When I saw that Chill insurance are due to release an ebook all about hidden gems you can drive to in Ireland, a follow up to their ebook released previously about beautiful drives, it got me thinking about our own hidden gems.
Living in Lancashire, we are very lucky that there are so many places to visit in the area. Just a short drive to the coast, an hour up to the Lakes, surrounded by countryside and picturesque parks, we are hugely fortunate to live in such a beautiful corner of the world. When it comes to our favourite hidden gem, it is undoubtedly, Formby Point
Formby Point is conserved by the National Trust and is home to various rare wildlife, prehistoric footprints, miles of coastal walks and breath taking scenery.
For us as a family, it’s a place we often visit throughout the year, enjoying the different seasons, the ever changing coastline, and a place where we have shared so many lovely memories together playing hide and seek……..
Hunting for dragons……
And bringing the children’s dreams to life….
Although the location is hugely popular with tourists, especially over the warmer months, it never feels particularly crowded. And once you’re deep in the woods it’s very easy to feel like the only people out there.
There are some lovely walks around the woods, through the asparagus fields, the red squirrel circuit, and plenty of opportunities to put on your wellies and explore off path.
The children’s favourite thing about Formby Point is by far the sand dunes and the beautiful beaches. We have spent countless days there, jumping up and down the sand banks, sliding down the dunes, digging for treasure and watching the sun set in the distance.
Some of my favourite memories with the children have been made on Formby beach, enjoying a picnic, a game of football, eating ice creams, paddling in the sea and collecting shells. We have never known a day out there when the children haven’t fallen asleep before we’ve even left the car park, that’s a sure sign of a good day out!!
Whether you want to walk, run or ride your bike there’s something for everyone at Formby, the perfect place to get outdoors and active, something which is so important to us as a family.
There are so many hidden gems in our part of the world, but this one, is mine.
I’ve never been here, and it looks beautiful!! This is exactly the kind of place that we love to go to. #BigPinkLink
It’s a gorgeous place! Our favourite! xx
We love Formby too! But seriously, your photos are incredible! Just beautiful! #twinklytuesday
Ahh thank you so much. It’s gorgeous there isn’t it? Our favourite place by far! xx
I wish we loved by the sea, but the closest we will get to it, is by going to the local leisure centre in London
Ahh I love living close to the sea, if I had my way I’d live right on it! I do love London but I’m definitely a country girl! xx
That looks beautiful! Impressive photography skills too.
#twinklytuesday
Thank you! It’s our favourite place! xx
Wow, that’s lovely! Thank you for sharing as it’s nice to see the beach whilst surrounded by concrete. Beautiful photos too
It’s lovely that you and your family have a special place that you can return to again and again, The mixture of forest and beach looks idyllic. #DreamTeam
Beautiful photos. We are trying to make more of an effort to enjoy the places close to us #TriumphantTales
What a lovely place and beautiful pictures! We always return to St Ives in Cornwall, I absolutely love it! #TriumphantTales
Oh we have still to visit there, it’s on our list! xx
That beach is just beautiful. Plenty of sand and no people or shops, perfect. #bigpinklink
Absolutely, although there is an ice cream van, that’s our favourite part…haha! xx
I love Formby, we’re only half hour or so away but I don’t go nearly often enough, unfortunately my fibromyalgia usually prevents me from doing much walking but I have many fond memories of the area from my childhood, your pictures,are gorgeous x
Ahh I also have fibromyalgia! I totally sympathise, it’s agony some days, I’ve had a huge flare lasting almost three years now so these days out come at a huge price. Sometimes it’s totally worth it though! Thank you for reading. xxx
Looks idyllic! The sand dunes remind me of Holkham beach in Norfolk where we live which is my favourite place. It’s where we went when we found out Findlay had died so is very special to us.
#TwinklyTuesdays
Ahh that must be so special to you. I think there is something very special about the beach somehow, I always feel a real sense of calm when I am there. xx
Such a wonderful looking place and perfect for a family day out. I love this kind of location, with outdoor roaming, things to see and just space in general. We could all do with places like this on a regular basis.
Me too! There’s nothing nicer than getting out and about with the children is there?! xxx
Your stories never cease to enthrall me and as for the photos they are spellbinding. I feel like I have just stepped into a surreal fairytale x
Ah thank you so much Ana. It’s one of our favourite places! xx
I love Formby and haven’t taken Lucas yet, that last photo is stunning x
We are there all the time, it’s gorgeous at any time of year! xx
Oh it looks so lovely, Laura! I absolutely adore seeing all the photos from your family walks out. One day we’ll have to come for a trip!
It’s such a gorgeous place, I often feel like we are the only people in the world when we go there. You should definitely come up for a visit one day! xx
I never ever get bored of your beautiful photos! I must check that book out, I really want to explore Ireland more. Thanks for joining us this week! #bigpinklink
Ahh thanks lovely. I’ve only ever been to Ireland once, to Dublin, I would love to go and explore too! xx
Looks like a lovely place to visit. It reminds me of Studland near us that has forest and a beach – the kids love it
Forest and the beach is the perfect combination for a day out! xx
Oh wow, that looks like such a wonderful picturesque place to go! Your photos are beautiful, especially that last shot. That is truely a stunning photo! Thanks for sharing these with us at #TriumphantTales.
Thank you, we absolutely love visiting there, there’s something so lovely about being by the sea! xx
I recognise some of those pictures!! hehe. Looks beautiful! One to remember if we’re back that way. Love Lancashire – I’m technically half from there! #TwinklyTuesday
Ooh I do love Lancashire, I wont ever leave! Ha! xx
This looks so gorgeous – so much fun to be had and how lovely to have it so close by. Thanks for linking up with #TwinklyTuesday
Thanks Lisa, its our favourite place! xx
I’ve immediately had to type this into Google Maps as it looks like just the kind of place that needs to be added to our To Do list! It’s less than 2 hours away so I feel fairly confident that we’ll be trying it out shortly. It looks amazing Laura and your pictures are just stunning. Thanks for sharing with #DreamTeam xx
Ahh you really should make a day of it one time. It’s a gorgeous place to explore, thank you so much. xx
I live in the one part of the UK that is the furthest away from any beach! Whilst we have the gorgeous Cotswold landscape and scenery to be grateful for, it’s a tad depressing when you really fancy some sea air! This looks like a gorgeous place. Thanks for sharing it and thank you for linking up to #TriumphantTales, please do come back again tomorrow!
Ahhh I love the Cotswolds but yes, the beach is a gorgeous place to be. It must be nice when you do get to the coast though! xx
What a fabulous and beautiful place. I have never been to that part of the uk and actually coming to think of it I only ever visited the coast maybe twice! It’s lovely and I hope to visit one day #dreamteam
Oh really!! That’s crazy for me to imagine, we visit the coast at least twice a month, I would live there if I could! xx