Otterspool Promenade is a riverside walk and accompanying area of parkland in the
Aigburth
Aigburth () is a suburb of Liverpool, England. Located to the south of the city, it is bordered by Dingle, Garston, Mossley Hill, and Toxteth.
Etymology
The name Aigburth comes from Old Norse ''eik'' and ''berg'', meaning ''oak-tree hill ...
and
Grassendale districts of
Liverpool
Liverpool is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the List of English districts by population, 10th largest English district by population and its E ...
, England. The promenade runs along the bank of the
River Mersey
The River Mersey () is in North West England. Its name derives from Old English and means "boundary river", possibly referring to its having been a border between the ancient kingdoms of Mercia and Northumbria. For centuries it has formed par ...
from just north of
Garston Docks to Otterspool Park. A narrower footpath and cycling lane continue north along the riverbank to the city centre, ending at the
Albert Dock. The promenade adjoins the former private parkland estates of Cressington Park, Fulwood Park and Grassendale Park. It is notable for the excellent views it gives of shipping in the Mersey and over the river to
the Wirral.
Opened in 1950, it was built by landscaping a site that had been used for disposal of household waste, and for spoil from excavation of the
Queensway tunnel under the Mersey in the 1920s. The stated desire of the local authorities was, "Firstly... provide a place where the citizens of Liverpool can enjoy their leisure in pleasant surroundings on the banks of the Mersey estuary. Secondly... for providing a large area where the essential need to the community for the disposal of its refuse could be met economically and by the use of hygienic and up-to-date methods."
[''The opening of the Otterspool Riverside Promenade'', J&C Moores Ltd. (1950)] Renovations of the promenade were undertaken in 2006 and 2007, including the creation of a children's playground. The renovations were opened in 2007 with a plaque commemorating Liverpool's 800th anniversary.
After several years of campaigning by skateboarders, rollerbladers, and BMXers, the promenade had a concrete skate park installed, which was completed in May 2015. To the north of the promenade on the riverbank was the 1984
International Garden Festival site.
References
External links
Mike Royden's Local History PagesMersey Gateway: E. Chambré Hardman ArchiveSteve Roden: Sunset at Otterspool Promenade
Parks and commons in Liverpool
Urban public parks
1950 establishments in England
{{Merseyside-geo-stub