Southport UK Accommodation

The endless flat sands of beautiful Blue Flag Ainsdale Beach, Sefton Coast

The distinctive pine forests at Formby Point, home to the Red Squirrels

Red Squirrel spotting on the designated Squirrel loop walk at Formby Point

Antony Gormley's 'Another Place' at Crosby Beach, Sefton Coast

Sefton Coast Red Squirrels Nature Reserves Beaches Crosby Formby Southport UK

The beautiful Sefton Coast, which includes the coastal towns of Ainsdale, Crosby, Formby and Southport, is one of the largest areas of undeveloped dune systems in England. This stretch of the North West Coastline is renowned for its stunning sandy beaches, tidal estuaries, coastal marshes, pine woodlands, heathland and scrub, peat moss lands and wetlands. All this makes it prime bird-watching and coastal walking territory!

Just south of Southport, Ainsdale-on-sea is a mecca for kite surfers and Ainsdale's beautiful sandy beach is a Blue Flag award winner. Pushing further south on the Sefton coast both Formby and Crosby boast a huge selection of nature reserves with the distinctive sand dunes and pine woods at Formby, home to the Red Squirrels in the National Trust run reserve here. Crosby's huge marine lake is popular for watersports and a centre for wintering wildfowl whilst inland wetlands centre Martin Mere is a top family visitor attraction in the area with on-site wildfowl nursery, mere, beaver enclosure and superb kids playground. Excellent public transport links run from both Southport and Liverpool city centre to the Sefton Coast.

Sefton Coast Beaches Kite Surfing, Reserves & Trails

The stunning Sefton coast boasts the best of the North West's beaches. One of the UK's top 10 beaches sits on the Sefton coast - Ainsdale-on-sea just to the south of Southport holds the coverted Blue Flag beach award. Other Sefton Coast beaches at Southport and Formby are past ENCAMS Seaside award winners. Full lifeguard service operates on Ainsdale's main bathing beach. Ainsdale is also one of the UK's top beaches for kite surfing and is actively promoted as 'Kite Beach'. Checkout the weblinks right for the Ainsdale Kitesurf Club and Kitesurfing training from Airforce who are recommended by the British Kite Surfing Association.

Distinctive for its stunning beaches, sand dunes, pine woods - home to the Red Squirrels and a huge choice of nature reserves and RSPB birdwatching centres, the Sefton Coast stretches for over 22 miles incorporating popular seaside hotspots at Crosby, Formby and the largest seaside mecca Southport.

The largest area of undeveloped dunes in the UK is here on the Sefton Coast making it particularly special. A good place to start your exploration of this unique coastline is the new Ainsdale Discovery Centre open in the Summer only and situated just off the beach. Here you'll find displays on local wildlife and history and close to the centre within walking distance are Sands Lake, Ainsdale Sandhills Local Nature Reserve and Birkdale Sandhills Local Nature Reserve.

Nature Reserves and RSPB Centres are dotted along the Sefton coast including Marshside to the north of Southport bordering the Ribble Estuary (see the RSPB weblink right for details). Birkdale Beach and Dunes and the Ainsdale Sandhills National Nature Reserve all sit around the Ainsdale Discovery Centre, and to the south Formby Point and the Formby stretch is managed by the National Trust. It's here at Formby that the Red Squirrels are most easily seen. In the Crosby area a large Marine Lake and marsh surrounded by stunning dunes, grassland and trees is to the north of Seaforth. This lake is a haven for wintering wildfowl and serves as stopping off point for the Spring Passage of rare Little Gulls. The main location of wintering wildfowl in this area however is Martin Mere situated about 20 minutes inland from the Southport coast. Coastal walking in the area is made easy by a choice of trails including the Sefton Coastal Path and major national trail the Trans Pennine Trail which skirts down the Sefton Coast from Southport. Further cycle routes are around Crosby. For comprehensive details and maps for trails, paths and nature reserves in the area look to the Sefton Natural Coast webguide link right.

Formby, Formby Point & The Red Squirrels (NT)

There's a rather rare population of Red Squirrels not just in Formby, but all the way up from Crosby to Southport. The squirrels are a protected species and are thought to have migrated northwards from Formby via forest networks. The Formby Red Squirrels most probably originated from Eastern Europe, and were brought over in the 1940s. The Corsican Pine, planted in the sand dunes in the 1930s by local farmers to stabilise the sand, are particularly preferable to the Red Squirrels who thrive here.

Formby Point Reservation is run by the National Trust (see webguide right for details). As well as pine forests and the red squirrels, Formby and Formby Point boasts a spectacular sandy beach coastline with the distinctive dunes. From Freshfield Station in Formby, the stunning Fisherman's Path walking trail pushes through woodland and dunes to the beach. Alternatively the Lifeboat Road offers access to the beach from Formby. For maps see the Sefton Coast Guide weblink right. Just south of Formby close to the beach sit the Ravenmeols and Cabin Hill Nature Reserves.

Formby Squirrel Reserve, Victoria Road, Freshfield, Formby, Southport L37 1LJ T: 01704 878 591.

Crosby Coastal Park & Antony Gormley's 'Another Place'

Crosby is just a short drive north of Liverpool, and here sits the spectacular Crosby Coastal Park with a huge marine lake covering 900ha. The lake is both a popular spot for watersports and a haven for wintering wildfowl.

The Crosby stretch is a walking and birdwatching hotspot, affording spectacular views across to the Wirral Peninsula and ship traffic pushing into the Mersey. Crosby beach has been made all the more popular in recent times by what locals refer to as the Gormleys - officially The 'Another Place' figures, essentially 100 mammoth cast iron life size figures dotted around 3 km of the Crosby foreshore. The artist - Antony Gormley is famed for his 'Angel of the North' - and the figures here at Crosby bear a resemblance to that iconic sculpture.

Thought to be only temporary, the Gormleys have moved around a bit before they came to Crosby having previously been in Cuxhaven Germany and Stavanger in Norway and another site in Beligium. Rare barnacles are already settling on the iron structures which would make it rather a shame if they moved. The tide plays as much a part in this artwork as the figures, as it daily submerges them to great effect. Not to be missed (perhaps quickly before it moves on), 'Another Place' is easily reached from Liverpool City Centre for daytrips via train and bus services (see the Mersey Travel weblink right for details and timetables). The Northern Line Train Services from Liverpool Centre stops at Blundellsands & Crosby, Formby, Ainsdale and on to Southport.

Important to note is that Crosby isn't a bathing beach and the tides can come in pretty fast here so be aware if out walking.

Martin Mere Wildfowl & Wetlands Centre (WWT)

Martin Mere Wetland Centre is home to over 100 rare species of ducks, geese flamingos and swans, and sits just inland from Southport. Catering very well for families, within this conservation complex is an on-site visitor centre, Waterfowl nursery and garden, Beaver enclosure and Children's Playground. The reserve and these wonderful wetlands cover 150 hectares and are home to, for example, Pink-footed Geese, Whooper and Bewick's Swans.

Early summer is always a big favourite at the Wetlands Centre as this is when 'fluffy ducklings' and 'downy goslings' step out into the unknown. You can also take tours in the Waterfowl Nursery. A brilliant and informative day out for all the family. Checkout the interactive map via the WWT Martin Mere weblink below.

Martin Mere Wildfowl & Wetlands Centre, Fish Lane, Burscough, Lancashire L40 0TA, T. 01704 895181, www.wwt.org.uk

Click Search

Tourist Information

Internet Links

Home Top