Top 15 Attractions and Activities in Warrington, Lancashire

Located in an area characterized by heavy industry, Warrington experienced significant growth during the 1960s when it was designated as a “New Town.” Although manufacturing continues to provide substantial employment opportunities, the services sector has largely supplanted the historical factories, complemented by abundant green spaces due to a designated “green belt.” The town possesses remarkable relics of industrial heritage, such as the imposing Warrington Transporter Bridge and the Manchester Ship Canal, which was once the largest canal globally.

The town museum serves as a comprehensive repository of archaeology, natural history, and art, and the local government manages two distinguished mansions: the Palladian Bank Hall, which now functions as Warrington Town Hall, and Walton Hall, a premier venue for events set amidst a community park.

Let us delve into the top attractions in Warrington:

1. Walton Hall and Gardens

A celebrated landmark in Warrington, Walton Hall is a mansion built in the Jacobean Revival style in the 1830s for Sir Gilbert Greenall, a Member of Parliament with a notable 45-year tenure in the House of Commons.

Since its acquisition by the local council in 1941, the house has become a venue for chamber music concerts and various events, including weddings.

Adjacent to the mansion is a formal garden, accompanied by numerous family-friendly amenities within the park, including crazy golf, a pitch & putt course, and a well-maintained small zoo featuring animals such as donkeys, alpacas, sheep, peacocks, and pygmy goats.

2. Warrington Museum & Art Gallery

Established in 1848, the municipal museum relocated to its purpose-built Neoclassical venue in 1857, making it one of the United Kingdom’s oldest town museums, while preserving its historic character.

The museum’s collection represents a wide array of subjects, including local industrial artifacts, Egyptology, Roman archaeology, currency, ethnography, Civil War items, as well as zoological and botanical specimens.

Highlights include a Roman actor’s mask, a Medieval manuscript from the now-closed Warrington Friary, bronzes from Benin, an Egyptian sarcophagus, and artworks by John Warrington Woods, L. S. Lowry, and Jan van Os.

3. Grappenhall Heys Walled Garden

This charming Green Flag garden is a remnant of an estate established in South Warrington during the 1830s.

Home to three generations of the Parr family, the original house fell into disrepair and was demolished in 1970.

Despite this, the walled garden has thrived and now showcases three ponds, herbaceous borders, fruit espaliers, and vegetable plots.

The Parr family’s glasshouse has also been restored with funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

The garden features a café and offers workshops in gardening, bushcraft, and bread making.

4. Manchester Ship Canal

The impressive scale and ambition of this waterway, which links Manchester with the Irish Sea while traversing through Warrington, is undeniable.

Although still operational, the Manchester Ship Canal sees considerably less traffic than in its prime. Opened in January 1894 after six and a half years of construction, it was the largest canal in the world at the time.

The canal enabled ocean-going vessels to navigate 36 miles inland to Manchester, effectively circumventing the costly docks of Liverpool.

Following its completion, Manchester emerged as Britain’s third busiest port.

In Warrington, the canal is spanned by a high-level cantilever bridge and three swing bridges, and when fortunate visitors may witness a container ship passing through.

5. St Elphin’s Church

This historical parish church in Warrington features a sandstone structure that reaches a height of 86 meters with its spire.

It boasts the eighth highest spire in England, and the fifth highest spire among parish churches.

While most of St Elphin’s was restored during the 1860s, remnants of earlier constructions are still evident, particularly in the chancel with stonework dating back to the mid-14th century.

St Ann’s Chapel, constructed in the mid-15th century, contains a vault meant for the affluent Massey family, who were once residents of Warrington’s Town Hall.

Visitors can observe the effigy of Lady Alicia Boteler from the early 1300s, alongside a carved alabaster monument dedicated to Sir John Boteler and his wife from 1463.

6. Bridge Street

Bridging north to south through Warrington’s central area, Bridge Street is merely steps away from the Golden Square Shopping Centre, which hosts numerous UK and international retailers, such as Primark and H&M. While Bridge Street features its own shops and fast food establishments, its architectural charm is found in the heights above the shops.

This portion of the town is a conservation area, preserving the decorative late Victorian and Edwardian historic facades, primarily seen at the upper end before connecting with Horsemarket Street.

7. Warrington Town Hall

Erected in 1750, Warrington’s elegant Town Hall was originally a mansion known as Bank Hall.

This Palladian structure, adorned with a pediment featuring the coat of arms of the Pattens, was commissioned by Thomas Patten, a key figure in the copper smelting industry.

Bank Hall was acquired by Warrington Borough Council in 1870 from John Wilson-Patten, subsequently transforming its grounds into the town’s first public park.

Bank Park includes a playground, café, and bowling greens. Prominently displayed in front of the Town Hall are the Golden Gates, a listed monument that were cast in 1862 by the Cookdale Company in Ironbridge, Shropshire, and showcased at the International Exhibition in London that same year.

