Wirral combines coastal scenery, trails and wildlife with a rich heritage. Options range from a 12-mile route to historic buildings and guided walks in Port Sunlight. Which aspects you focus on depends on whether you want to include more landscape and nature or cultural history in your travel plans.

Coast, trails and nature

Wirral has a 22-mile coastline. Together, walking trails, cycling routes and street art trails cover more than 50 miles. For a specific route, consider the Wirral Way: it is 12 miles long and designated as a combined walking and cycling route. There is also a separate horse-riding route. This lets you distinguish between a specific walking and cycling route and a range of different paths and types of trail.

Another way to explore the region's history is the Wirral Conservation Areas and Heritage Trail. It covers 40 historic heritage sites and can be explored on foot, by bicycle or by car. This gives it a different focus from the Wirral Way: it centres on historic places, while the 12-mile route is described as a walking and cycling route.

The nature destinations also offer different highlights. Wirral Country Park was the first designated country park in Great Britain. From there, you can watch migratory birds over the River Dee. Heswall Dales is one of the best-preserved examples of lowland heath in Merseyside. The Hilbre Islands are home to migratory birds and colonies of grey seals. If you include nature in your trip, you can explore specific themes ranging from lowland heath to birdlife and seal colonies.

Port Sunlight: architecture and history

The history of Port Sunlight is closely linked to William Lever and his soap factory. On the banks of the River Mersey, Lever began building the factory and the community for its workers, known as Port Sunlight, in 1888. The Port Sunlight Museum tells the story of Lever and his vision of creating a village for the workers at his Sunlight soap factory.

The village's character includes more than 900 listed Arts and Crafts-style houses and public buildings. They are set across 130 acres of parkland and gardens. Almost every building in Port Sunlight is Grade II listed. In addition, two areas of the landscape are listed on the English Heritage Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest. Both the architecture and the designed landscape are distinctive aspects of the heritage.

Guided walking tours of the village are available in Port Sunlight. Dates and times may change, so check before your visit. If you plan to visit the museum, also check the latest information about its opening arrangements.

Discover more destinations: Prescot, Billinge, Birkenhead, Southport, Rainhill, St Helens, Newton-le-Willows, West Kirby.

For the broader travel overview: Merseyside.