Sankey Valley Park
Encyclopedia
Sankey Valley Park is a public park in Warrington
, Cheshire
. It occupies part of the Sankey Valley and the main park itself covers over 1½ miles between Sankey Bridges
in the south and Callands in the north. The valley follows the course of Sankey Brook and the now disused Sankey Canal
. The park is enjoyed by walkers, cyclists and anglers and the central section of the park is family orientated with children's play features, a maze and lawned areas. Bewsey Old Hall sits on the edge of the central section of the park and RAF Burtonwood
lies one mile (1.6 km) to the west. The Trans Pennine Trail
passes around 500 yards (457.2 m) from the southern tip of the park.
, and stretches for 15 miles (24.1 km) from St Helens
through Warrington
to Widnes
. The canal was opened in 1757 to carry coal from the mines around the St Helens area to the markets of Liverpool and Cheshire, it pioneered the canal age.
The canal was responsible for shaping the valley, its environment and development from the late 18th century to the early 20th century.
With the advent of the railways began the long decline of the canals but the stretch of the Sankey canal that now occupies Sankey Valley Park remained open until 1963. Today the local authorities of Warrington
, St Helens
and Halton
along with the Sankey Canal Restoration Society, are developing the Sankey Canal Trail as a 15 miles (24.1 km) greenway either side of the park, whilst working towards the restoration of a navigation route.
On the western side of the park lies Bewsey Old Hall. Prior to the Hall being built, a monastic grange existed on the site. A hall was first built on the site by William Fitz Almeric le Boteler. The Hall and estate was home to the Lords of Warrington from the 13th century for many generations. The current hall is a three storey, mostly Jacobean
building. It has distinctive chimneys and stone mullion windows which are most likely the work of Sir Thomas Ireland and date back to around 1600. Sir Thomas was knighted at Bewsey by King James I
in 1617. Later additions to the Hall include a farmhouse and kitchen, dating from the 18th century and 19th century with earlier foundations. The original 14th century moat only partly holds water today.
, following a stretch of Sankey Brook and the old Sankey Canal
. In several places the park opens up into open, lawned areas and features such as a hedge maze
, a meadow
, mature woodland
and a wetland
nature reserve. One main asphalt
footpath stretches the length of the park whilst several narrower paths split from the main path in the wider spaces of the park. The central section of the park is family orientated with children's play features and picnic areas. The park is also patrolled by park ranger
s and a rangers' office is located in the central section of the park close to Bewsey Old Hall.
Angling
is permitted in certain parts of the park; for Stanners Pool and St Helens Canal fishing rights are reserved to Dallam and District Community Angling Group. The Sankey Canal
is available for day fishing. Mary Ann's, Brownlees and Whitegate ponds are leased to Penketh and Old Hall Angling Club for members fishing.
An array of wildlife can be found in the park. Diurnal creatures include squirrels, swan
s, butterflies and woodland birds. Nocturnal inhabitants include foxes, owls
, mice
, hedgehog
s and bat
s. More rarely seen species such as stoats and weasels, treecreepers, kingfishers, water voles and reed bunting
have all been spotted in the park.
In late spring, orchids can be found in the meadow, whilst a wealth of butterflies visit during the summer. Most of the mature woodlands within the Valley are owned by the Woodland Trust
who safeguard woods within the landscape, protect habitats for the benefit of wildlife and encourage public access and enjoyment. The woods are particularly picturesque around spring, when an assortment of wild flowers
can be seen, and during the autumn leaf falls. A variety of water plants, animals and birds can be seen on or around the park's many ponds, Sankey Brook, the Wetland Nature Reserve or the Canal.
Warrington
Warrington is a town, borough and unitary authority area of Cheshire, England. It stands on the banks of the River Mersey, which is tidal to the west of the weir at Howley. It lies 16 miles east of Liverpool, 19 miles west of Manchester and 8 miles south of St Helens...
, Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
. It occupies part of the Sankey Valley and the main park itself covers over 1½ miles between Sankey Bridges
Sankey Bridges
Sankey Bridges is part of the parish of great sankey in Warrington, a unitary authority in the north-west of England. Located around the crossing of the main turnpike road between Warrington, Prescot and Liverpool over the Sankey Brook, it became home to many industries after the opening of the...
in the south and Callands in the north. The valley follows the course of Sankey Brook and the now disused Sankey Canal
Sankey Canal
The Sankey Canal, which is also known as the Sankey Brook Navigation and the St Helens Canal, is a canal in Cheshire, extending into Merseyside, in the northwest of England, connecting St Helens with the River Mersey...
