 acres of woodland, Japanese and old English gardens, fields and lakes. Besides taking in the sites on offer, there is plenty to do at the park, from visiting the café and ice cream parlour to keeping an eye out for the thousand-year-old Allerton oak tree.
If you fancy exploring, you can find a hidden Japanese garden where maple trees turn bright red during autumn. The peaceful setting can be reached through a gate next to a sign, which explains that the garden is open so the public can “enjoy the tranquillity of a Japanese scene”.
Narrow cobbled footpaths wind around the garden. A small number of stepping stones allow you to cross a pond as you admire the native Japanese shrubs, trees and topiary.
To discover the garden, you first need to enter the old English garden and dodge the many squirrels who call it home.
- Address: Calderstones Rd, Liverpool L18 3JB
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