Leaving Kirkby shopping centre and bus station, I would recommend staying on the north side of Kirkby Row as there are fewer road crossings. The route leaving the canal into Litherland used Rimrose Valley/Brook Vale wildlife area on a well-used tarmac path, and a slightly muddy path under the railway, before a stepped footbridge over a main road to reach the station end point....

Mary Oz

After crossing a swingbridge, a grassy path along the canal side, opposite the towpath, leads to a wooded footpath alongside the boundary fence of Aintree racecourse. It was easier to leave the racetrack fence slightly earlier than indicated, at OS Grid Ref: SJ 38301 97876, onto a narrow tarmac path, as the original became a bit overgrown with brambles. The transition onto the Liverpool Loop Line, where the route turned south, was a bit dingy but had some nice railway infrastructure. Liverpool Loop Line was not as smooth as I’d been expecting, there were also tree roots pushing the tarmac up into little ridges occasionally....

Mary Oz

Shortly before going under the railway bridge there was a footbridge over the canal which gives access to Maghull Station....

Mary Oz

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

James Riding

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

James Riding

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

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

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

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

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

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