North West England
Date ideas in Southport and the Sefton Coast
Updated
Southport is a proper Victorian seaside town, with a grand boulevard of glass canopies, parks and gardens laid out for promenading, and a beach so wide the sea is often a rumour on the horizon. South of it, the Sefton Coast runs past Birkdale and Ainsdale to the pinewoods and dunes of Formby and on to Crosby. A lot of the best dates here are free and outdoors, plenty welcome the dog, and there are enough cosy corners for when the wind gets up off the Irish Sea. These are our picks.
Our picks in Southport and the Sefton Coast
Lord Street and Wayfarers Arcade
Lord Street, town centre
Address: Wayfarers Arcade, Lord Street, Southport PR8 1NTStroll Southport's grand Victorian boulevard under its long glass-and-iron verandas, then duck into Wayfarers Arcade, a glass-roofed shopping arcade from the 1890s.
Why it's a good date: The canopies were built to keep shoppers dry, so it's a walk that works in any weather. Look up as you go: the buildings above the shops are the best part, and the gardens across the road are made for a sit-down.
Photo: Steven Haslington, CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped and resized)
The Atkinson
Lord Street, town centre
Address: The Atkinson, Lord Street, Southport PR8 1DB- Culture
- Rain-proof ☔
- Free
Wander the free museum and art gallery in the Atkinson, from Southport's own history to its Ancient Egypt collection, and check what's on in its theatre.
Why it's a good date: The town's arts centre packs a lot under one clock tower, and the galleries cost nothing. Make a day of it with a show in the evening. It's closed on Sundays, so go on a weekday or a Saturday.
Photo: Jeff Buck, CC BY-SA 2.0 (resized)
King's Gardens and Marine Lake
The Promenade, by the pier
Address: King's Gardens, Promenade, Southport PR8 1QX- Outdoors
- Free
- Dog friendly
- Best in Spring, Summer, Autumn
- Romantic
Walk the restored seafront gardens between the promenade and Marine Lake, across the Venetian-style bridge and round the water.
Why it's a good date: Old-fashioned seaside at its best: flower beds, shelters to sit in, a café, and the lake glittering in the evening. Dogs can come off the lead on most of the lawns, but not in the playground or on the bowling green.
Photo: Jeff Buck, CC BY-SA 2.0 (resized)
Southport beach at sunset
Marine Drive, by the pier
Address: Marine Drive, Southport PR8 1SB- Outdoors
- Free
- Dog friendly
- Romantic
Walk out across the huge flat sands beyond the pier and watch the sun go down over the Irish Sea.
Why it's a good date: The tide goes out a very long way, so you get a whole sky to yourselves. The pier is shut while it's restored, so stick to the sand. Dogs are welcome, apart from 1 May to 30 September, when the stretch from the pier south towards Adventure Coast is dog-free.
Photo: Peter McDermott, CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped and resized)
Hesketh Park
Park Crescent, north of the town centre
Address: Hesketh Park, Park Crescent, Southport PR9 9LF- Outdoors
- Free
- Dog friendly
- Best in Spring, Summer, Autumn
Explore the Victorian park on the north side of town, with its lake, bandstand, rockery and fountains, and an old observatory that volunteers open to visitors.
Why it's a good date: Quieter than the seafront and lovely on a sunny afternoon, with a café for a cuppa. Look out for an open evening at the observatory if you fancy the stars. Dogs can be off the lead in most of the park, on a lead round the lake and play area.
Photo: peter robinson, CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped and resized)
The Botanic Gardens, Churchtown
Bankfield Lane, Churchtown
Address: Botanic Gardens, Bankfield Lane, Churchtown, Southport PR9 7NB- Outdoors
- Free
- Dog friendly
- Best in Spring, Summer, Autumn
Wander the Victorian gardens in the old village of Churchtown, round the lake, the fernery and the bright flower beds.
Why it's a good date: A pretty, peaceful spot a short bus ride from the centre, with a café on site and the village's thatched cottages and old pubs on the doorstep. Dogs can run free over most of the gardens, on a lead by the aviary and fernery.
Photo: Rept0n1x, CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped and resized)
Adventure Coast Southport
Marine Drive, south of the pier
Address: Adventure Coast, Marine Drive, Southport PR8 1RX- Activity
- Outdoors
- Cheap and cheerful
- Dog friendly
- Best in Spring, Summer
- Big night
Spend an evening at the old Pleasureland on the seafront, now Adventure Coast, on the thrill rides and the old-fashioned fairground games.
Why it's a good date: It's free to get in and you only pay for the rides you go on, so it can be as cheap a date as you like. It opens at weekends and in the school holidays from spring to early September. Well-behaved dogs on leads are welcome, though not on the rides.
Photo: Colin Park, CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped and resized)
Silcock's carousel and Funland
Pier Forecourt, the Promenade
Address: Silcock's Funland, Pier Forecourt, Promenade, Southport PR8 1QX- Activity
- Cheap and cheerful
- Rainy day
Ride the Golden Gallopers, a carousel well over a century old, then spend your change in the Funland arcade next door and share fish and chips.
Why it's a good date: Pure seaside silliness for a few pounds. The carousel turns under a canopy and the arcade is indoors, so it's a good shout when the weather turns.
Photo: Chris Heaton, CC BY-SA 2.0 (resized)
The British Lawnmower Museum
Shakespeare Street, south of the town centre
Address: 106-112 Shakespeare Street, Southport PR8 5AJVisit Britain's museum of lawnmowers, in a garden machinery shop on a side street, from Victorian push mowers to the mowers of the rich and famous.
