Top Waterfalls Day Trips from Liverpool
Written by UK Hidden Gems Editorial
Updated 5 August 2026
The top Waterfalls Day Trips from Liverpool include Dyserth Waterfall, Plaspower Waterfall, Hatch Brook Waterfall, Roddlesworth Waterfall, Waulkmill Waterfall, Fairy Falls Waterfall, Conwy Tal-y-Bont and Pingot Quarry Waterfall.
Liverpool has no waterfalls of its own, but it sits within a day's drive of some fine ones in three different directions, so a little travel is well rewarded. Cross into north Wales and you soon reach Dyserth, tumbling straight down behind a village car park in Denbighshire, with the wooded cascade of Plaspower near Wrexham a little further on.
Push deeper into the Conwy valley for Fairy Falls at Trefriw and the out-of-the-way drop above Tal-y-bont. Head north instead, up into Lancashire, and the West Pennine Moors hold Hatch Brook near Chorley and Roddlesworth in its wooded plantation south of Blackburn.
Swing east toward the Peak District and its fringes and you will find Waulkmill in Ingersley Vale near Bollington, along with Pingot Quarry, a striking fall in an old quarry on Crompton Moor above Oldham. None of these lie on the doorstep, but each makes a good excuse to get out of the city for the day.
Here are eight waterfalls for a day trip from Liverpool.
Dyserth Waterfall
Photo: Chris Downer via Geograph.org.uk
Dyserth Waterfall drops right behind the car park in the village of Dyserth in Denbighshire, one of the easiest falls to reach anywhere in north Wales. A short walk and a bridge bring you to the foot of the fall, which comes down a rock face in a single broad drop of around seventy feet.
Steep steps climb alongside it for views from above, and a small cafe and picnic spot sit by the entrance. For a first taste of Welsh waterfalls on a day out from Liverpool, it is hard to beat for ease of access.
Plaspower Waterfall
Photo: Geraint Roberts via Geograph.org.uk
Plaspower Waterfall Half weir, half natural fall, the water slides over a rocky step in the River Clywedog and gathers into pools shallow enough for children to paddle on warm days. It sits deep in Plas Power Woods, a Woodland Trust estate just west of Wrexham, found by following the riverside path in under the trees.
Photographers know the spot well, one of the prettier stops on the Clywedog Valley Trail, with a weir and stepping stones a little further along the same run of river. The woodland stays hushed, and the nearest place to leave the car is Nant Mill.
Hatch Brook Waterfall
Photo: Alan Chadwick via Geograph.org.uk
Hatch Brook Waterfall This one takes a little work to see: you either look down on it from the track above or take a steep scramble to reach the base, which keeps the crowds well away. The fall drops through a wooded ravine on Hatch Brook, above the village of Brinscall in the West Pennine Moors near Chorley in Lancashire.
Its flow swings widely with the weather, a decent cascade after rain and barely a trickle in a dry spell, so time your visit for when the streams are running. Little known even locally, it hides among the Brinscall woods for those happy to seek it out.
Roddlesworth Waterfall
Photo: Mr T via Geograph.org.uk
Roddlesworth Waterfall The ruins of an old house stand among the trees here, part of the wider Roddlesworth and Tockholes plantation, a mixed woodland laid out around a chain of reservoirs and much loved for family walks and dog-walking. The fall itself is a small cascade on the River Roddlesworth, south of Blackburn in Lancashire, ranging from a thin trickle in dry weather to a genuine roar after rain.
A short walk from the road along riverside and woodland paths brings you to it. There are no facilities at the fall, so it makes an easy, low-key woodland outing rather than a stiff hike.
Waulkmill Waterfall
Photo: Hal Westhead via Geograph.org.uk
Waulkmill Waterfall is a small fall on the River Dean in Ingersley Vale, on the northeastern edge of Bollington in Cheshire, below Kerridge Hill at the edge of the Peak District. It is part natural and part industrial: a natural fall with a mill weir built on top, once serving the textile mill at Ingersley Clough.
It sits in woodland of beech, oak and sycamore, reached by a circular walk of a few miles from Bollington. Bluebells and red campion come out here in spring, making it a pretty target for a day trip out toward the Peak.
Fairy Falls Waterfall
Photo: Darren Haddock via Geograph.org.uk
Fairy Falls Waterfall Few waterfalls sit this close to a village centre. In Trefriw, in the Conwy valley of north Wales, the Afon Crafnant slides down a tilted rock face and falls roughly six to eight metres, a short stroll along local paths from the heart of the settlement.
Its power is shared, though: above the fall a pipe draws water away to work the old woollen mill, and in dry weather the cascade can shrink. The walk to see it is brief and pleasant, an easy leg-stretch to work into a longer wander through Trefriw and the villages nearby.
Conwy Tal-y-Bont
Photo: Jonathan Wilkins via Geograph.org.uk
Conwy Tal-y-Bont is a small waterfall on the Afon Dulyn, in the hills above Tal-y-bont in the lower Conwy valley of north Wales. The river drops over rock in a wooded fold of the hillside, reached by a steep lane and a rough path down to a ford across the stream.
This is an out-of-the-way spot rather than a signposted attraction, and it should not be confused with the larger Conwy Falls further south near Betws-y-Coed. For a quiet corner of the valley away from the crowds, it is well worth seeking out on a Welsh day trip.
Pingot Quarry Waterfall
Photo: Bill Boaden via Geograph.org.uk
Pingot Quarry Waterfall When a hard winter locks it into ice, or heavy rain sends it into full spate, photographers make the trek up onto Crompton Moor for this one. A moorland stream pours over the sheer cut face left by quarrymen and falls into the old sandstone workings above Shaw, near Oldham, on the Pennine fringe of Greater Manchester.
The digging stopped in the 1970s, and open-access moor has reclaimed the ground, rough and wide-viewed, laced with walking trails. Nothing waits here in the way of facilities, and the underfoot going turns boggy and awkward, so lace your boots tight.
FAQs
Are there any waterfalls in Liverpool itself?
No, Liverpool has no waterfalls within the city. The nearest, such as Dyserth in Denbighshire, are around 30 kilometres away in north Wales, while others sit in Lancashire and on the Peak District fringes, all reachable on a day trip.
Which waterfall is easiest to reach from Liverpool?
Dyserth Waterfall in north Wales is one of the simplest, dropping right behind a village car park with a cafe and picnic spot by the entrance. Plaspower near Wrexham is another gentle option, reached on a riverside walk through Plas Power Woods.
How far will I need to drive?
Expect a drive of roughly 30 to 64 kilometres from Liverpool. The closest falls lie in north Wales and Lancashire, while the Conwy valley falls and Pingot Quarry above Oldham sit at the far end of the range, out toward the Pennines and the Conwy valley.
Conclusion
Liverpool may not have a waterfall to call its own, but that only makes a day out chasing one feel more of an adventure. West into north Wales you can stand beneath the broad curtain at Dyserth or find Fairy Falls tucked into the village of Trefriw.
North into Lancashire lie the wooded ravines of Hatch Brook and Roddlesworth, while a run east brings the quarry drama of Pingot Quarry above Oldham and the mill weir at Waulkmill near Bollington. Some of these falls are the work of moments from a car park, others a proper walk over open moor, and most run best after rain.
Pick a direction, check the forecast and pack sturdy boots, and these are the waterfalls for a day trip from Liverpool.
