Historical background
Sefton Park was designed by Edouard André (Gardener in Chief, Paris) and Lewis Hornblower (a Liverpool architect) who won a competition in 1867 and a prize of 300 guineas was awarded. The winning design blended the natural undulating topography and two branches of a Mersey tributary to create a landscape in which there was a spinal ornamental watercourse, embellished with rock features including cascades, grottoes and stepping stones leading to a 7 acre lake. Carefully planted woodland clumps sought to create a spacious park landscape with framed vistas revealed from elliptical and tangential pathways.
The park is 269 acres (108 ha) and is the city's largest urban park once known as 'Liverpool's Hyde Park'. Park features include listed statuary, grottoes, gateways and buildings. Statues include full replicas of Peter Pan by Sir George Frampton and the Shaftsbury Memorial (Eros fountain) by Sir Alfred Gilbert. Both are Grade II listed.

Sefton Park Palm House constructed in 1896, is a Grade II* listed building recently fully restored and refurbished with Heritage Lottery and European funding. The building reopened as a major botanical and events attraction in September 2001.

The Park today
Sefton Park is undergoing a major Heritage Lottery Funded renovation with substantial works to reinstate the flowing watercourses and features such as the Eros fountain and bandstand. The works will also improve park facilities with the introduction of a new children’s play area, café and toilets. Works are programmed for completion in 2009.

www.palmhouse.org.uk