Riverside Rambles: Along the Mersey

Ron Freethy

“If you love the Mersey, buy this book and take those walks, soaking up the knowledge and wonder of this once-again living river.” – David Bellamy OBE
Explore the scenery and ecology of the River Mersey in the expert company of well-respected writer and ecologist, Ron Freethy. Discover the origins, natural history and tourism potential of one of the world’s great rivers and see for yourself how the ‘Mucky Mersey’ has been reborn as the ‘Mighty Mersey’. Thirty short, gentle but fascinating walks guide the reader along many varied watercourses including its feeder streams and rivers, its canals, and the Mersey itself.

£8.95

Due March 2010

Renowned conservationist David Bellamy introduces this book with his foreword to this selection of 30 gentle walks which map out ecological improvements, industrial archaeology, tourist attractions and geographical features of the River Mersey. The walks are illustrated with excellent photographs and are perfect both for family outings and for enthusiasts of local history and ecology – for the Mersey is fast becoming a paradise for wildlife. Details of local industry past and present, old halls and ancient history are also included – an all-round coverage of all aspects of this, one of the world’s great rivers.
The walks are divided into eight sections – the sources of the Mersey, the Manchester Ship Canal, the River Bollin, the Bridgewater Canal, the River Irwell, Warrington to Widnes, the Wirral Bank and the Liverpool Bank. Most of the walks are circular but any linear walks are linked to at least one mode of public transport.
The author has worked as a journalist for more than 30 years and has travelled the world as an ecologist concerned with river improvements. He has an obvious love of the River Mersey, a love which ensures that these walks have a unique appeal, not just because of his local knowledge, but because of his ability to draw comparisons with other great rivers of the world.