Today it was about walking in the sun along the beach and back through the unique dunes and forest environment.
6.3084 miles in total, you can view the route taken at...
For those of you who haven't walked the coastal path it starts from the northern outskirts of Liverpool and passes through dunes, marshes and the towns of Southport and Crosby. It also passes the Ainsdale Nature and Formby National Trust Reserves.
Sefton’s Natural Coast, as it is now known, is the largest undeveloped dune system in England, extending from Southport and the Ribble Estuary to Seaforth at the mouth of the River Mersey.
Today we started and ended at Formby National Trust Reserve.
Making our way from the car park, just past where non-members pay their £5 to park, we headed through pine woodlands towards the beach.
At one of the turns Chris played the wooden chimes...
we both completed a "balance path", looked at a woodpecker carving...
and peered through a "mounted magnifying glass" at some bracken fronds.
Arriving at the beach, after climbing over the dunes...
...we were drawn to the shore.
For once we didn't have our "Who can find the longest razor shell?" competition but, in places, you couldn't avoid them. There must be another use for them.
After 3 miles we cut up through the dunes and on to a number of different coloured path routes; from memory we walked part of the red, blue, black, white, purple, and the Coastal path routes.Through coastal marshes, pine woodlands, heathery heathland and in, out and over dunes.
All in all a thoroughly enjoyable walk in the sunshine. Even if you don't replicate the walk, it's an area you should visit if you are in the area.
Oh, by the way, I forgot to mention, on a clear day, there views across the Irish Sea to North Wales, Snowdonia and the Lake District; along with wind farms, gas rigs and more.
