Liverpool - Surroundings

One of the finest Tudor houses in England is Speke Hall (7mi/11km east of Liverpool in Hale). This half-timbered house on the north bank of the Mersey (1530-98) is notable for its great hall, its beautiful plasterwork and fine furniture.

The Boat Museum in Ellesmere Port (near Liverpool) recreates the heyday of the waterways when barges were an important form of goods transport.
At the Ellesmere Port Boat Museum visitors can board many of the historic boats. There is also a working blacksmith along with several period cottages.

Associated with the Walker Gallery is the Sudley Art Gallery, in an early 19th C mansion on Mossley Hill (3mi/5km south). Mainly English 18th and 19th C artists such as Gainsborough and Turner are represented.

Widnes (pop. 55,926) is on the River Mersey 10mi/16km east of Liverpool. With a number of noted landmarks such as Victoria Promenade and the Catalyst Science and Discovery Centre, Widnes has enough sites of interest for tourists to enjoy.

Visitors to Catalyst will discover the chemical industry in action. There are many hands-on, interactive exhibits, including a ride in a glass elevator to the observatory 100 ft above River Mersey.