Why it's a good date: Gloriously odd, and somehow more interesting than it has any right to be. It isn't open on Sundays and keeps short hours on Saturdays, so ring ahead before you go.
Photo: Rept0n1x, CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped and resized)
Southport Bijou Cinema
Post Office Avenue, off Lord Street
Address: 8 Post Office Avenue, Southport PR9 0US- Activity
- Rain-proof ☔
- Cheap and cheerful
- Cosy
Catch a film at the little community cinema off Lord Street, run as a not-for-profit, with a bar that opens before each screening.
Why it's a good date: Classics, independent films and world cinema, with no adverts or trailers before the film, and you can take your drink in with you. Book ahead, as it's small.
Cocktails at the Vincent
Lord Street, town centre
Address: 98 Lord Street, Southport PR8 1JR- Bar
- Rain-proof ☔
- Mid-price
- Romantic
- Big night
Dress up a little for cocktails in the bar of the Vincent, a modern hotel on Lord Street, with dinner in its V Café if you're making a night of it.
Why it's a good date: One of Southport's smartest spots for a drink, right on the boulevard, so you can walk under the canopies afterwards.
Bistrot Vérité
Liverpool Road, Birkdale
Address: 7 Liverpool Road, Birkdale, Southport PR8 4AR- Restaurant
- Rain-proof ☔
- A treat
- Foodie
- Romantic
Book dinner at the family-run French bistro in Birkdale village, with a menu that changes daily and a little bar next door for a drink first.
Why it's a good date: Hearty French cooking in a warm, bustling room, and long a fixture in the Michelin Guide. It's closed on Sundays and Mondays and fills up, so book ahead.
Red squirrels and the beach at Formby
Victoria Road, Freshfield, Formby
Address: National Trust Formby, Victoria Road, Freshfield, Formby L37 1LJ- Trip
- Outdoors
- Free
- Dog friendly
- Out of town
Follow the Red Squirrel Walk through the National Trust's pinewoods at Formby, then carry on over the dunes to a huge, wild beach.
Why it's a good date: One of the few places in England where you can still see red squirrels, then a walk on one of the best beaches in the North West. It's a short walk from Freshfield station, which beats the busy car parks and the National Trust's parking charge. Dogs are welcome, on a lead along the squirrel walk.
Photo: Peter from Liverpool, UK, CC BY-SA 2.0 (resized)
Ainsdale's dunes and beach
Shore Road, Ainsdale-on-Sea
Address: Shore Road, Ainsdale-on-Sea, Southport PR8 2QB- Outdoors
- Free
- Dog friendly
- Active
Walk through the dunes at Ainsdale, part of the biggest stretch of sand dunes in England, then out onto the beach for the long stretch back towards Southport or on to Formby.
Why it's a good date: Wild, windswept and nearly always quiet once you're a few minutes from the car park. The dunes are home to natterjack toads and sand lizards, so keep dogs out of the pools and the fenced areas, and from 1 May to 30 September the beach is dog-free for 200 metres either side of the main entrance.
Photo: Humphrey Bolton, CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped and resized)
Another Place on Crosby Beach
Crosby Beach, Crosby
Address: Crosby Coastal Park, Mariners Road, Crosby L23 6SX- Trip
- Outdoors
- Free
- Dog friendly
- Out of town
- Culture
Take the train down the coast to Crosby and walk the beach among Antony Gormley's Another Place, a hundred cast-iron figures gazing out to sea.
Why it's a good date: Haunting at sunset and free all year. Dogs love the space, but keep them away from the flocks of birds resting on the shore, and stay off the soft mud near the figures furthest out: the tide comes in fast.
Photo: Neil Theasby, CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped and resized)
The Freshfield
Massams Lane, Freshfield, Formby
Address: 1 Massams Lane, Freshfield, Formby L37 7BD- Bar
- Rain-proof ☔
- Mid-price
- Dog friendly
- Cosy
- Foodie
Warm up after Formby's pinewoods with a pint and a pub lunch at the Freshfield, a short walk from the station.
Why it's a good date: The natural end to a squirrel walk, and the dog's welcome too. Come in out of the wind, find a table and order something hearty.
Photo: Stephen McKay, CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped and resized)
WWT Martin Mere
Fish Lane, Burscough, half an hour's drive from Southport
Address: WWT Martin Mere, Fish Lane, Burscough L40 0TA- Trip
- Mid-price
- Best in Autumn, Winter
- Outdoors
- Out of town
Head inland to the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust's reserve near Burscough, to watch the birds on the mere from the hides and meet the flamingos.
Why it's a good date: Best from autumn into winter, when tens of thousands of pink-footed geese come in and the swans arrive for the winter. Wrap up, take binoculars, and book online. It's not one for the dog: only assistance dogs are allowed.
Photo: Chris Denny, CC BY-SA 2.0 (resized)
Dates in Southport and the Sefton Coast: quick answers
Can we take the dog on Southport's beaches?
Yes, for most of the year and most of the coast. From 1 May to 30 September, Southport beach is dog-free from the pier south towards Adventure Coast, and Ainsdale beach is dog-free for 200 metres either side of its main entrance. Everywhere, keep dogs away from resting birds and out of the dune pools.
What are good rainy-day dates in Southport?
The Atkinson's free museum and galleries, a film at the Bijou, the British Lawnmower Museum and Silcock's carousel and arcade are all good when it's wet, and you can walk the length of Lord Street under its canopies.
Can we get to Formby and Crosby without a car?
Yes. Merseyrail trains run down the coast from Southport through Birkdale, Ainsdale and Freshfield to Blundellsands & Crosby, and the dunes, the squirrel walk and Crosby Beach are all walkable from those stations.
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