Sankey Valley follows the course of England's first canal, Sankey Canal, and stretches for 15 miles (24 km) from St Helens through Warrington to Widnes.
The canal was opened in 1757 to carry coal from the mines around the St Helens area to the markets of Liverpool and Cheshire, it pioneered the canal age.

The canal was responsible for shaping the valley, its environment and development from the late 18th century to the early 20th century.

With the advent of the railways began the long decline of the canals but the stretch of the Sankey canal that now occupies Sankey Valley Park remained open until 1963.
Today the local authorities of Warrington, St Helens and Halton along with the Sankey Canal Restoration Society, are developing the Sankey Canal Trail as a 15-mile (24 km) greenway either side of the park, whilst working towards the restoration of a navigation route.

On the western side of the park lies Bewsey Old Hall.
 Before the Hall was built, a monastic grange existed on the site.
A hall was first built on the site by William Fitz Almeric le Boteler.
The Hall and estate was home to the Lords of Warrington from the 13th century for many generations.
The current hall is a three-storey, mostly Jacobean building.
It has distinctive chimneys and stone mullion windows which are most likely the work of Sir Thomas Ireland and date back to around 1600.
Sir Thomas was knighted at Bewsey by King James I in 1617.
Later additions to the Hall include a farmhouse and kitchen, dating from the 18th century and 19th century with earlier foundations.
The original 14th-century moat only partly holds water today.
Sankey Valley follows the course of England's first canal, Sankey Canal, and stretches for 15 miles (24 km) from St Helens through Warrington to Widnes. The canal was opened in 1757 to carry coal from the mines around the St Helens area to the markets of Liverpool and Cheshire, it pioneered the canal age.
The canal was responsible for shaping the valley, its environment and development from the late 18th century to the early 20th century.
With the advent of the railways began the long decline of the canals but the stretch of the Sankey canal that now occupies Sankey Valley Park remained open until 1963. Today the local authorities of Warrington, St Helens and Halton along with the Sankey Canal Restoration Society, are developing the Sankey Canal Trail as a 15-mile (24 km) greenway either side of the park, whilst working towards the restoration of a navigation route.
On the western side of the park lies Bewsey Old Hall.  Before the Hall was built, a monastic grange existed on the site. A hall was first built on the site by William Fitz Almeric le Boteler. The Hall and estate was home to the Lords of Warrington from the 13th century for many generations. The current hall is a three-storey, mostly Jacobean building. It has distinctive chimneys and stone mullion windows which are most likely the work of Sir Thomas Ireland and date back to around 1600. Sir Thomas was knighted at Bewsey by King James I in 1617. Later additions to the Hall include a farmhouse and kitchen, dating from the 18th century and 19th century with earlier foundations. The original 14th-century moat only partly holds water today.
Sankey Valley Park