Nestled in Liverpool is a beautiful landscape known as Oglet, which takes its name from the Anglo-Saxon language and translates to “oaks by the water.” It is often considered the last piece of countryside in Liverpool, but to locals, it is known as “the Oggie,” and it is a site of historical significance that features fields, scrub, and a meandering river.
With such a rich history, Oglet possesses a plethora of historic artifacts, such as 300-year-old cottages and pyramidal tank traps that date back to the anxiety-filled days of World War II. The Beatles also traversed these fields as adolescents, as Mike McCartney recollected in an interview, “We soon got fed up … and headed for the Oggie shore cliffs.” Likewise, George Harrison had a similar experience, going to Oglet frequently “along the mud cliffs.”
As for myself, the beauty of Oglet never ceases to impress me. Its endless fields offer moments of respite that can be enjoyed for hours, all while offering a different experience every day. As the fall begins to overtake summer, the warm days mix with the cold, and the wildlife shifts to reflect this change. The sudden appearance of fleabane, knapweed, and willowherb blooms, serves as a testament to the shifting season, providing late-season feasts for pollinators.
Additional summer sightings include plump acorns, succulent blackberries, and cascades of hips and haws, all of which serve as a testament to summer’s last hurrah. Swallows flutter urgently as they fly across the stubble field in a farewell feeding frenzy. Flocks of Canada geese fly overhead in a frenzy, as they seek a place to roost ahead of the incoming tide.
The River Mersey, renowned for its wader gatherings in autumn and winter, comprises Oglet’s waterfront, providing a portal to sandy shores where the sound of oystercatchers and lone curlews can be heard. The incoming tide gently maneuvers a group of tufted ducks upriver, while Carrion Crows, grey herons and red shanks fish on the water’s edge.
Like many urban oases, Oglet is at risk, preyed to occasional fly-tipping, marauding quad bikers, and, most importantly, threatened by the loss of green belt status and the proposed expansion of Liverpool John Lennon airport. It is crucial that such landscapes be preserved for future generations to appreciate. All of us who visit this beautiful place hope that their Oggie will survive
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