Plan your visit
🧺Picnic🦉Wildlife🦅Birds
Public accessFree entryDogs welcome9 ha
Getting here
53.44795, -2.76396
Open directionsv
Visiting this summer
Seasonal nature notes and what to look for now
- 🌞Midsummer — dragonfly and damselfly activity peaks along water edges
- 🧺Good picnic destination in summer — open space and facilities for a relaxed day out
- ☕Boathouse Cafe — makes this an easy full-day family visit without needing to pack food
🌤️ Visiting this summer
- 🌞Midsummer — dragonfly and damselfly activity peaks along water edges
- 🧺Good picnic destination in summer — open space and facilities for a relaxed day out
- ☕Boathouse Cafe — makes this an easy full-day family visit without needing to pack food
- £Free to visit — no entry charge
- 🐕Dogs welcome
☕Café🅿️Parking🧺Picnic spot🛝Playground
🧺Picnic day out
Very strong match
picnic area, café, car park; Reservoir — waterside day out
Free
🦉Wildlife
Very strong match
Multi-group wildlife — Birds, Mammals; Multi-group wildlife — Birds, Mammals
Free
🦅Bird watching
Very strong match
Birds — Black-headed Gull, Mallard, Tufted Duck +50 more · last seen 2026; Birds — Black-headed Gull, Mallard, Tufted Duck +50 more · last seen 2026
Free
🛝Family friendly
Very strong match
playground, café, picnic area
Free
playground, café, parking
Free
Plants — Elder, Beech, Common Nettle +11 more foraging species; Deciduous woodland — fungi, berries and wild garlic
Varies
Trails nearby
Within roughly 5 km1 signed route nearby
Signed route nearby
Rainford Linear ParkWalking route▾
Named routeLocal cycle route
20 signed routes nearby
Signed route nearby
Route 856Cycling route▾
Named routeRef 856National Cycle Network
Sankey Canal TrailCycling route▾
Named routeRef SCTLocal cycle route
Main RouteCycling route22 m▾
Named routeRef 56Length 22 mNational Cycle NetworkTraffic-freeSurface asphalt
N/ACycling route8 m▾
Named routeLength 8 mNational Cycle NetworkTraffic-freeSurface asphalt
N/ACycling route140 m▾
Named routeLength 140 mNational Cycle NetworkTraffic-freeSurface asphalt
Main RouteCycling route39 m▾
Named routeRef 56Length 39 mNational Cycle NetworkTraffic-freeSurface asphalt
Photos
Big Dam, Taylor Park, St Helens, from the air
Weather for this location
Next 14 daysNearby places
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Wildlife to spot
30,001 records · National Biodiversity Network
Wildlife to spot
30,001 records · National Biodiversity NetworkWoodpigeon · Canada Goose · Coot · Tufted Duck · Moorhen +31
- WoodpigeonColumba palumbus2025
- Canada GooseBranta canadensis
- CootFulica atra2025
- Tufted DuckAythya fuligula
- MoorhenGallinula chloropus2025
- MallardAnas platyrhynchos2025
- Carrion CrowCorvus corone2025
- Herring GullLarus argentatus2025
- Rock DoveColumba livia2025
- Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus2025
- Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus2025
- Mute SwanCygnus olor2025
- RobinErithacus rubecula2025
- MagpiePica pica2025
- Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus2025
- Greylag GooseAnser anser2025
- BlackbirdTurdus merula2025
- Common GullLarus canus2025
- Red-legged PartridgeAlectoris rufa2025
- GreenfinchChloris chloris2025
- JackdawColoeus monedula2025
- StarlingSturnus vulgaris2025
- GoldcrestRegulus regulus2025
- Great Crested GrebePodiceps cristatus2025
- Long-tailed DuckClangula hyemalis2025
- Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus2025
- GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis2025
- KingfisherAlcedo atthis2025
- DunnockPrunella modularis2025
- ChaffinchFringilla coelebs2025
- Great TitParus major2025
- WrenTroglodytes troglodytes2025
- NuthatchSitta europaea2025
- RookCorvus frugilegus2025
- Grey WagtailMotacilla cinerea2025
- CuckooCuculus canorus2025
Grey Squirrel · Common Pipistrelle · Pipistrelle Bat species · Noctule · Daubenton's Bat +3
- Grey SquirrelSciurus carolinensis2025
- Common PipistrellePipistrellus pipistrellus
- Pipistrelle Bat speciesPipistrellus
- NoctuleNyctalus noctula
- Daubenton's BatMyotis daubentonii
- MoleTalpa europaea2025
🐝Insects9 species
springsummer
2025▾
Hairy Shieldbug · Red-tailed Bumblebee · Dock Bug · Harlequin Ladybird · 2-spot Ladybird +4
- Hairy ShieldbugDolycoris baccarum
- Red-tailed BumblebeeBombus lapidarius
- Dock BugCoreus marginatus
- Harlequin LadybirdHarmonia axyridis
- 2-spot LadybirdAdalia bipunctata
- Xanthogramma pedissequumXanthogramma pedissequum
Taxus baccata f. baccata · Beech · Lesser Celandine · Shepherd's-purse · Garden Tulip +25
- Taxus baccata f. baccataTaxus baccata f. baccata
