New Ferry Butterfly Park

Brimstone butterfly c. Amy Lewis

Brimstone butterfly c. Amy Lewis

New Ferry Butterfly Park

New Ferry Butterfly Park c. Claire Huxley

Mistletoe c. Claire Huxley

Mistletoe c. Claire Huxley

New Ferry Butterfly Park insect house c. Claire Huxley

New Ferry Butterfly Park insect house c. Claire Huxley

Cowslips

Cowslips

New Ferry Butterfly Park c. Claire Huxley

New Ferry Butterfly Park c. Claire Huxley

New Ferry Butterfly Park

New Ferry Butterfly Park

New Ferry Butterfly Park

New Ferry Butterfly Park

New Ferry Butterfly Park c. Matt Berry

New Ferry Butterfly Park c. Matt Berry

An urban nature reserve developed on a former railway coal yard, goods yard and water softening plant.

Location

Howell Road
New Ferry
Cheshire
CH62 5BJ
A static map of New Ferry Butterfly Park

Know before you go

Size
2 hectares
z

Entry fee

No

Access

Yes

Dogs

On a lead
i

Facilities

Toilets
Picnic area

When to visit

Opening times

Open Sundays from the beginning of May to the second week in September, between 12 noon and 4pm. Open every second Sunday in the month from September to April for volunteer work days between 10am and 3pm. Please note: not open if weather too wet. Please call 0151 327 5923 for more information. A guided group visit can be arranged please call to organise a date and time.

Best time to visit

Summer

About the reserve

Situated next to Bebington railway station, Wirral, New Ferry Butterfly Park is an oasis of green tranquility in densely populated urban area. Originally abandoned railway sidings, its industrial past has been put to good use as a home for wildlife.

On the thin, nutrient- poor soils which overlie old railway track beds, there are now carpets of wild flowers, including wild carrot & occasional bee orchids.

The lime waste from a water softening plant has been used to create a calcareous grassland, with all the specialist wildflowers which depend in this habitat, while drifts of coal dust have transformed into acidic grassland dominated by common bent, sheep's sorrel & bird's-foot trefoil.

Up to 26 species of butterfly have been recorded here, with 18 species breeding on site - giving the park its rather apt name.   How to find us: By train: The park is next to Bebington Station on the Merseyrail Liverpool-Birkenhead-Chester Line. Cross to the southbound platform if necessary (tunnel under tracks), exit by the gateway to the car park, and walk left to the north end of the car park.

The Butterfly Park is just to your right through the gates. By bus: Routes 110,118,119, 410 stop by Bebington Station on the Old Chester Road or Bebington Road. Walk under the railway bridge on Bebington Road if necessary, and take the road between the bridge and Aldi, signed to the station car park and Butterfly Park. By car: From M53 J4: Take B5137 signed Bromborough, at traffic lights turn left (B5136). Follow road, taking 2nd exit at small roundabout, until you see the railway over-bridge. Go straight on under bridge and turn first left, where signed to station car park and butterfly park (between the over-bridge and Aldi). The park is at the top of the slope. From Birkenhead: Follow A41 to south end of Rock Ferry Bypass. Take 3nd exit (carefully - this is not a normal roundabout and there is a give way) onto Bolton Road Port Sunlight. At T junction turn right alongside railway. At next T junction turn right and immediately left into car park approach road (between over-bridge and Aldi). Sat-nav users: the Aldi by the approach road is CH62 5BJ.

Contact us