Lost Resort Trail

Liverpool & Lancashire

Like the Devil’s Hole trail, this waymarked trail is the product of a partnership between Sefton Council and the Formby Civic Society, installed in 2016 to showcase some of the interesting history of the Ravenmeols part of site. The trail focuses on the potential holiday resort that never was Formby by-the-sea and takes in some of the key historical spots that are still on show today.

Near to

Formby

Start point

National Trust Formby Lifeboat Road car park, Lifeboat Road, Formby, L37 2EB. Start in the south-west corner of bay 1. Grid reference: SD 27427 06531

Trail information

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Difficulty*

Full trail

DistanceMiles: 1.25 (km: 2)

Duration1 hour

Dog friendly**

*The trail is almost entirely unsurfaced, and predominantly loose, bare sand. Gradients can be steep and up to 1:7 on difficult terrain, with few resting points along the way. For further details, see the Terrain section or take a look at our Accessibility Guide.
**Suitable for dogs under close control.

Address
L37 2EB
Directions via Google Maps
By train
Local Merseyrail services run every 15 minutes to Formby train station, which is approximately 1.2 miles from the entrance to Lifeboat Road car park. National services run to Liverpool Lime Street in Liverpool city centre, which is approximately 14 miles away.
On foot
The start of the trail can be gained by walking in from the Lifeboat Road entrance, or from the Kirklake Corner entrance. See our Accessibility Guide for more information about these entrances.
By bus
Local buses in Formby run from Formby train station, and the F3 service passes close by the entrance at Kirklake Corner and Lifeboat Road.
Cycling
Cycle racks can be found next to the portable toilets at Lifeboat Road car park.
By road
Formby town can be accessed from the Formby bypass (A565) easily if coming from either Southport or Switch Island, at the end of the M57 and M58. These motorways connect to the M62 and M6 respectively.
Dogs
Suitable for dogs under close control.
Car park
Lifeboat Road car park has limited parking spaces and can get very busy on sunny days. Please use public transport where possible. See "Getting Here" for more information on public transport options.
Toilet
Unisex portable toilets, and a portable toilet with accessible features can be found at Lifeboat Road car park.
Picnic area
There are two picnic areas in Lifeboat Road car park, by bays 1 and 3.
Cycle parking
Cycle racks can be found next to the portable toilets at Lifeboat Road car park.
Sand wheelchairs are available to borrow for free. Please see our Accessibility Guide for details of how to rent them.
Designated parking
Each of the three bays at Lifeboat Road car park have accessible parking spaces.
Accessible toilet
A portable toilet with accessible features can be found at Lifeboat Road car park.
Seating available
The route has 1 bench on route, around 450m from Lifeboat Road car park.
Steps/uneven terrain
The terrain is undulating with a maximum gradient of 1:7.
Wheelchairs available
Sand wheelchairs are available to borrow for free. Please see our Accessibility Guide for details of how to rent them.
Total stages: 10
Total stages: 10
Start point
National Trust Formby Lifeboat Road car park, Lifeboat Road, Formby, L37 2EB. Start in the south-west corner of bay 1. Grid reference: SD 27427 06531
Stage 1
Head south-west along the footpath from bay 1 for around 150m until you reach Lifeboat Road. The vegetation along this section makes the route quite narrow, in places only 60cm wide.
Stage 2
At Lifeboat Road, cross the tarmac and follow the waymarkers through the pine woodland to emerge on to the fixed dune grassland after around 50m. Continue along the sandy path for another 200m until you reach a bench facing west.
Look out for northern dune tiger beetles
Northern dune tiger beetles bask on the warm sand in still, sunny conditions. They can often be spotted along tracks such as those you will walk along in this part of site. Without large grazing animals, which historically would have grazed this landscape, these areas of exposed, bare sand would not form; therefore, some visitor pressure here can help to keep parts of the dune grassland suitable for basking insects and reptiles.
Stage 3
At the bench, continue south for around 200m, going up two steep, sandy banks with gradients of around 1:7. After cresting these two banks, you will reach a flat, surfaced area surrounded by a privet hedge and one of the trails interpretation boards.
Look out for slacks
Along this section you will spot a few fenced-off pools. These slacks or scrapes were dug in 2022 as part of the Dynamic Dunescapes project, which funded a lot of habitat restoration work across the Sefton Coast. These pools will help support the natterjack toad population here at Formby, giving them more diverse opportunities in a changing climate to breed. They are very sensitive to disturbance however, so please do not enter the fenced area or allow dogs to enter either.
Stage 4
At the interpretation board, veer west (right) and follow the waymarkers through the dune grassland until you reach the end of Albert Road, on the western side of Seabank House.
Stage 5
At Albert Road, head inland along the compacted stone track for around 150m. Here there is a short track north to view one of the historic features on the trail.
Stage 6
Return to Albert Road and continue inland along the road for around 500m until you reach the tarmacked section of the road.
Look out for moths
Rare native black poplars adorn the edges of Albert Road as you head inland. They are identifiable by their fissured bark and their ability to ‘crawl’ along the landscape, called root branching. They are the perfect habitat for many invertebrates, including the goat moth. The larvae of these insects spend several years under the bark, eventually pupating in spring. Exit windows in the bark can be seen on some of the trees, suggesting the recent presence of these slow-growing moths.
Stage 7
At the interpretation board head back towards the coastline, passing through a 105cm gap in a short section of fencing, before heading back into the dune grassland habitat.
Stage 8
After around 250m, you will reach another interpretation board.
Stage 9
Head north-west through a gap in between two areas of scrub/woodland and then continue for around 150m to regain the track which headed south from Lifeboat Road.
Stage 10
After regaining the track, head back up towards Lifeboat Road. As you reach the woodland just south of Lifeboat Road, you can take an alternative route back to the car park by veering east, through the mature pine woodland for around 150m to emerge by the entrance to Lifeboat Road car park.
End point
Depending on which direction you take in the woodlands, you will either finish the trail back at bay 1 (grid reference: SD 27427 06531) or opposite the entrance to Lifeboat Road car park (grid reference: SD 27543 06466).
Trail map
Formby Lost Resort Trail | © Crown copyright and database rights 2013 Ordnance Survey
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