. The park is enjoyed by walkers, cyclists and anglers and the central section of the park is family orientated with children's play features, a maze and lawned areas. Bewsey Old Hall sits on the edge of the central section of the park and RAF Burtonwood
RAF Burtonwood
RAF Burtonwood was a Royal Air Force station in England, 2 miles north-west of Warrington, Lancashire. During World War II and the Cold War it was used by the United States Air Force and was also known as USAAF station 590.- Overview :...
lies one mile (1.6 km) to the west. The Trans Pennine Trail
Trans Pennine Trail
The Trans Pennine Trail is a long distance path running from coast to coast across northern England entirely on surfaced paths and using only gentle gradients ....
passes around 500 yards (457.2 m) from the southern tip of the park.
History
Sankey Valley follows the course of England's first canal, Sankey CanalSankey Canal
The Sankey Canal, which is also known as the Sankey Brook Navigation and the St Helens Canal, is a canal in Cheshire, extending into Merseyside, in the northwest of England, connecting St Helens with the River Mersey...
, and stretches for 15 miles (24.1 km) from St Helens
St Helens, Merseyside
St Helens is a large town in Merseyside, England. It is the largest settlement and administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough of St Helens with a population of just over 100,000, part of an urban area with a total population of 176,843 at the time of the 2001 Census...
through Warrington
Warrington
Warrington is a town, borough and unitary authority area of Cheshire, England. It stands on the banks of the River Mersey, which is tidal to the west of the weir at Howley. It lies 16 miles east of Liverpool, 19 miles west of Manchester and 8 miles south of St Helens...
to Widnes
Widnes
Widnes is an industrial town within the borough of Halton, in Cheshire, England, with an urban area population of 57,663 in 2004. It is located on the northern bank of the River Mersey where the estuary narrows to form the Runcorn Gap. Directly to the south across the Mersey is the town of Runcorn...
. The canal was opened in 1757 to carry coal from the mines around the St Helens area to the markets of Liverpool and Cheshire, it pioneered the canal age.
The canal was responsible for shaping the valley, its environment and development from the late 18th century to the early 20th century.
With the advent of the railways began the long decline of the canals but the stretch of the Sankey canal that now occupies Sankey Valley Park remained open until 1963. Today the local authorities of Warrington
Warrington
Warrington is a town, borough and unitary authority area of Cheshire, England. It stands on the banks of the River Mersey, which is tidal to the west of the weir at Howley. It lies 16 miles east of Liverpool, 19 miles west of Manchester and 8 miles south of St Helens...
, St Helens
St Helens, Merseyside
St Helens is a large town in Merseyside, England. It is the largest settlement and administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough of St Helens with a population of just over 100,000, part of an urban area with a total population of 176,843 at the time of the 2001 Census...
and Halton
Halton, Cheshire
Halton, formerly a separate village, is now part of the town of Runcorn, Cheshire, England. The name Halton has been assumed by the Borough of Halton, which includes Runcorn, Widnes and some outlying parishes.-Geography:...
along with the Sankey Canal Restoration Society, are developing the Sankey Canal Trail as a 15 miles (24.1 km) greenway either side of the park, whilst working towards the restoration of a navigation route.
On the western side of the park lies Bewsey Old Hall. Prior to the Hall being built, a monastic grange existed on the site. A hall was first built on the site by William Fitz Almeric le Boteler. The Hall and estate was home to the Lords of Warrington from the 13th century for many generations. The current hall is a three storey, mostly Jacobean
Jacobean architecture
The Jacobean style is the second phase of Renaissance architecture in England, following the Elizabethan style. It is named after King James I of England, with whose reign it is associated.-Characteristics:...
building. It has distinctive chimneys and stone mullion windows which are most likely the work of Sir Thomas Ireland and date back to around 1600. Sir Thomas was knighted at Bewsey by King James I
James I of England
James VI and I was King of Scots as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the English and Scottish crowns on 24 March 1603...
in 1617. Later additions to the Hall include a farmhouse and kitchen, dating from the 18th century and 19th century with earlier foundations. The original 14th century moat only partly holds water today.
The park
The park is largely linearLinear
In mathematics, a linear map or function f is a function which satisfies the following two properties:* Additivity : f = f + f...
, following a stretch of Sankey Brook and the old Sankey Canal
Sankey Canal
The Sankey Canal, which is also known as the Sankey Brook Navigation and the St Helens Canal, is a canal in Cheshire, extending into Merseyside, in the northwest of England, connecting St Helens with the River Mersey...
. In several places the park opens up into open, lawned areas and features such as a hedge maze
Hedge Maze
A hedge maze is an outdoor garden maze or labyrinth in which the "walls" or dividers between passages are made of vertical hedges.-History:...
