Connect Kirkby with Slow Ways

We’re creating a network of walking routes that connect all of Britain’s towns, cities and national parks

more walks and reviews are needed to fully connect Kirkby to the verified network. Can you give a hike and help?

Give a hike!

Kirkby

Merseyside


Slow Ways linking Kirkby and Bootle, Eccleston, Litherland, Maghull, Prescot, Rainford, Walton

England / Merseyside / Kirkby

Kirkby’s seven Slow Ways are 50% checked

Drawn: 7/7
reviewed: 7/7
verified: 0/7
and surveyed: 0/7

Help connect Kirkby

Many Slow Ways have several route options. Some will be better than others, or good for different reasons.

Our goal is for each Slow Way to have at least one route that is verified and surveyed. To be verified – and get its snail badge – a route needs at least three positive reviews.

Give a hike and help get a for every one of Kirkby’s Slow Ways.

Walk to Kirkby from further afield

Slow Way Route To do
Bootle—Kirkby
Bookir one Review me Distance 10km/6mi Ascent 67m Descent 57m
Kirkby—Eccleston
Kirecc one

Double check Distance 10km/6mi Ascent 53m Descent 38m
Kirkby—Eccleston
Kirecc two Verify me Distance 9km/6mi Ascent - Descent -
Kirkby—Prescot
Kirkpre one

Double check Distance 11km/7mi Ascent 92m Descent 36m
Kirkby—Prescot
Kirkpre two Verify me Distance 12km/7mi Ascent 331m Descent 271m
Kirkby—Rainford
Kirkrai one

Double check Distance 12km/7mi Ascent 63m Descent 45m
Kirkby—Rainford
Kirkrai two Review me Distance 10km/6mi Ascent 56m Descent 38m
Litherland—Kirkby
Litkir one Review me Distance 13km/8mi Ascent 64m Descent 48m
Litherland—Kirkby
Litkir two Review me Distance 12km/8mi Ascent 55m Descent 39m
Maghull—Kirkby
Magkir one

Double check Distance 7km/4mi Ascent 29m Descent 28m
Maghull—Kirkby
Magkir two Review me Distance 7km/4mi Ascent 40m Descent 37m
Walton—Kirkby
Walkir one

Double check Distance 11km/7mi Ascent 64m Descent 49m
Walton—Kirkby
Walkir two Review me Distance 10km/6mi Ascent 57m Descent 73m
Walton—Kirkby
Walkir three Review me Distance 9km/5mi Ascent 53m Descent 69m
Walton—Kirkby
Walkir four Verify me Distance 11km/7mi Ascent - Descent -

Fancy stretching your legs a bit more?

If you’ve polished off all of the routes between Kirkby and its neighbours, how about walking its whole web?

This includes the great ring of routes that join its neighbours to each other!

Collective progress

52% of Kirkby’s seven route options are drawn, reviewed, surveyed and/or verified

15/15

drawn

15/15

reviewed

1/15

surveyed

0/15

verified

3 people have contributed to Kirkby’s Slow Ways

0 people have pledged to walk and review a route

1 people have surveyed a route in Kirkby

153km out of 153km have been walked and reviewed

205km of reviews have been shared in Kirkby

Latest Updates

At the end of a long road, we join another road; it does have a pavement, albeit overgrown in places, so it's best to walk on the road. At another road, we follow a track (not an official footpath, but a well-used local desire path) along the edge of a field, until we follow the route until it crosses the A580; there's gaps in the crash barriers where to cross....

Hiking Historian

Walk this route

Hiking Historian took this photo on Kirkrai two

Walk this route

From the centre of Kirkby, with its shops and bus station, we cross the road at the roundabout, before entering Millbrook Millennium Green on a tarmac path, overlooking the river Alt below. The pavement does narrow in places to almost a kerb, but it's safe enough to use, and not a very busy road, but it is the best route, as all the surrounding footpaths have seemingly vanished!...

Hiking Historian

Walk this route

The footpath under the road bridge no longer exists, but there's a new footpath that runs close to the original course. The footpath to Grayson's Farm is supposed to here, but there's a locked gate, no signs and no trace of any used path across the ploughed out fields....

Hiking Historian

Walk this route
Kirkby—Rainford

Hiking Historian added Kirkrai two, a new walk from Kirkby to Rainford

Walk this route

The route at the beginning at Litherland station does use a stepped footbridge, but this can be circumvented by travelling the opposite direction, around past the pub of the corner, where there are road crossings....

Hiking Historian

Walk this route

Once over the A-road crossroads, a long and unattractive walk through an industrial estate into Knowsley village, and then a long rural road along the side of the Knowsley estate....

Hiking Historian

Walk this route

Good tarmac footpath takes us through some nice shady wooded areas, before we eventually join a paved residential road. Past the major crossroads (with good crossings), we continue along the Greenway (again, not many ramps), before turning away from the industrial estate and, once under the M57, we join a great wooded footpath....

Hiking Historian

Walk this route

Once over, and after a short walk along a paved road, we access our first footpath: a tarmac path running betwern fences, before heading under a railway tunnel and onto a path running past houses. Crossing at the next junction, we head up the industrial estate road of Heysham Road, where we access the Transpennine Trail, a good tarmac footpath eventually passing Aintree Station....

Hiking Historian

Walk this route

Good tarmac tracks bring us through to the road past HMP Altcourse, where, after a short unpaved (but closed to traffic) road walk, we cross the road (unfortunately no ramp) and join the pavement, before turning onto a footpath. At the end, a road crossing and onto another tarmac footpath, running behind houses....

Hiking Historian

Walk this route

After the motorway bridge, we exit the canal via a narrow passageway, and follow the paved road walk through the residential streets of Kirkby, passing the station along the way....

