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Date spot in Southport and the Sefton Coast

Ainsdale's dunes and beach

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.

Marram grass on top of the sand dunes at Ainsdale, with the beach and sea beyond under a blue sky

Shore Road, Ainsdale-on-Sea

Shore Road, Ainsdale-on-Sea, Southport PR8 2QB

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.

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Photo: Humphrey Bolton, CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped and resized)

More from our Southport and the Sefton Coast guide

  • One of Antony Gormley's iron figures standing in a pool on the rippled sand of Crosby Beach under a blue sky

    Another Place on Crosby Beach

    Crosby Beach, Crosby

    Crosby Coastal Park, Mariners Road, Crosby L23 6SX

    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.

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    Photo: Neil Theasby, CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped and resized)

  • The Freshfield, a white pub with black-and-white gables, on a street corner under a blue sky

    The Freshfield

    Massams Lane, Freshfield, Formby

    1 Massams Lane, Freshfield, Formby L37 7BD

    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.

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    Photo: Stephen McKay, CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped and resized)

  • Flamingos on the grass by a pond in front of Martin Mere's visitor centre, with its turf roof and white pointed top

    WWT Martin Mere

    Fish Lane, Burscough, half an hour's drive from Southport

    WWT Martin Mere, Fish Lane, Burscough L40 0TA
    • Trip
    • 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.

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    Photo: Chris Denny, CC BY-SA 2.0 (resized)

From our guide to date ideas in Southport and the Sefton Coast

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