Formby Squirrel Reserve

Squirrels rock — red squirrels rock even more! It would just be helpful if on the last 2 visits here I saw more than 1 (i.e we didn’t see a single one on this occasion!) — in fact the ‘squirrel walk’ would be better labelled ‘no squirrel walk’ — but hey I understand it’s difficult to coax these little guys out — but if it worked for the T-​rex in Jurassic park then I’m sure they could get something like a giant nut that could be wheeled out when visitors are in town!
As well as lovely woods, there’s Formby beach which you get access to from here — lovely sand dunes, lovely views and lovely vibes.
You need to be a National trust member to get access to all this (or pay on the day) and it gets super busy — we were lucky and got here about 11am but when we left at 230pm you’re talking queues down the road for miles just to get in — so get there early!

What is this? Big trees? Lovely, lovely trees and lush pine needles caressing the bottom of your feet? You must have stumbled upon the Formby Squirrel Reserve. Admit it we all love Squirrels, and that is why the reserve was made, so we can all enjoy them in the future.

I love this place just as much as I used to love it when I was younger. The excitement of spotting a squirrel running around is just too much. A great place away from the city allowing you to breathe and smell nature. Very picturesque and definitely worth a visit at least once your life time. Very beautiful.

I have some excellent memories of the Squirrel Reserve. I used to come here regularly as a child. We would park up and buy our squirrel nuts and then creep off in search of adorable squirrels to find.
As far as the cute little creatures go, it can be a bit hit and miss. Sometimes you might see no squirrels at all and the next time you will lose count of the number who will trot up to be fed.
As a child I loved this place. It was so exciting to see these lovely creature up close and watch them grab the food and then dash off. This is a great place for families to visit.
This is a fabulous place and long may it remain.

This place consistently makes a great day out. Hop off the train at Freshfield and walk along that exceedingly long road (watch out for bird poo from the trees), saunter past Stevie G’s house, and some delightful pines, and you’ll glimpse a squirrel or two. Alternatively you could just drive there and park in the car park, but that would take the fun out of proceedings!
So there used to be a good abundance of red critters here, but now there’s mostly grey. Apparently some hideous disease killed off most of the fellas. Tragic. And as such I haven’t seen a red once since.
Follow the little paths round the reserve and there’s this little log-​bench at the back, that’s really cute and perfect for eating sandwiches on. And kind of romantic, too, if you’re into pines, and squirrels, and that ‘nature’ smell.
One of my favourite places. Take note that there is almost indefinitely a nearby ice cream van.

If you have a spare few hours one day and the weather is particularly good then it is advisable to get the southport train from Central station to Freshfield. Three quarters of a miles walk from the station is the national trusts red squirrel reserve. This is one of the last refuges for the red squirrel in the UK and is a must see. The squirrel population has been decimated recently by disease so the chances of seeing one is allot worse than it used to be. Visitors are needed urgently to fund the efforts of the national trust to rebuild the population.
Don’t let the lack of squirrels put you off, the woodland itself is a great day out and your just a stones throw from the Beach. There is usually a national trust warden on hand to answer questions and there is always an ice cream van or two to provide light refreshments!
Well worth a visit for families and groups of friends alike!

Okay, so as much as we like to see squirrels darting about, we need to know the truth. Grey squirrels are evil. Red squirrels are nice. Now, I for one am as anthropomorphic as you can get — well, maybe not so much as some people (
) but I do love nature’s creatures (selectively… let’s not go mad and include large house spiders and divebombing city pigeons in this list) and when I lived opposite Sainsbury’s in Salford, I saved a grey squirrel whose back legs had become paralysed, from a harsh ‘piteously indifferent’ (as my zoologist father says of nature) slow death in the wild by taking him to an RSPCC hospital. He was put to sleep, but as I said the vet assured me I’d done the right thing by bringing him in as Salford’s streets wouldn’t have been kind to a lame squirrel.
He was grey. I knew then that they’re evil, but they all deserve the same treatment. They can’t help their politics. They were brought over here, so it’s our stupid fault for messing with their ecology. Greys colonise, they plunder and pillage. Thus our beautiful little fluffy ginger friend, the red, native to this country, has largely depleted since we introduced these naughty, neo-​fascistic greys. Thank frick then for Formby’s National Trust.
Among the beautiful, peaceful sand dunes of Formby on the Sefton coast, north of Liverpool, you’ll find a gorgeous sunlight-​dappled forest full of picnic benches and walking paths. This is a reserve for red squirrels. They’re safe here, well protected, and unlike in the wild, you can actually get a view of them here. But you can get much, much more than that. These animals have been living here so long, and have become so used to humans, that they are almost tame. It’s not unusual for them to come right up to you and even take a peanut from the palm of your hand with their tiny little paws. Now, you have to understand how incredible that is. Rare and endangered animals are usually skittish and antisocial, but these little reds are just the opposite.
I urge you to go. My father’s been bringing me here for years and I’ve always enjoyed it, the novelty of socialising with a red squirrel doesn’t wear off. As well as the little fellas, you can explore Formby’s spectacular dunes and the picturesque beach which offers water so clear and pretty, I’ve even bathed in it as a child. Now where else could you get all that?