Otterspool Park is the old carriage drive to the grand riverside house of a snuff miller. After the house was demolished in 1931 the drive became a route down to the “day out” destination of Otterspool on the banks of the Mersey. John remembers coming here when he was a child in the 1950s and 1960s, when the path was lined with neat lawns and clipped shrubberies. It hasn’t been kept in that style for many years, and now the borders are thickly filled with the remains of the elegant trees and shrubs which once lined the drive, all tangled up with Bramble and Ivy. It was a damp and rather gloomy day, with the Gothic effect enhanced by the cawing of Crows. Much of the fallen wood has been left, and one pile was covered with an explosion of fungi.
The Rhododendrons probably still bloom, and four or five lovely Cut-leaved (or Fern leaved) Beeches still sprinkle golden leaves on the paths in autumn. Less elegant are two scruffy-looking cedars, probably not Cedars of Lebanon (but they ought to be), which have sacrificed their elegant shapes while stretching for the light.
This tall tree is probably an Italian Cypress, which would once have been a striking punctuation mark along the neat edge.
There are two lovely ornamental trees on the south side of the bridge, either side of the drive. They are known for their spectacular autumn colour. One is a rarity, Red-veined Enkianthus, which turns crimson all over, and the other is Persian Ironwood, which becomes scarlet and bronze. Sadly, we were too early to see the intended effect.
By the old café is a large Holm Oak, and we looked at its tiny undeveloped acorns. This is all we ever see, implying that these are the finished article, the mature fruits. But books and the internet have pictures of long, pointed brown acorns, just like other oaks, so why don’t they form on Merseyside?
Near the Promenade and skate park on the banks of the Mersey, some of the lawns have been planted with what is called the Otterspool Orchard, an experimental mix of young trees, part of a research project on climate change. We looked at them on our previous visit on 23rd April 2023. The so-called “Odunaiya planting mix” includes some rarities like Weeping White Mulberry, Black Mulberry, Pecan nut and some kind of rare Thorn tree, with fruits like Hawthorn, but larger, and plain-edged leaves.
As for birds, there were the aforementioned Crows, Wood Pigeons deep in the trees, Robins and Blackbirds on the woody edges. Nearer to the river were gulls, Magpies and a Goldfinch. Nothing exciting on the river, and the tide was high. Up on the bank we spotted both Japanese Larch and European Larch. The cones of European Larch have flattish scales while those of the Japanese Larch have rather pretty curled-out scales.
The sun was shining weakly on the way back, and we noticed some flowers still out – Herb Robert, Gallant Soldier and some late-flowering Bramble. My strawberries think it is spring, too, putting out a few tentative flowers.
Public transport details: Bus 82 from Elliot Street at 10.07, arriving Aigburth Road / Lisburn Road 10.30. Returned on 82 bus at 1.50 from Aigburth Road / Jericho Lane, arriving city centre at 2.10.
Next week we plan to go to Calderstones Park, meeting Elliot Street at 10 am for the 86 bus and entering the park at the south-west corner, near the Rhododendron walk.