I UNFORTUNATELY LOST MY MOBILE PHONE ON SOUTHPORT'S SANDS THIS MORNING. HUGE THANKS GO TO LESLIE FOR FINDING IT AND ENSURING IT WAS RETURNED TO ME.
Southport Marshside, a large RSPB reserve, is accessible from Marine Drive, the coastal road to the North of Southport. There is some limited access for dogs but check the maps posted on boards in the area and obviously make sure your dog is under control if he/she has a tendency to chase birds!
Our favourite walk round here starts from the car park next to the Sand Works. It would be hard to describe it as a dog friendly beach walk but it does lead out to the sands and is a good walk for clearing the cobwebs! From the car park you can see the "road" leading from the sand works way out onto the sandbanks off Southport. On some days you'll see the huge dumper truck and excavator making their way to and from a far off point where the excavations take place. I wouldn't recommend attempting to follow them to their final destination but you can walk to the edge of the sands quite safely and the whole route gives your dog the chance to have a good, if wet and muddy, run round. The tide comes in quickly around here so be careful or you could easily become stranded. You should also keep to the marked track to avoid dangerous soft sand.
The "road" leads out past coastal grassland and pools. Assuming your dog hasn't scared them all off, you can expect to see thousands of wintering waterfowl from September to May. Breeding birds include avocets, lapwings and redshanks (April to July).
Click here for a Google map / image
Click here for information on the RSPB reserve
Doggy rating 5/10
Keep safe!
You are responsible for your own safety and that of your dog. The walks listed in this blog are not detailed guides. Plan your route! Click the landrover image for safety advice from Bowland Pennine MRT.
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4 comments:
have you tried the public walk from the Royal Birkdale golf club
From the big white round house and hillside station drive onto the royal Birkdale golf course access road heading towards the club house but veer left half way along and follow this road past the clubhouse to a 5 bar gate park anywhere here its public parking.
go through the gate and take the central path through the dunes - these are mature inland old dunes and provide any dog and owner with fantastic walk there are copses , small lakes and a variety of paths - you cant get lost as it is a long straight piece of land - boarded by the coastal road on one side and the Birkdale and Ainsdale golf courses on the others. give it a try it is a secret walk that only dog owners know about!! - Also have you tried Fairy glen at Parbold ?
jamesbevis@yahoo.co.uk
Thanks Jim. We did try Fairly Glen a few weeks ago but the weather was terrible so we decided to go somewhere drier instead. It's on the list of places to revisit! Royal Birkdale sounds great. We'll give it a go over the next few weeks.
Very useful blog! Down here in East Anglia the good doggy walks are a bit few and far between as the barley barrons have turned vast areas into prairies.
We get up to Lancaster quite often so will try one of your walks when we next get up. Did Wansfell Pike-Ambleside-Troutbeck at Christmas but it was a washout!
The iron men on Crosby marine beach is safe for dogs to run till their hearts content, as the sea wall is high. Just be mindful of the steps!
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