The 500 acre (200 ha) Croxteth Country Park, an enclave of rural England within the outer suburbs of Liverpool, easily contains this 4½ mile (7 km) walk. Most of the walk gives the strong impression of being in the heart of the country. It also includes the historic Croxteth Hall, seat of the Earls of Sefton. The way is on paved surfaces and firm paths; any sensible shoes will do.

The relevant Ordnance Survey 1:25000 Explorer map is No. 275. For further information on the locations visited, click on the images. See also ...

Start at the entrance to the park in West Derby Village by St. Mary's Church [1]. Nearby, off Meadow Lane, is the site of the 11th or 12th century castle [2]. There is not much to see - just a barely discernible mound. Go along the broad path across the fields to a point in a clump of trees [3] where a path branches off to the right and there is a fine view back to the church.

Keep straight ahead signed Hall, Farm and Gardens, passing through a gateway by Croxteth Lodge [4] and then under an arch beneath Croxteth Hall Lane. Ahead of you is the imposing Queen Anne wing of Croxteth Hall [5] (you can see the inside for an entrance fee).

Go right in front of the Queen Anne wing where there is a cafe [6] on the right. Bear left here and then take the path that can be seen curving away to the right. Go through a gate and keep straight ahead. The path soon curves to the left over a bridge [7] over the River Alt. Bear left before the gate ahead and take the path than runs first alongside a field and then through trees. After a while, this turns to the left and further on does so again. Here you have the dense expanse of Mull Wood Nature Reserve on the right. You pass some estate buildings and then go through a gate where the surface becomes paved again.

At a fork in the path, go right, signed Dam Wood. Keep ahead along this path until you cross a bridge [8] over a brook. A little way further on, you see the entrance on Oak Lane ahead. Look for the path through the trees on the left near here. You pass a field on the left and then cross a bridge [9] over the River Alt. Turn left here and the path goes over a boardwalk by a pond and then passes an ice house [10] in the trees. You reach the Long Pond [11] on the right and then go through a gate to return to the Edwardian wing of Croxteth Hall with the Victorian walled garden [12] to the left (there is an entrance fee to see this). Go around past the cafe again and turn right through the buildings of Home Farm [13]. Cross Croxteth Hall Lane carefully to the derelict lodge opposite. Follow the broad path through the fields with another fine view of the church ahead. Eventually this joins up with the path you started on and you retrace your steps to West Derby Village.