The Eric Hardy Local Nature Reserve was formed from a tract of Clarke Gardens, and dedicated in April 2002 to honour the founder of the MNA, Eric Hardy. He was then 90 years old and died later that year. Eric had written a weekly “Countryside” column in the local paper, the Liverpool Daily Post, for 70 years from 1929 to 1999, and was once in the Guinness Book of Records for the world’s longest-running journalists’ column. He also broadcast weekly on Radio Merseyside and was a founding member of the Mersey Estuary Conservation Group and the Lancashire Wildlife Trust. Many current MNA members remember going on walks he led, but I joined too late to meet him.
The reserve is an area of rough grass and woodland extending southwards from Allerton Towers to Springwood Crematorium, set in the leafy southern suburbs of Liverpool, close to the childhood home of John Lennon. We entered it through the gap in the railings at the junction of Menlove Avenue, Woolton Road and Hillfoot Road and crossed the open area of young trees and bramble patches into the Oak and Beech woodland. Very few birds were making themselves known, except for the screeching of Ring-necked Parakeets. Jays are known to live here, but we didn’t see any today. Although the woods appear to be wild, there was evidence of management. This old Lime tree with its bushy epicormic growth at the base appears to have been trimmed.
Daffodil shoots were popping up.
The woods are fairly wet, and the map shows a section of a stream running through it. We have had a dry week, though, so all we had to contend with were occasional muddy patches, with one particularly boggy bit called Deadman’s Valley.
We emerged from the woods at the northern edge of Allerton Cemetery. It was looking neat and landscaped after the wildness of the woods. Two Monkey Puzzle trees near the north chapel caught my eye, perhaps now looking as the designers had imagined.
A big Beech tree had come down in Storm Darragh, cleverly missing all the surrounding trees and a hedge, and not touching a single gravestone.
Nearby was the stump of a previously cut-down tree, which was hollow. We peeked inside and spotted a couple of bracket fungi growing from the inside surface, an unusual sight.
We lunched in Springwood. They have decorative gardens for the scattering of loved ones’ remains, and there are plenty of benches for contemplation and remembrance. The lawns have some splendid old Cherry trees. I wonder about their age. The gardens at Springwood are only about 50 years old (1975), but these old Cherries look at least as old as the ones in Sefton Park – about 150 years old (1872).
In the sheltered shrubberies some Rhododendrons were coming into bloom. We scattered some bird food, and got Great Tits, Coal Tits and a Grey Squirrel. More distant were a Blackbird, Wood Pigeons, Magpies, and our best bird, a Stock Dove. Around the northern perimeter a row of three conifers (Cypresses?) had come down.
We headed north on the path along the west side of the nature reserve, emerging by the south entrance to Allerton Towers on Woolton Road. Since one of us had arrived by car, we had a lift to Hunts Cross Station.
Public transport details: Bus 76 from Queen Square at 10.02, arriving Menlove Avenue / Cheddar Close at 10.30. Returned on Merseyrail train from Hunt’s Cross at 2.06, arriving Central at 2.25
Next week, our last walk of the year, we plan to go to Eastham Woods, meeting at 10.00 at Sir Thomas Street.