Grand Entrance to Birkenhead Park Grade II* is the middle of the three grades and is granted to "particularly important buildings of more than special interest". Hartwell and colleagues comment in the "Buildings of England" series that it is "grand indeed". The park itself is designated at Grade I in the Register of Historic Parks and Gardens. It influenced the design of Central Park in New York, which opened in 1858. Citations Sources Grand Entrance to Birkenhead Park The Grand Entrance to Birkenhead Park is at the northeast entrance to Birkenhead Park in Birkenhead, Wirral, Merseyside, England. It consists of three arches flanked by lodges
Park Gate Down the chalk. In the south eastern corner of the reserve is a disused chalk pit and the western and northern area of the reserve borders on Elham Park Wood. To the south of the reserve is an area of land managed under the Countryside Stewardship Scheme which is being reverted from arable land to chalk downland. The dominant chalk grassland community at Park Gate Down is CG4 "Brachypodium pinnatum". However, fine, less vigorous grasses are also common such as sheep's fescue ("Festuca ovina"). The reserve supports a rich flora including many calcicoles such as common milkwort ("Polygala vulgaris"), small scabious