8. Warrington Transporter Bridge

A remarkable vestige of the Industrial Revolution, the Warrington Transporter Bridge spans the River Mersey and was inaugurated in 1915. This Grade II-listed structure is the last remaining transporter bridge over the River Mersey in Cheshire, originally built to connect two portions of Joseph Crosfield and Sons’ chemical and soap manufacturing facilities.

Constructed from steel beams, the bridge boasts a span of 61 meters and an elevation of 23 meters above the river’s high water mark.

While designated as a historical monument, the bridge is currently in a state of disrepair; however, the organization Friends of Warrington Transporter Bridge was established in 2015 to advocate for its preservation.

9. Norton Priory

Located a 15-minute drive southwest, Norton Priory serves as an intriguing historical destination.

Here, visitors can explore the remains of a Medieval Augustinian abbey.

After the dissolution of the abbey under Henry VIII, the Brooke family took residence and remained for nearly 400 years.

The restored 18th-century walled garden presents an array of fruit trees, a rose walk, a sculpture trail, and colorful borders.

The monastery remains, significant in Cheshire’s history, feature a captivating undercroft, while the adjacent Georgian house operates as a museum displaying artifacts from the site.

Visitors can view Gothic and Romanesque architectural elements, tiles, and a 3.6-meter St Christopher statue carved in the late 14th century.

10. Warrington Wolves

In Northern England, Rugby League is among the most popular sports.

The Warrington Wolves are consistently competitive, having captured the league championship three times and the Challenge Cup (the knockout competition) on eight occasions.

The Wolves secured their latest cup victory in 2012, with a second-place finish in the league in 2016. For individuals less familiar with the sport, Rugby League generally presents a more accessible format than Rugby Union, due to simpler rules and fewer set pieces.

Those interested in attending games can note that the Super League season occurs during the summer, with playoffs in the autumn, and the Wolves play at the Halliwell Jones Stadium, which has a capacity of 15,200, enlarged in 2011.

11. Barley Mow Pub

A notable historical pub, the Barley Mow is located in Warrington’s Old Market Place.

This establishment, dating back to 1561, is the oldest pub in the town and features a half-timbered design with intricate black studwork on a base of local red sandstone, earning it a Grade II listing.

The entrance includes a passage with exposed timber beams, while the façade presents two continuous rows of windows beneath triangular gables.

The pub continues to play an active role in daily life in Warrington, hosting quiz nights on Thursdays and board games nights on Wednesdays.

12. Bluebell Cottage Gardens

Situated eight miles south of Warrington, Bluebell Cottage Gardens provides a delightful outing for horticultural enthusiasts.

Located along a tranquil country lane by the Trent and Mersey Canal, the garden is curated by Sue Beesley, a former BBC Gardener of the Year, and is accessible from Wednesday to Sunday during the spring and summer months.

The garden features a wildflower meadow, woods adorned with bluebells in springtime, and a quaint tearoom serving tea and cakes.

Entrance to the garden is through a lush orchard, showcasing modern perennials, a gravel bed dry garden, a pond, and a kitchen garden framed by box hedges, which includes a pen with chickens.

13. Gulliver’s World

Designed for families with toddlers and children up to the age of 13, Gulliver’s World features more than 80 rides, shows, and attractions.

The park draws inspiration from Jonathan Swift’s renowned 18th-century satire, incorporating various themed areas titled Lilliput Land, Safari Kingdom, and Gully Town.

In addition to numerous rides such as trains, dodgems, rollercoasters, and splash rides, there are two indoor amenities at the Splash Zone waterpark, which offers a range of slides, and the branded Nerf Zone, featuring soft shooting games suitable for children aged six and older.

14. Birchwood Forest Park

This extensive park provides a refreshing outdoor experience, and its history adds an intriguing layer to your visit.

Birchwood Forest Park occupies the site of the WWII munitions factory, ROF Risley, with remnants of the bunkers from that facility still present in the grounds.

The park is abundant in vegetation and features expansive flat grasslands suited for various sports and events throughout the year, such as the Birchwood Carnival and the Birchwood Fireworks Display for Guy Fawkes Night.

Facilities include picnic benches, children’s play areas, and a minor skate park. Close to the café, visitors can find a statue of Little Bo Peep and her sheep, in place since 1985.

15. Risley Moss

Situated nearby, Risley Moss offers insight into how much of North Cheshire and South Lancashire countryside appeared centuries ago.

This 210-acre reserve features expansive raised bog flats.

Named for the moss that accumulates around bog areas that have filled depressions in the landscape since the last Ice Age, Risley Moss is the product of a bog regeneration initiative completed in 2002 after a 24-year effort.

A tall watchtower is available for visitors to gain an elevated perspective and observe local birdlife, which includes 60 breeding species and over 50 migratory varieties.