Seven of the best places in Warrington to see autumn leaves

THE leaves are changing colour from green to rich shades of yellow, orange and deep red and maroon as autumn brings much cooler days and the brief warmth of summer 2024 feels like a distant memory.

But where are the best places in Warrington to go to see the best of autumn?
Here are some of our top picks.

Walton Gardens in Walton

The popular park is open to the public all year round and is the former home of Lord and Lady Daresbury.
Not only does it have mature trees, it has a large hall which is open to events and a children’s zoo and play area and cafe.
There’s a nine hole golf course which is surrounded by trees. Leaves may be falling in the area, but the trees are well established and never disappoint in their dosplays.
Behind the pond where a heron can often be seen eyeing the fish, there are mature well-maintained gardens with trees which provide a splendid autumn display of colour.
The cobbled old stables house the Heritage Cafe and craft shops. Every Christmas, it hosts a popular Santa’s Grotto to raise funds for Warrington Disability Partnership.
The formal gardens can also be reached through a gate in the courtyard.
Events take place throughout the year including food festivals, open air cinema performances and a music festival.

By the Blue Bridge and the Village Hotel
The boulevard of young trees leading up to the Village Hotel are rich in their autumn colours in a vivid yellow/green hue.
Motorists heading to offices on the business park there cannot fail to notice the beautiful vista by the side of the blue bridge.
The trees usually turn from green to shades of yellow in late September and catch the low sun bringing a dazzling natural display on clear days.

Woolston Park
When Warrington New Town was being carved out back in the 1960s, the developers created Woolston Park for the people of the town to enjoy.
This green space, just off Hillock Lane, Woolston, covers 56 acres and has been open for 47 years. It was created from previously neglected farmland as a haven for wildlife and is a popular spot for walkers and runners and families.
It’s surrounded by trees which will put on a wonderful autumn display as the colours change palette.
Spittle Brook was engineered to reduce the threat of flooding to local housing.
Trees were planted including willow a nod to the area’s agricultural past. It’s a pleasant spot to crunch through autumn leaves for people of all ages. There are play areas and a pond.
A team of volunteers help maintain it and seasonal events take place for schools and residents.

Bank Park in the town centre
Despite its location in the heart of the town centre, Bank Park is a surprisingly green space.
It straddles the Town Hall and Crown Court building and has a children’s play area.
The park also has mature trees which form a pleasant autumnal display for motorists as they pause in traffic jams or pedestrians walking through the heart of town.
It has its own pavilion which can accommodate up to 45 people in a function room.
Step behind the Town Hall and you will find mature trees which showcase the finest autumn colours.
The walk to Bank Park from Bath Street is also another opportunity to enjoy the best of the trees’ canopies.

Lymm Dam

A popular place for walkers, joggers, dog walkers and families, Lymm Dam is just off the main road leading out of the Cheshire village.
Since the 1980s, there has been an intensive tree planting operation in the area, which has seen 12,000 trees planted.
It often has an ice cream van parked outside such is its popularity. The dam can be accessed from the main road leading from Thelwall or, for walkers, from the Bongs behind the dam.
Not only is it a rich aquatic space for wildlife and birds, it has diverse and mature trees surrounding the Dam. It comes into its own in autumn as leaves drop and the dam is surrounded by deep autumnal shades.
The wooded area extends to more than nine hectares.

Grappenhall Heys Walled Garden

This gem of a place is all that remains of an old hall which was demolished in the post Second World War clear out of dilapidated stately homes that were too costly to maintain.
Lovingly restored, it has a cafe and well-maintained garden and is encircled by trees and plants which are at their best in the post-summer chill.
There’s a duck pond with fish and surplus produce is often sold at weekends with an honesty box for purchases.
The walled gardens hosts theatre performances during Stockton Heath Festival and a range of events throughout the year.
The area is surrounded by woodland and ponds and a small green space popular with dog walkers.

Sankey Valley Park
Historic Sankey Valley Park follows the course of England’s first canal, Sankey Canal, which opened in 1757.
The canal was built to transport coal from the mines around St Helens to markets in Cheshire and Liverpool.
And the section of the canal which the park now occupies remained open til 1963.
The Sankey Canal Restoration Society is developing the green space along the route where the trees delight park users.
Now running alongside the busy A57 linking the town centre to Penketh and Sankey and beyond, it’s a beautiful green lung surrounded by houses and roads.
The park has wildlife including swans and woodland birds, owls and bats and frogs and toads.