//
Town in Wirral, Merseyside, England
Photo: David Dixon, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Birkenhead is a town on Merseyside, England, on the Wirral peninsula in the historic county boundaries of Cheshire, across the River Mersey from Liverpool. It is not a tourist destination in its own right but can make for a rewarding afternoon trip from Liverpool, and is well worth a couple of hours.
From the travel guide. Select a place for details, a map and what is nearby.
A beautiful Georgian Square with gardens in the middle designed by James Gillespie Graham. The square contains the largest cluster of Grade I listed buildings outside Trafalgar Square in London.
Visitors' Centre
Designed by Joseph Paxton and opened on 5 April 1847, it is generally acknowledged as the first publicly-funded civic park in Britain. American landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted incorporated many of the features he observed into his design for New York's Central Park.
St Mary's Tower
This former monastery dates back to when monks ferried passengers over the River Mersey and is the oldest building in Merseyside.
Woodside Ferry Terminal and Visitor Centre
It was founded as the Laird School of Art, the first British public school of art outside London. It is opposite Birkenhead Park's grand entrance, in use as offices, and not open to the general public.
Established in 1824, the shipyard is best seen from the Mersey Ferry. Unfortunately, it has no visitor centre or museum, though it greatly deserves such facilities.
formerly the Pacific Road Arts Centre
Built as a railway goods transit shed.
Built as a railway goods station.
The cannon was in use from 1867 to 1969, although it didn't fire during World War II. The cannon was controlled from Bidston Observatory, and was used to set the marine chronometers of ships on the Mersey.
This bridge separates Egerton and Morpeth Docks. Egerton House, built as a dockside warehouse, is visible from the bridge.
On the opposite side of Tower Road to the Twelve Quays ferry terminal. The building is derelict and not open to the public. The Wallasey Dock impounding station is within the ro-ro ferry terminal and, although inaccessible to tourists, can be clearly seen from a Mersey ferry travelling between Seacombe and Woodside.
Separating East and West Floats, this bridge is about a mile inland from the riverside. Dockside viewing points are accessible at the northeast and southwest quarters of the bridge.
Built in 1800, a prominent local landmark.
The Grade II listed observatory was built in 1866.
Built in 1873, and over two miles from the sea, it has a claim as the world's most inland lighthouse used for marine navigation.
Near to Birkenhead Park on Slatey Road, has some great artwork.
The farm has a variety of animals, which love to be hand-fed.
In 2020 Rovers were relegated so they now play in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. Their home ground Prenton Park (capacity 16,500) is a mile south of Birkenhead town centre.
Indoor swimming with a wave machine, flumes and competition pool
JD Wetherspoons
Generally considered to be the best Chinese/Canton/Peking restaurant in Merseyside. Award winning dim sum, banquets and specials. Friendly service.
Italian food.
Yummies
Fast food take-away, providing pizzas, kebabs, burgers and vegetarian options, with congenial staff. Useful as a very late-night stop-off, on the way back from a night out in Liverpool.
A must-visit pub for the pub architecture/real ale fan. The Edwardian tiling, mosaic floor and etched windows make for a sumptuous drinking experience. There is always a selection of real ale, and cheap hearty food is served at lunchtimes. 200 yards (180 m) from Hamilton Square and a similar distance from Conway Park station.
JD Wetherspoons
Kellson
Shopping centre that has all commodities and has some great deals
An eclectic mix of small shops, including food, clothing, furnishings, media and technology retailers, and a coin and stamp collector's centre.
The last brick-and-mortar record shop on the Wirral peninsula. Sells new and secondhand vinyl, cassettes, CDs, DVDs and videos. A proper old-school record shop, straight out of the last century. Well worth a detour for any music fans doing their Beatles pilgrimage to Liverpool and Ferry 'cross the Mersey.
KGB Guitars
Professional luthier, also supplying guitar consumables.
By local ferry
By train
It takes 3 minutes for a Merseyrail Wirral line train to travel from Liverpool James Street. These trains serve all loop stations in Liverpool, taking 2 additional minutes for each.
By sea
Frequent and reliable Merseyrail services operate between the town's stations. There is also an extensive bus network. Saveaway tickets are valid on all public transport in Birkenhead.
Read in the guideChoose an airport to see hotels, stations, taxi ranks and car rental desks around it.
Liverpool · International · LPL
Loading places around the airport…
Articles and travel topics about Birkenhead and United Kingdom.
Travel tipsComplete 2026 guide to the UK Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA). Check eligibility, the £20 fee, application steps, and transit rules.
7 min read
Travel tipsComplete 2026 guide to global tourist taxes and access fees. Compare entry fees in Venice, Bali, Bhutan, Kyoto, and Edinburgh, and learn how to pay them.
8 min read
Travel tipsFind the cheapest countries to fly to from the US and UK in 2026. Compare realistic round-trip flight deals, budget airlines, and prime booking windows.
8 min read
Travel tipsA complete guide to taking the Eurostar from London to Paris. Learn about check-in times, border controls, baggage limits, ticket tiers, and booking tips.
7 min read
Every section of the guide. Open one to read it in full.