Your First Visit to the National Trust at Formby: What to Expect

The National Trust site at Formby is one of the best half-day visits on the Sefton Coast. Red squirrels in the pinewoods, a wide sandy beach, sand dunes, and a coastal path with views all the way to Wales on a clear day. The first time I took my eldest there she was six and we spent four hours without running out of things to look at.

But I have heard from people who drove up, could not work out the parking, left, and wrote it off. That is avoidable. Here is what you actually need to know.

Parking: Book Before You Leave

The car park is on Victoria Road, Formby (L37 1YH). In July on any day with reasonable weather, it fills before 10am on weekends and by late morning on weekdays. Do not assume you can turn up and find a space.

Book via the National Trust app before you set off. It costs around £7 for the day for non-members. NT members park free. Download the app at home where the Wi-Fi works: the signal in the car park lane is not reliable and trying to book while queuing in your car is not the experience you want.

If you arrive and the car park is full, there is no organised overflow. You are looking at parking on residential streets further away and walking. It is walkable but annoying. Go early or book ahead.

What Is Actually There

From the car park you have three main options: the red squirrel trail through the pinewoods, the path to the beach through the dunes, or the coastal path walking north or south. Most first-time visitors do the squirrel trail first and then walk to the beach. That is the right order.

The squirrel trail is a marked circular route through the pinewoods. It takes about 45 minutes at a relaxed pace. The squirrels are red squirrels: a genuinely rare thing in England. Formby is one of the strongholds for the species in the north west because the grey squirrels that have displaced red squirrels elsewhere have not established in the pinewoods here.

From the squirrel trail it is a 10 to 15 minute walk through the dunes to reach the open beach. The path is sandy and winds through the dune system. Take it slowly and look at the dune plants. There is sea holly in July, the distinctive electric-blue spiky plant, and the dunes are worth noticing in their own right rather than just rushing through to reach the sand.

Red Squirrel Sightings in July

July is not the best month for red squirrel sightings. The peak is September through February when food is scarcer and the squirrels spend more time on the ground at the feeding stations. In summer they are higher in the canopy and more spread out.

You can still see them in July, particularly early in the morning on the squirrel trail. Go before 9:30am for the best odds. Bring binoculars if you have them. Look up into the pine canopy, not just at ground level. Listen for the sound of pine cones being worked apart, which is often the first indication a squirrel is nearby.

Be honest with yourself if you are bringing children. If the main goal is a guaranteed squirrel sighting, September or October is the better bet. If the goal is a good day out with a squirrel sighting as a possible bonus, July is fine.

The Cafe and Food

The NT cafe is in the car park building. It does coffee, sandwiches, cake, and light lunches. It is not cheap but it is consistently decent and the outdoor seating area is pleasant on a good day. In peak July it has queues from about 11am. Get there before noon or after 2pm.

For a proper sit-down meal, Formby village is a 10-minute drive. Left Bank Brasserie is the best option. Book ahead at weekends.

What to Bring

Layers. The pinewoods are sheltered but the beach is exposed and the wind off the Irish Sea is consistent even in July. Trainers or walking shoes rather than flip flops: the sandy paths are fine in most footwear but flip flops in the dunes are more effort than they are worth. Suncream: you are outdoors for most of the visit with significant sections of open sky exposure.

If you have small children: a carrier or backpack for the youngest because the sandy paths are not great for pushchairs. The NT does have a accessible path to the beach but it is limited.