Forest bathing at Formby pinewoods

Behind the dunes at Formby, a belt of pinewood runs between the town and the sea. The National Trust looks after large areas of this coast, and the woods off Victoria Road have been kept as a reserve for red squirrels, still found here, though grey squirrels threaten them. The woods grow on sand, so the ground is soft underfoot, and the trees give some shelter from the wind off the sea.

Victoria Road car park is the one for the woods, and Freshfield station is a short walk away. From there, paths run through the pines and over the dunes to the beach on uneven, sandy ground. Some woodland paths are accessible, and the Lifeboat Road car park has a firm path and boardwalk to the beach. The beach draws the crowds in summer, so stay in the woods if you want quiet. The Trust does conservation work in the woods in autumn and winter, so you may meet thinning work.