Crosby Beach

Crosby Beach stretches for about four kilometres along the Merseyside coast north of Liverpool. It separates the sea from Waterloo Marina and was awarded Keep Britain Tidy’s Quality Coast Award in 2011. The beach runs from Seaforth Dock towards the village of Hightown, with the navigable shipping channel of Liverpool Bay running parallel to its shore. Remains of wartime defences can still be seen in the dunes north of the coastguard station. The beach has faced litter problems in past decades, with severe issues reported in the 1960s and later decades. The beach is best known for Antony Gormley’s Another Place sculptures, installed permanently since 2007. Gormley chose the beach for its rugged, industrial character rather than its beauty. The iron figures stand along the shoreline, sometimes drawing visitors beyond safe areas. In 2017, some sculptures were painted in an act described as vandalism, though some locals approved of the change. The beach also hosts a Saturday parkrun and has a red flag rating, warning of dangerous tides and quicksand. Waterloo Marina lies at the southern end of the beach, built in the 1970s on reclaimed land. A promenade circles the marina, offering views of the water and the sculptures beyond. Nearby, Crosby Lakeside Adventure Centre opened in 2009 as a visitor hub. The beach’s dunes are managed with Christmas trees and sea walls to control erosion. Coastal defences have shifted tonnes of sand to protect nearby villages, though asbestos from wartime rubble has occasionally been uncovered. The beach scores highly on TripAdvisor, reflecting its appeal to visitors.