Hiking Historian

Walk this route

Good tarmacced paths lead us through the park, until we take a junction over a road where we then access the old railway, which is now mostly the Transpennine Trail. At Aintree Racecourse, the footpath becomes earth and stone in a wooded area, often narrow in places, before joining the canal....

Hiking Historian

Walk this route

One thing I'll point out about the route so far: the map shows the route as crossing the crossroads/roundabout at the junction of Aintree and Southport Roads using a crossing on the right (south) side. The path ahead has some subsidence, and, at Aintree Racecourse, the path becomes a narrow earth and stone footpath, which eventually meets the canal, from where it is a short grassy bank to the bridge. Crossing before the bridge, the path ahead is again narrow and natural, and in undergrowth....

Hiking Historian

Walk this route

After crossing the busy East Lancs dual carriageway the route goes onto the Gellings bridleway, again alongside the M57, before going onto Knowsley Lane for the final section. Nearing the end a busy roundabout has to be negotiated. Plenty of facilities at start and finish....

James Riding

Walk this route

James Riding took this photo on Kirkpre two

Walk this route
Kirkby—Prescot

James Riding added Kirkpre two, a new walk from Kirkby to Prescot

Walk this route

James Riding took this photo on Kirecc two

Walk this route

Then onto a quiet single lane road and dirt path, and past farm buildings....

James Riding

Walk this route
Kirkby—Eccleston

James Riding added Kirecc two, a new walk from Kirkby to Eccleston

Walk this route

This route includes private inaccessible paths and so isn't a valid route....

James Riding

Walk this route

First, the route through Walton Hall Park has a massive diversion around the bowling greens and along the path that runs adjacent to the housing estate; this is unnecessary, and I recommend just going straight along the main path through the park. Secondly, the exit from the canal onto the bridge at Spencer's Lane isn't as straightforward as the map claims. These small quibbles have been corrected on WALKIR Four; route Two offers a slightly amended ending....

Hiking Historian

Walk this route

Strider surveyed Walkir four

Walk this route

The left right next to Aintree racecourse is a dead end, the right hand (and better path) takes you to Aintree Lane south of a swing bridge, which you may like to do. Crossing the road at the swing bridge the path continues along the Liverpool to Leeds canal until a left turn before a bridge (the steepest part at 12%) the right onto the road, suburban road to Kirkby station (cat + coffee!), then a wide pavement to Kirkby Bus Station and shopping precinct....

Strider

Walk this route
Walton—Kirkby

Strider added Walkir four, a new walk from Walton to Kirkby

Walk this route
Walton—Kirkby

Hiking Historian added Walkir three, a new walk from Walton to Kirkby

Walk this route
Walton—Kirkby

Hiking Historian added Walkir two, a new walk from Walton to Kirkby

Walk this route

A good walk but...several small mapping errors, any one of which would not warrant a new route, but all together make navigation difficult. More accurate Walkir2 coming soon....

Strider

Walk this route

This route is not feasible: the entire Patten's Walk section is on private farm roads on the Knowsley Estate. I'll submit a better route in the future....

Hiking Historian

Walk this route

A good route along the canal and well-paved roads between two towns with ample parking, public transport and shopping. Access from Westway in Maghull to the canal, however, is not straightforward, nor good for access. Therefore I have suggested an alternative route for ease and for all users: MAGKIR Two....

Hiking Historian

Walk this route

An enjoyable walk, mostly along tarmac towpaths and well-paved roads. This route is fully accessible to all users, with no steps and ramps on kerbs. Good shops and bus transport links at either end (rail stations are nearby)....

Hiking Historian

Walk this route
Maghull—Kirkby

Hiking Historian added Magkir two, a new walk from Maghull to Kirkby

Walk this route
Kirkby

Jeremy Fagan surveyed Kirkby

View facilities
Bootle—Kirkby

Slow Ways added Bookir one, a new walk from Bootle to Kirkby

Walk this route
Kirkby—Eccleston

Slow Ways added Kirecc one, a new walk from Kirkby to Eccleston

Walk this route
Kirkby—Prescot

Slow Ways added Kirkpre one, a new walk from Kirkby to Prescot

Walk this route
Kirkby—Rainford

Slow Ways added Kirkrai one, a new walk from Kirkby to Rainford

Walk this route
Litherland—Kirkby

Slow Ways added Litkir one, a new walk from Litherland to Kirkby

Walk this route
Litherland—Kirkby

Slow Ways added Litkir two, a new walk from Litherland to Kirkby

Walk this route
Maghull—Kirkby

Slow Ways added Magkir one, a new walk from Maghull to Kirkby

Walk this route
Walton—Kirkby

Slow Ways added Walkir one, a new walk from Walton to Kirkby

Walk this route
1

Kirkby, Tue 19 March

13°

Cloudy

Kirkby’s Slow Ways starting point

Grid ref

SJ4103798727

Lat / Lon

53.48196° / -2.88997°

Easting / Northing

341,037E / 398,727N

Fancy stretching your legs a bit more?

If you’ve polished off all of the routes between Kirkby and its neighbours, how about walking its whole web?

This includes the great ring of routes that join its neighbours to each other!

Facilities

Users have reported that the following facilities can be found within 1km of Kirkby's meeting point

Public toilet

Wheelchair accessible toilet

Supermarket or convenience shop

Restaurant, cafe or pub

Accommodation

Accommodation for under £50 a night

Campsite

Bothy

Free wifi

Mobility scooter hire

Off-road wheelchair hire

Disabled Parking

Train station

Bus stop

Ferry

Official ‘Walkers are Welcome’ town

Help us improve this information by signing up or logging in and carrying out a quick survey of Kirkby