Wonderful walks for autumn: Woods, sand dunes and famous red squirrels in Formby

In the third of our series of six walks, picked for TravelMail by the National Trust, we take a stroll through Formby, perched on the coast just north of Liverpool, where red squirrels are making a delightful comeback.

Red squirrel

Local redheads: Rare red squirrels can be spotted on walks at Formby

'Red squirrels were once the only squirrel species in Europe,' explains Joanne Hodgkins,a Wildlife and Countryside Advisor for the National Trust.

'They are found in both coniferous and broad-leaved woodland, eating the seeds of trees, such as pine and beech, nuts such as hazelnuts, berries, young shoots, and occasionally bird eggs. They will strip a pine cone to get at the seeds much like we might eat corn on the cob!'

But things changed when grey squirrels were introduced from America to the UK in the late 1800s.  Reds suffer competitive exclusion by greys - a species better adapted to conditions in the now fragmented British woodland and one better able to digest oak acorns, often in plentiful supply.

Reds also catch a disease – squirrel pox virus - that the greys brought with them, and to which reds appear to have little immunity, with fatal results.

'Grey squirrels have replaced reds throughout most of England and Wales,' says Ms Hodgkins.

'Reds are now protected and largely confined to Scotland and Ireland, although isolated populations persist in northern England in areas where greys have not yet established themselves, such as at the Trust’s Formby coastal property and in southern England, largely on islands where greys don’t occur, such as on the Trust’s Brownsea Island reserve and on the Isle of Wight.'

Sand dunes at Formby Point

Sea the sights: Woodlands lead down to dramatic sand dunes at Formby Point

What's the attraction?

Formby’s red squirrels have made a healthy resurgence over the last couple of years. The local population took a nose dive back in 2008 due to an outbreak of squirrel pox virus, falling to just 10 per cent of the earlier population levels.

Now the prospects are much brighter with 80 per cent recovery and daily feedback to rangers from delighted visitors to the Formby pinewoods.

To celebrate the reds’ resurgence, there is a new Formby Red Squirrel Walk which can be downloaded at www.nationaltrust.org.uk/formby/things-to-see-and-do/.   

What to see?

The walk is a great route to discover some of the contrasting woodlands at Formby. It also takes you through grasslands, pinewoods and past sand dunes and there is the chance to spot Natterjack toads.

But by far the highlight of the walk are the area's famous local redheads. Rare red squirrels dart through the trees and the National Trust even produces information on how to increase your chances of seeing one. 

Walk details

Grade: Easy

Distance: 1.8 miles

Time required: 1 hour

Walk instructions

Start: The main notice board opposite the toilets

End: The same spot


2. Turn left at the T-junction and follow Cornerstone path for a short distance before the path forks. Here leave Cornerstone path and take the left hand fork, following the path as it bends into a picnic area. Continue through the picnic area and up a ramp back to the road. 

Pinewoods at Formby Point

Evergreen: Pinewoods make up just some of the woodlands at Formby

3. Cross the road into another picnic area and take the right of 2 paths heading down a ramp into the woodland. Continue through the woods until the path reaches a fork marked by a waymarker (yellow arrow on a grey background). 

4. Take the path on the left which will lead you out of the woodland, past some wooden bollards, into an area of open dune grassland. Follow the path as it turns right, passing a bench, to a T-junction. At this junction turn left and follow the path with the sand dunes on your right and the fields on your left.

5. Continue to follow this well defined path as it enters an area with open woodland on your right and an enclosed pine plantation on your left.

6. At the end of the enclosed pine plantation the path forks, take the right fork to continue through the pine woodlands with an agricultural field on your left. Follow the path as it leaves the woodland and curves to the left. At a junction where the Sefton Coastal Path breaks off to the right, keep straight ahead and after a short distance you will reach a road.

7. At the road turn left and continue for approximately 0.25 mile until you can see a litter bin just into the woodland on the left hand side. Turn left in to the woodland on the path just before the bin and follow this path along and down into a dip. In the dip the path forks, take the left fork up a short steep slope before following the path as it descends into an open grassy area.

8. Cross straight across the open area and ascend a short steep slope on a well defined path back into the woodland. Continue along this path until you reach a crossroads with a bench on your right. Turn left to go down a slope on a wide path that after a short distance becomes a boardwalk.

9. Follow this boardwalk as it curves round to the right. At the end of the boardwalk there is a path T-junction. Turn right to follow a broad fenced path up a slope. After a short distance there is a fenced path off to the left, take this path to return to the walk start.

For more information about Formby, visit www.nationaltrust.org.uk/home/item247791/.

The National Trust is encouraging Britons to share their favourite walks. The Great British Walk runs until November 4 and there are over 4000 walking events at more than 300 National Trust locations - visit www.nationaltrust.org.uk/greatbritishwalk for more information.