The best family-friendly hikes and walks around Halsall

Ainsdale to Southport is a beltin ride, though you need to navigate around the Training Camp, but there's a tarmac path to do so.

On the pier please be aware they have the old train tracks and if you tyre fits in you end up on the floor

Stunning beach all year round

If you don't stop at the roundabout you will miss it

"Southport Pier opened in August 1860, it is the oldest iron pier in the country. Its length of 1,108 m (3,635 ft) makes it the second-longest in Great Britain, after Southend Pier. Although at one time spanning 1,340 m (4,380 ft), a succession of storms and fires during the late 19th and early 20th centuries reduced its length to that of the present day. The pier has been host to famous entertainers, including Charlie Chaplin in the early 20th century. It was visited by steamliners in its heyday, but silting of the channel meant that by the 1920s very few steamers were able to reach the pier, and the service ceased in 1929. The pier fell into disrepair throughout the late 20th century, and by 1990 it was operating at a significant annual loss with rising maintenance costs. The local council sought to have the pier demolished, but were defeated in their attempt by a single vote. The pier was significantly restored during 2000–2002, and opened to the public in May 2002. The Southport Pier Tramway ran from Southport Promenade to the pier head at various times in the pier's history with various rolling stock, most recently until June 2015. The pier is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II listed building, first listed on 18 August 1975." Source: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southport_Pier

Coastline Traces Sefton Coastal Path Sculpture Trail "Artists Sian Hughes and Sarah Jane Richards worked with people from across Sefton to create six sculptures celebrating the cultural, historical and natural diversity of the stunning Sefton Coast. Sian and Sarah Jane worked with over 144 people to develop unique and original artwork for each of the sculptures. This project was funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund. All six sculptures are now fully installed and placed along the coast. You can see the finished pieces, their location, the inspiration behind them and the journey from concept to creation on the website www.coastlinetraces2015.wordpress.com or on the face book page www.facebook.com/seftoncoastsculpturetrail2015" Source: https://www.artinliverpool.com/news/news-archive/coastline-traces-sefton-coastal-path-sculpture-trail/

"This sculpture commemorates two double transatlantic flights in the early days of aviation undertaken by the pilot Dick Merrill, via Southport. The Lady Peace ‘Ping Pong’ Flight In 1936, Dick Merrill was looking to do a double transatlantic flight. The object was to fly from New York to England and then back again. He teamed up with a famous broadway entertainer called Harry Richman. Richman not only owned a plane capable of doing this feat, but was prepared to finance the journey to the tune of $360,000, a huge sum in those days. His aircraft was a specially modified monoplane Vultee V-1A, which he named the Lady Peace. However, part of its modifications involved the installation of 41,000 table tennis balls in the wings and tail which supposedly would help with buoyancy if the plane landed in water. This led the press to dub it the ‘Ping Pong Flight’. After making it successfully from New York to Wales, the plane then flew on to London. But the return trip was to prove a problem – they needed a really long runway in order to take off, as they would be carrying a lot of fuel. The largest runway in the country at the time was at Liverpool’s Speke airport, but this was deemed too short.  The solution lay relatively nearby though; the stretch of beach from Ainsdale to Birkdale was deemed ideal. At 3am on the 14th September 1936, on a makeshift runway lit by flares, the plane ran along nearly a mile of beach before successfully taking off. Bad winds and an accidental loss of fuel on the way over the Atlantic meant that they were forced to land 100 miles north of St John, Newfoundland. A week later they finished their trip and arrived in  New York. The Coronation Flight Just eight months later, Dick Merrill was hired to do the same double Atlantic trip again. The abdication of Edward VIII meant there would be a coronation of a new king, George VI, on May 10th 1937. The American press baron, William Randolph Hearst, wanted pictures in his papers before his competitors got them, and this led two Wall Street brokers, knowing of Merrill’s previous flight, to engage him to deliver the goods." Source: https://lancashirepast.com/2018/08/18/early-transatlantic-flights-via-southport/

"Award-winning street artist Paul Curtis created his largest ever mural to date – thought also to be the largest painting created by a single artist in the UK – transforming Ainsdale’s Toad Hall. Sefton Council’s Green Sefton Service commissioned Paul to carry out the work as part of its plans to invest in and develop the Ainsdale-on-Sea coastal area. Paul used 330 litres of paint, 42 spray paint cans and spent 360 hours, through rain and sunshine, creating the incredible scene across the exterior of the building. Depicting the environmentally important Ainsdale dunes, it features not just one, but two sand lizards taking pride of place across the design." Source: https://mysefton.co.uk/2021/09/27/street-artist-paul-curtis-completes-gigantic-transformation-of-ainsdales-toad-hall/