Escape the City at Formby Beach and Woodlands

If you’re looking to escape the city and connect with nature around Liverpool, then there’s no better place than Formby Beach. Formby is a costal paradise for people and haven for an abundance of wildlife, only a short journey from Liverpool city centre – feel the fresh, breezy air as you enjoy a relaxed walk along the beach, the dunes and through the tranquil woodlands.

Where can I find beaches in North West?

Just under a 40 minute drive from Liverpool is Formby - this National Trust site is home to beautiful stretches of beaches, woodlands and rare wildlife. Freshfield station and Formby road station are only a 20 minute walk away, or follow the brown National Trust 'Formby Point' sings off the A565.

This National Trust site is home to a range of beautiful landscapes to explore that makes for a fantastic family day out. It’s most popular feature are the miles of glorious beaches – the perfect place for to take your dog for a walk, a picnic with family and friends, or just for relaxing on a nice day. From the high dunes, you’ll get spectacular views across the Irish Sea, and even as far as the mountains of Cumbria on a clear day! The beaches also hide an unexpected, prehistoric past, going back as far as 6000BC! Lookout for the footprints of our hunter-gatherer ancestors and the animals they hunted.

You can also take a peaceful stroll through the pine woodlands, home to one of the few populations of Britain’s rare red squirrel. The Formby red squirrel trail will take you this nature haven and the historic asparagus fields, where you can see traces of Formby’s rich farming history and it’s modern cultivation. This isn’t the only chance you’ll get to see rare wildlife, too – the dunes are home to one of the largest remaining populations of the Natterjack toad, making their appearance in breeding season from April to July with their incredible mating song.

There are plenty of choices when it comes to routes to take. Lifeboat road is a great introduction to Formby, with stretches of golden sand beaches to relax on, high dunes to afford fantastic views, and sections of pine woodlands where you might catch a red squirrel or two! South towards will take you more off the beaten path to Ravenmeols Sandhills, where you’ll find more stunning beaches and hidden woodlands.

  • Download a guide to identifying the ancient footprints on this page.
  • Find a selection of detailed walking routes here.
  • Click here to see guidelines for dog walking.
  • Victoria Road car park and Lifeboat Road car park are subject to pay and display.
  • See this page for detailed directions to Formby, on the ‘how to get here’ section.

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