, a meadow
Meadow
A meadow is a field vegetated primarily by grass and other non-woody plants . The term is from Old English mædwe. In agriculture a meadow is grassland which is not grazed by domestic livestock but rather allowed to grow unchecked in order to make hay...
, mature woodland
Woodland
Ecologically, a woodland is a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade. Woodlands may support an understory of shrubs and herbaceous plants including grasses. Woodland may form a transition to shrubland under drier conditions or during early stages of...
and a wetland
Wetland
A wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally. Wetlands are categorised by their characteristic vegetation, which is adapted to these unique soil conditions....
nature reserve. One main asphalt
Asphalt concrete
Asphalt concrete is a composite material commonly used in construction projects such as road surfaces, airports and parking lots. It consists of asphalt and mineral aggregate mixed together, then laid down in layers and compacted...
footpath stretches the length of the park whilst several narrower paths split from the main path in the wider spaces of the park. The central section of the park is family orientated with children's play features and picnic areas. The park is also patrolled by park ranger
Park ranger
A park ranger or forest ranger is a person entrusted with protecting and preserving parklands – national, state, provincial, or local parks. Different countries use different names for the position. Ranger is the favored term in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Within the United...
s and a rangers' office is located in the central section of the park close to Bewsey Old Hall.
Angling
Angling
Angling is a method of fishing by means of an "angle" . The hook is usually attached to a fishing line and the line is often attached to a fishing rod. Fishing rods are usually fitted with a fishing reel that functions as a mechanism for storing, retrieving and paying out the line. The hook itself...
is permitted in certain parts of the park; for Stanners Pool and St Helens Canal fishing rights are reserved to Dallam and District Community Angling Group. The Sankey Canal
Sankey Canal
The Sankey Canal, which is also known as the Sankey Brook Navigation and the St Helens Canal, is a canal in Cheshire, extending into Merseyside, in the northwest of England, connecting St Helens with the River Mersey...
is available for day fishing. Mary Ann's, Brownlees and Whitegate ponds are leased to Penketh and Old Hall Angling Club for members fishing.
Wildlife and nature
Swan
Swans, genus Cygnus, are birds of the family Anatidae, which also includes geese and ducks. Swans are grouped with the closely related geese in the subfamily Anserinae where they form the tribe Cygnini. Sometimes, they are considered a distinct subfamily, Cygninae...
s, butterflies and woodland birds. Nocturnal inhabitants include foxes, owls
OWLS
OWLS is a mnemonic used by general aviation airplane pilots to assess an unprepared surface for a precautionary landing.Like all mnemonics this check has become part of aviation culture and folklore.OWLS:* Obstacles* Wind direction...
, mice
MICE
-Fiction:*Mice , alien species in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy*The Mice -Acronyms:* "Meetings, Incentives, Conferencing, Exhibitions", facilities terminology for events...
, hedgehog
Hedgehog
A hedgehog is any of the spiny mammals of the subfamily Erinaceinae and the order Erinaceomorpha. There are 17 species of hedgehog in five genera, found through parts of Europe, Asia, Africa, and New Zealand . There are no hedgehogs native to Australia, and no living species native to the Americas...
s and bat
Bat
Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera "hand" and pteron "wing") whose forelimbs form webbed wings, making them the only mammals naturally capable of true and sustained flight. By contrast, other mammals said to fly, such as flying squirrels, gliding possums, and colugos, glide rather than fly,...
s. More rarely seen species such as stoats and weasels, treecreepers, kingfishers, water voles and reed bunting
Reed Bunting
The Reed Bunting, Emberiza schoeniclus, is a passerine bird in the bunting family Emberizidae, a group now separated by most modern authors from the finches, Fringillidae....
have all been spotted in the park.
In late spring, orchids can be found in the meadow, whilst a wealth of butterflies visit during the summer. Most of the mature woodlands within the Valley are owned by the Woodland Trust
Woodland Trust
The Woodland Trust is a conservation charity in the United Kingdom concerned with the protection and sympathetic management of native woodland heritage.-History:...
who safeguard woods within the landscape, protect habitats for the benefit of wildlife and encourage public access and enjoyment. The woods are particularly picturesque around spring, when an assortment of wild flowers
Wild Flowers
Wild Flowers may refer to:*another spelling of wildflowers, flowers that grow wild, meaning they were not intentionally seeded or planted*Wild Flowers , a 2000 Czech film*Wild Flowers , a 1980s British rock group...
can be seen, and during the autumn leaf falls. A variety of water plants, animals and birds can be seen on or around the park's many ponds, Sankey Brook, the Wetland Nature Reserve or the Canal.