Dote

Date spot in Southport and the Sefton Coast

Another Place on Crosby Beach

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.

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

Crosby Beach, Crosby

Crosby Coastal Park, Mariners Road, Crosby L23 6SX

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.

Add to Dote

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

More from our Southport and the Sefton Coast guide

  • 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.

    Add to DoteBookDirections

    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.

    Add to DoteBookDirections

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

  • Red-brick and white Victorian buildings above shop fronts on Lord Street, with a long canopy over the pavement

    Lord Street and Wayfarers Arcade

    Lord Street, town centre

    Wayfarers Arcade, Lord Street, Southport PR8 1NT

    Stroll 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.

    Add to DoteDirections

    Photo: Steven Haslington, CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped and resized)

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

Run this place? Claim it on Dote for Venues