One of UK's best beer garden views on river island that's perfect in sunny weather

A quaint Cheshire pub, perched on its own island with breathtaking waterside views all around, is one of the most enviable locations when the sun is out.

The Ferry Tavern, located in Penketh, Warrington, enjoys a unique spot nestled between the River Mersey and the Sankey St Helen's Canal.

Occupying its own strip of island, the award-winning cask ale pub features a sprawling beer garden complete with benches. On sunny days, visitors also sprawl along the grassy riverbank to bask in the picturesque views.

If you're fortunate, you might even catch sight of a seal or a porpoise frolicking in the waters.

Recent sightings have sparked excitement on social media - but timing is key, with high tide usually offering the best chance to spot them, reports .

The pub sits on an island strip created at Fiddlers Ferry when the Sankey Canal was inaugurated in 1762, marking the dawn of the industrial age's first canal.

Opening its doors in the same year, the pub has been quenching the thirst of weary travellers for over 260 years.

For the past two decades, The Ferry Tavern has been managed by Andy Mulholland and his wife Jade. The family connection runs deeper, as Jade spent her childhood in the pub after her parents took over the establishment in 1992.

They were honoured to be named CAMRA's Pub of the Year for North Cheshire in 2023, and have consistently featured in the guide for the past quarter-century.

The pub is renowned for its ever-rotating selection of cask ales, with seven to eight varieties available at any given time, priced at £4 per pint.

However, it's not just the drinks that draw in the crowds. Their "Foodie Fridays" are a hit, featuring an array of food vans serving up everything from pizza and fish and chips to Greek mezze and dim sum every week.

With the recent spell of sunny weather, the pub has seen a surge in patrons, and according to Andy, they're gearing up for a bustling period leading up to Easter.

Andy says: "It's like a solar-powered pub! When the sun shines, we get good business."

He adds: "Because we are right by the river, you feel like you could be anywhere when the sun is shining.

"In the summer, we've got 20 benches, and people sit all along the river bank as well, so we can get hundreds of people out on the garden. On a hot sunny day, it's packed.

"In the winter, we're a bit more out of the way because it's a walk from the car park over the canal to get to us, so it's maybe not as appealing in the winter months - although we do have real fires in the pub."

Andy, 47, and Jade, 42, who are parents to Charlie, 11, and Jack, 4, are among those who enjoy spotting seals when they appear. However, Andy cautions visitors not to expect a guaranteed seal sighting during their visit!

Andy says: "The seals do come down the estuary, the Mersey has been getting cleaner and cleaner, so they have been getting quite frequent. They seem to just come in when the tides come in.

"They can hang around for days, the very first time we saw a seal it stayed down here for a few days and it became quite an attraction - we had loads of people coming down to see it.

"The porpoises are less frequent, but if any pass the pub you can guarantee a video of it will pop up on social media, we're always getting tagged in. It's great for us as a business."

Regarding questions about the pub's location, which some doubt classifies it as an island due to its position between an artificial waterway (the canal) and a natural estuary, Andy has a clear answer: "You have to cross the water to get to us! Whether it's a canal at the back or river at the front, we're definitely on an island!

"We have no gas mains or water mains - we have a septic tank here and Calor Gas, so yes, we're pretty much on an island!"

The journey to the pub involves navigating a narrow lane up to a car park, followed by crossing over a railway level crossing and a bridge spanning the canal.

A well-trodden route, the popular canal path runs adjacent to the pub, attracting many cyclists and walkers who are traversing the Trans Pennine trail.

Having taken over the establishment from Jade's parents in 2005, the couple have since delved into the historical timeline of their business, successfully mapping out every licensee dating back to 1762.

Andy says, "The history is incredible here. This used to be the main crossing for the River Mersey, and it's called The Ferry because the original licensee in 1762 was the ferryman.

"It opened the same year as the canal, so it was obviously someone business-savvy, as it would have been a hive of activity for cargo unloading down here with lots of thirsty workers.

"It's also believed that this was the point where Oliver Cromwell crossed over - it was stated that he stayed at an inn on the river, and as far as we know, this is the only place it could be."

Not just steeped in history, the pub also throws its own music bash, GlastonFerry, come July, and they're gearing up for another round in September.

Plus, if you time your trip to this charming boozer just right, the wide-open horizon might allow you to catch one of those breathtaking sunsets.