Trees in Little Overdale Woods at Ness Botanic Gardens, Cheshire

Where to go · Cheshire

Forest bathing at Ness Botanic Gardens

A 64-acre botanic garden on the Wirral with woodland, rhododendrons and a national Sorbus collection above the Dee.

Ness Botanic Gardens covers 64 acres on the Wirral side of Cheshire, looking out over the Dee estuary to North Wales. It was given to the University of Liverpool by Lois Bulley on condition it stayed a botanic garden, and the university still runs it. Woodland is a key part of the garden, along with collections of rhododendrons, camellias and snowdrops, and it holds the national collection of Sorbus, the rowans and whitebeams.

Because it is a garden, paths are kept and labelled, which makes it a calm, easy choice if you want somewhere sheltered and well looked after. The wooded areas, such as Little Overdale Woods, are quieter than the formal beds near the entrance. Autumn is the time for the Sorbus berries and leaf colour; late winter brings snowdrops and spring the rhododendrons. There is an admission charge, and dogs are not allowed apart from assistance dogs.

Practical

Managed by
University of Liverpool
Parking
Car park on site
Terrain
Maintained garden paths and woodland walks
Facilities
Refreshments, toilets, plant sales, play area, disabled access
Opening and entry
Admission charge; open year round, check times
Official page
liverpool.ac.uk

Last updated 4 November 2026. Paths, parking and access can change, so check before you visit. Spotted something out of date? Please let us know.

Guides who run sessions here

One guide works Ness Botanic Gardens

  • Cath Wright

    Highland Quietlife

    Grantown-on-Spey, Highland

    UnclaimedTrained by Association of Nature and Forest Therapy

    Corporate and team daysPrivate and one-to-onePublic group sessions

    From £25 per person

    View profile: Cath Wright

More woodlands in Cheshire

All venues in Cheshire
Path through woodland on Alderley Edge, CheshireAlderley EdgeWooded ridge with beech woods, old mine workings and long views over the plainThe Delamere Way path running through trees in Delamere Forest, CheshireDelamere ForestCheshire's largest woodland: pine, birch and oak around meres, with a station on siteTrees in Hase Bank Wood, Lyme Park, CheshireLymeDeer park on the edge of the Peak District, with ancient woodland and open moor

Photos: Alderley Edge, Pete Birkinshaw (CC BY 2.0); Delamere Forest, Jeff Buck (CC BY-SA 2.0); Lyme, Christopher Hilton (CC BY-SA 2.0).