Crosby Beach
A hundred cast-iron men stare out to sea along two miles of sand - Antony Gormley's Another Place, and the strangest, most memorable free afternoon on this coast. Sand, statues, ships from the port gliding past.
Crosby Lakeside Adventure Centre
Crosby, Merseyside
A proper watersports centre run by Sefton Council on Crosby Marine Lake, right inside Crosby Coastal Park. In season there are pay and play watersports sessions and open water swimming, and you can launch your own paddleboard for a day fee. The lake is flat, supervised water, which is a far easier introduction than the sea a hundred metres away.
Be honest with yourself about what this is: the centre's programme leans towards booked sessions, courses and groups rather than families wandering in, and the best of it is for children who can already swim. Ring or book through Active Sefton before making the trip. Parking is pay and display but cheap.
The reason it still earns a family day is everything around it. Crosby Beach and Gormley's hundred iron men are across the Esplanade, there is sand by the marine lake, and the coastal park absorbs a picnic and a scoot while one child does a session.
Know before you go
- The family win is combining a booked session with the free stuff: the coastal park, the sand and Antony Gormley's Another Place statues are all a short walk from the centre.
- Open water swimming runs roughly April to September, competent swimmers only, and a bright swim hat is required.
Worth knowing: Watersports sessions suit confident swimmers, roughly 8+.
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