- BeechFagus sylvatica2025
- Lesser CelandineFicaria verna
- Shepherd's-purseCapsella bursa-pastoris
- Garden TulipTulipa gesneriana
- ColtsfootTussilago farfara
- Red Dead-nettle
Species observations from the last 10 years via NBN Atlas
Wildlife to spot
30,001 records · National Biodiversity NetworkWoodpigeon · Canada Goose · Coot · Tufted Duck · Moorhen +31
- WoodpigeonColumba palumbus2025
- Canada GooseBranta canadensis
- CootFulica atra2025
- Tufted DuckAythya fuligula
- MoorhenGallinula chloropus2025
- MallardAnas platyrhynchos2025
- Carrion CrowCorvus corone2025
- Herring GullLarus argentatus2025
- Rock DoveColumba livia2025
- Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus2025
- Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus2025
- Mute SwanCygnus olor2025
- RobinErithacus rubecula2025
- MagpiePica pica2025
- Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus2025
- Greylag GooseAnser anser2025
- BlackbirdTurdus merula2025
- Common GullLarus canus2025
- Red-legged PartridgeAlectoris rufa2025
- GreenfinchChloris chloris2025
- JackdawColoeus monedula2025
- StarlingSturnus vulgaris2025
- GoldcrestRegulus regulus2025
- Great Crested GrebePodiceps cristatus2025
- Long-tailed DuckClangula hyemalis2025
- Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus2025
- GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis2025
- KingfisherAlcedo atthis2025
- DunnockPrunella modularis2025
- ChaffinchFringilla coelebs2025
- Great TitParus major2025
- WrenTroglodytes troglodytes2025
- NuthatchSitta europaea2025
- RookCorvus frugilegus2025
- Grey WagtailMotacilla cinerea2025
- CuckooCuculus canorus2025
Grey Squirrel · Common Pipistrelle · Pipistrelle Bat species · Noctule · Daubenton's Bat +3
- Grey SquirrelSciurus carolinensis2025
- Common PipistrellePipistrellus pipistrellus
- Pipistrelle Bat speciesPipistrellus
- NoctuleNyctalus noctula
- Daubenton's BatMyotis daubentonii
- MoleTalpa europaea2025
🐝Insects9 species
springsummer
2025▾
Hairy Shieldbug · Red-tailed Bumblebee · Dock Bug · Harlequin Ladybird · 2-spot Ladybird +4
- Hairy ShieldbugDolycoris baccarum
- Red-tailed BumblebeeBombus lapidarius
- Dock BugCoreus marginatus
- Harlequin LadybirdHarmonia axyridis
- 2-spot LadybirdAdalia bipunctata
- Xanthogramma pedissequumXanthogramma pedissequum
Taxus baccata f. baccata · Beech · Lesser Celandine · Shepherd's-purse · Garden Tulip +25
- Taxus baccata f. baccataTaxus baccata f. baccata
- BeechFagus sylvatica2025
- Lesser CelandineFicaria verna
- Shepherd's-purseCapsella bursa-pastoris
- Garden TulipTulipa gesneriana
- ColtsfootTussilago farfara
- Red Dead-nettle
Species observations from the last 10 years via NBN Atlas
Hedgehog
Hedgehog
Erinaceus europaeus2025
Erinaceus europaeus2025
PipistrellePipistrellus pipistrellus2025PipistrellePipistrellus pipistrellus2025Helophilus pendulus
Helophilus pendulus
Helophilus pendulus
Helophilus pendulus
Orange LadybirdHalyzia sedecimguttataOrange LadybirdHalyzia sedecimguttataRed-legged ShieldbugPentatoma rufipesRed-legged ShieldbugPentatoma rufipesLamium purpureum
Lamium purpureum
AlderAlnus glutinosaAlderAlnus glutinosaShaggy SoldierGalinsoga quadriradiata2025Shaggy SoldierGalinsoga quadriradiata2025Great WillowherbEpilobium hirsutum2025Great WillowherbEpilobium hirsutum2025Common Mouse-earCerastium fontanum2025Common Mouse-earCerastium fontanum2025CornflowerCentaurea cyanus2025CornflowerCentaurea cyanus2025SelfhealPrunella vulgaris2025SelfhealPrunella vulgaris2025Large BindweedCalystegia silvatica2025Large BindweedCalystegia silvatica2025Common RagwortJacobaea vulgaris2025Common RagwortJacobaea vulgaris2025FoxgloveDigitalis purpurea2025FoxgloveDigitalis purpurea2025DaisyBellis perennis2025DaisyBellis perennis2025HawthornCrataegus monogyna2025HawthornCrataegus monogyna2025Yellow PimpernelLysimachia nemorum2025Yellow PimpernelLysimachia nemorum2025Pink-sorrelOxalis articulata2025Pink-sorrelOxalis articulata2025Red CampionSilene dioica2025Red CampionSilene dioica2025RamsonsAllium ursinum2025RamsonsAllium ursinum2025NipplewortLapsana communis2025NipplewortLapsana communis2025Flowering CurrantRibes sanguineum2025Flowering CurrantRibes sanguineum2025Turkey OakQuercus cerris2025Turkey OakQuercus cerris2025Garden PrivetLigustrum ovalifolium2025Garden PrivetLigustrum ovalifolium2025Cow ParsleyAnthriscus sylvestris2025Cow ParsleyAnthriscus sylvestris2025Yellow IrisIris pseudacorus2025Yellow IrisIris pseudacorus2025HollyIlex aquifolium2025HollyIlex aquifolium2025IvyHedera helix2025IvyHedera helix2025