A fairly new(ish) woodland by the looks of it and will be a great place for in the spring and summer when less muddy. An abundance of birds and water foul make it a joy and there are plenty of paths to wander around. Also good, and free, car park though may fill up easily during times of better weather
Lovely place to walk the dog, a good variety of flat walking land, hills, ponds etc. Lots of space so you don't constantly bump in to other people (I have a fear reactive dog). Can get very muddy when wet though on the lower ground. Sundays during the summer months there is Nanna Millies in the car park offering hot and cold drinks and cakes and snacks. It closes for winter at the end of October though.
Perfect for dog walking and a local hidden gem. The park is maintained by volunteers with the support of the landowner. The viewpoint offers panoramic views towards Manchester and the Peak District, and across to the Mersey estuary and north Wales. It is incredibly peaceful and a haven for local wildlife. The park has multiple entrances with a small car park off the Vista Road entrance. A cafe is open in Spring/ Summer on Sundays. Picnic tables are available year round. There is a nod to the history of the site with pit disaster memorial and pit wagon planters. The site is 274 acres with some paths more developed than others, so if visiting in Autumn/ winter, bring wellies!
Sunday, 21st September 2025 Lyme & Wood Country Park is located on the boundaries of Newton-le-Willows and Haydock on land previously occupied by Lyme Pit and Wood Pit later used for landfill before redevelopment into a country park. In 2009 local schools from Haydock and Earlestown planted a variety of trees on the hill as part of the plans. The park includes many walks, ponds and a memorial to the 189 miners who lost their lives in the Wood pit explosion in 1878. Haydock Forest was awarded Green Flag status in early 2012. The Wood Pit was one of at least 20 collieries in the area operated by the mining company Haydock Collieries. It consisted of the Ravenshead mine and the Florida mine which were linked by a tunnel. The pit had been sunk in 1866. There had been at least two previous major explosions in the area, claiming 26 lives in April 1869 and 58 in December of the same year. The pit had a chronic problem with firedamp and as a precaution, explosives were never used, with miners relying on picks to manually extract the coal. In addition, workers were equipped with specially designed safety lamps to prevent accidental ignition of gas. There are many paths in the park to explore with some good scenic views. Ideal for dog walkers as well as the whole family. There is a small car park to the east side of the park with a small cafe and picnic area. Most of the paths I would consider to be wheelchair accessible. Well worth a visit.
Fantastic open safe countryside, for a long walk or to take the kids or dog. Nice car park with seating for picnicking
This place could be very nice with just a little bit of development, like some gravel/concrete paths and some more signage. After about an hour of tramping in mud, it felt a bit like luck stumbling across the viewpoint - which is pleasant - and then finding my way back to the car. I'll probably not come back again unless I heard that it had "been done up".
This is an ok place to walk with great views, but it’s very very muddy, particularly on some of the inclines which are likely the site of a few slips! However my dog enjoyed it still and a few ponds and wildlife areas are interesting - just a little rough around the edges!
Surprisingly beautiful place to go walking the dog with the kids. You can easily waste a couple of hours walking the routes. Loads of different paths and walks and you can find your own routes or stick the the ones on the map. It's different every time and the view point to the top isn't too strenuous but offers great views of Lancashire, Greater Manchester, Merseyside and Cheshire (or just Lancashire and Cheshire for the purists)
There is a nice walk and today there was a classic car show. wasn't massive but there was some beautiful examples.
Lyme and Wood Country Park is located at 117 Vista Rd, Haydock, Saint Helens WA11 0RN, UK
You can find directions to Lyme and Wood Country Park by following this map link