Every local has a preferred month for Formby. Mine is May. Not July, when it's rammed. Not October, when it's beautiful but cold. May: when the beach is quiet, the pinewoods are properly green, the red squirrels are out before the summer crowds arrive, and the natterjack toads are calling on warm evenings. Here's what makes it worth timing your visit for.
The Beach in May
May is post-Easter, pre-summer. The school holiday crowds haven't arrived yet. On a weekday in May, Formby Beach can feel like your own private beach — wide, flat, the dunes greenish-gold with new marram grass, the Irish Sea doing whatever it likes. I've walked the full length of the beach in May and counted fewer than 30 people. In August that same walk would put you past several thousand.
The weather in May is genuinely better than August on average. That sounds counterintuitive. But May gets more sunshine hours and less rain than the summer months in the northwest, and the wind — always present on the coast — is warmer. You'll still need a layer, but you're not piling on waterproofs.
📍Formby Beach postcode: L37 1YH (National Trust car park, Formby). Book parking through the NT app in advance at peak weekends.
The Pinewoods in May
If you're going to visit the pinewoods once, visit in May. The understorey is at its greenest. There's still wild garlic in the lower woodland if you go early in the month. The light through the Scots pines on a clear morning is one of those things that's hard to describe without sounding like a brochure, so I'll just say: it's worth arriving before 9am if you want the best of it.
The trails are clear and dry in May. The ground doesn't churn up the way it does in November. You can walk in trainers rather than full waterproofs. This matters more than you think when you're also managing children.
Red Squirrels in May
May is one of the most active months for the red squirrels. The breeding season has ended, the young of the year are beginning to emerge, and the adults are busy foraging ahead of summer. You'll see more movement in May than in mid-summer when the canopy closes and the squirrels move higher into the trees.
Early morning is always best — before 10am the squirrels are most active. Walk slowly. Don't let children run ahead. The squirrels at Formby are used to people but they're not tame. Stand still for a few minutes in the right area and they'll carry on as if you're not there.
The Natterjack Toads
This is the thing most visitors don't know about. May is the peak of the natterjack toad calling season at Ainsdale NNR, just south of Formby. The males call at dusk on warm evenings from the dune slack pools — a loud, dry churring sound that carries for several hundred metres. It's completely unlike anything else you'll hear in the British countryside.
You can sometimes hear them from the car park on Shore Road on a warm May evening. The Natterjack Toad is Britain's rarest amphibian, and the Sefton Coast is one of its last significant strongholds. Worth knowing about.
What to Do on a May Day in Formby
- →Morning: early start at the National Trust red squirrel trail. Before 9am if possible. Car park at L37 1YH.
- →Mid-morning: walk through the pinewoods to the beach. The transition from pine shade to open dune is one of the better short walks in the northwest.
- →Lunch: back to Formby village. Left Bank Brasserie if you want a proper meal. The NT cafe if you want something quick and don't mind the queue.
- →Afternoon: beach. Low tide is the time to walk the full length. Check tide tables before you go.
- →Evening (warm nights): head toward Ainsdale NNR after 8pm and listen for the natterjack toads. You don't need to go far from the road.
Parking in May
The National Trust car park gets busy at weekends in May but is rarely at full capacity before 10am. During the week it's easy. Book through the NT app if you're coming on a bank holiday weekend to be safe. There's also parking on Shore Road for Ainsdale if you're combining both.
Full guide to visiting Formby Beach — postcode, parking costs, dog rules and what to bring:
Formby Beach Complete Guide →
Clare has lived in Formby for over fifteen years. Mum of four, she knows every trail, tide time, and family-friendly spot on the Sefton Coast: and isn't shy about telling you which ones aren't worth the bother. She writes for FormbyGuide to share the kind of honest, practical tips you'd only get from someone who actually lives here.
All tips are based on Clare's personal experience: no sponsored content, no fluff.
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