National Character Area 57

Sefton Coast - Key Facts & Data

Landscape and nature conservation designations section contains a map

Note that numbers and figures in the body of the text are based on the 2014 profiles, unless otherwise stated. The maps contain live frequently updated datasets.

The Sefton Coast NCA has no National Parks, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty or Heritage Coast associated with it (Natural England, 2011).

Relationship with the coast

The adjacent coastline is covered by the following Shoreline Management Plans:

  • Great Ormes Head to Scotland

The adjacent coastline includes the following Marine Plan – Marine Character Areas (MCAs):

  • Blackpool Coastal Waters and Ribble Estuary
  • Dee and Mersey Estuaries and Coastal Waters




Designated nature conservation sites

The NCA includes the following statutory nature conservation designations (Natural England, Special Protection Areas; Special Area of Conservation; Ramsars; National Nature Reserves; Sites of Special Scientific Interest and Local Nature Reserves, 2021):

Please note: (i) Designated areas may overlap (ii) all figures are cut to Mean High Water Line, designations that span coastal/marine areas below this line will not be included.

Condition of designated sites
All designated sites within England are covered by Sites of Scientific Interest (SSSI) units. The condition to these SSSI units within the NCA are as follows (Natural England, Sites of Special Scientific Interest Units, 2021; 2023):



Landscape and nature conservation designations map for NCA57

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Landform, geology and soils section contains a map

Note that numbers and figures in the body of the text are based on the 2014 profiles, unless otherwise stated. The maps contain live frequently updated datasets.

Elevation

The highest point within this low lying coastal NCA is 21m. Dunes of recent wind-blown sand present the dominant landscape feature along much of the coast, rising locally to 20m above sea level in the areas around Ainsdale and Formby. Inland of the dunes, the background land surface elevation of the till and alluvial plain rarely exceeds 10m and the near sea level beaches and tide flats west of the dunes tend to be wide and sinuous (Sefton Coast Countryside Character Area Description, Natural England, 2010).

Landform and process

The landform is a broad-scale open landscape comprising of low-lying coastal areas with intertidal sands, silts and muds, dune systems and dune heaths and salt marshes (Sefton Coast Countryside Character Area Description).

Bedrock geology

The Sefton Coast and much of the adjoining Lancashire Plain are underlain by soft sandstones and mudstones of Triassic age which are almost entirely masked by thick deposits of glacial and more recent drift, creating a generally flat, low-lying topography (Sefton Coast Countryside Character Area Description, Natural England, 2010).

Superficial deposits

The drift sequence consists of a semi-continuous spread of glacial till overlain by fluvio-glacial sands and gravels laid down as the ice sheets decayed at the end of the last ice age. Variations in sea level and the position of the coastline during and immediately after this period guided the subsequent deposition of marine, estuarine and river alluvium across the region, associated with the development of peat in localised hollows and shallow basins. Continued sea level changes since the end of the last ice age have led to some of the older drift being reworked to form the extensive beaches and adjoining dune belt that lie along the Sefton coast. These dunes, which are of recent windblown origin, form the dominant landscape feature in the region, rising locally to 20m above sea level in the vicinity of Ainsdale and Formby. Inland of the coastal dunes, there is a gently undulating zone of blown sand, rarely exceeding 10m, which is slightly raised above the adjoining fen peats (Sefton Coast Countryside Character Area Description).

Designated geological sites

The NCA includes the following geological sites (Natural England, Geological and Mixed Sites of Special Scientific Interest, 2021):

wdt_ID NCA_ID NAME NCAAreaHa Interest type Area (ha) 2021 Percent of NCA (2021) Count
2361NORTH NORTHUMBERLAND COASTAL PLAIN37,669.6Geological6.80.01
2371NORTH NORTHUMBERLAND COASTAL PLAIN37,669.6Mixed1,029.52.75
2382NORTHUMBERLAND SANDSTONE HILLS72,694.6Geological45.40.14
2393CHEVIOT FRINGE51,591.3Geological17.10.02
2404CHEVIOTS36,487.9Geological165.00.52
2414CHEVIOTS36,487.9Mixed3,488.99.61
2425BORDER MOORS AND FORESTS127,155.9Geological85.70.18
2435BORDER MOORS AND FORESTS127,155.9Mixed35.80.01
2446SOLWAY BASIN98,350.4Geological7.20.02
2456SOLWAY BASIN98,350.4Mixed5,569.25.74

There is 1 Local Geological Site within the NCA (Natural England, 2011).

Soils and Agriculture Classification

Forty-six per cent of the soil in this NCA is naturally wet, very acid, sandy and loamy soil which can have a weak structure but can be easily worked. However, 28 per cent of the soils are sand dune soils and are highly prone to erosion. Grades 1, 2 and 3 agricultural land can be found further away from the coast where the Sefton Coast borders the Lancashire and Amounderness Plain. Grade 5 land is located along the coastal strip (National Soil Resources Institute Soilscapes Maps).

The main grades of agricultural land in the NCA are broken down as follows (as a proportion of total land area) (Natural England, Provisional Agricultural Land Classification, 2019):


Landform, geology and soils map for NCA57

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Key waterbodies and catchments section contains a map

Note that numbers and figures in the body of the text are based on the 2014 profiles, unless otherwise stated. The maps contain live frequently updated datasets.

Major rivers/canals

The following major rivers/canals (by length) have been identified in this NCA (Natural England, data informing the 2014 National Character Area Profiles, 2010):

wdt_ID REF_CODE NAME_1 Name Length (km) SumOfShape_Length
11NORTH NORTHUMBERLAND COASTAL PLAINRiver Aln7.67,587.2
21NORTH NORTHUMBERLAND COASTAL PLAINRiver Coquet5.55,516.0
31NORTH NORTHUMBERLAND COASTAL PLAINWhiteadder Water2.92,904.9
410NORTH PENNINESBlack Burn11.911,853.4
510NORTH PENNINESCroglin Water10.010,042.3
610NORTH PENNINESCrowdundle Beck4.34,337.4
710NORTH PENNINESDevil's Water20.520,464.6
810NORTH PENNINESHarwood Beck9.79,740.2
910NORTH PENNINESRiver Allen4.94,889.0
1010NORTH PENNINESRiver Derwent15.315,268.4

Please note: other significant rivers (by volume) may also occur. Tidal stretches of rivers are not included, which may include some major rivers.

Water quality

Nitrate Vulnerable Zones (NVZs) are areas designated as being at risk from agricultural nitrate pollution. These can impact surface water (waterbodies and waterways located above ground) and groundwater (water bodies and waterways located below ground).

Waterbodies such as lakes can also be designated as “eutrophic waters” if the enrichment of the waterbody by nitrate pollution causes accelerated growth of algae, impacting the quality of the water and the balance of organisms within it.

The following NVZs are located within the NCA (Environment Agency, Nitrate Vulnerable Zones Designations, 2021):

Water framework directive

River basin management plans cover river basin districts and describe the challenges that threaten the water environment and how these challenges can be managed and funded. The plans include the classification of water quality of surface waters and ground waters.



Click on the Water Framework Directive layers on the below map to view the corresponding river names.

Key waterbodies and catchments map for NCA57

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Trees and woodlands section contains a map

Note that numbers and figures in the body of the text are based on the 2014 profiles, unless otherwise stated. The maps contain live frequently updated datasets.

Total woodland cover

Ancient woodland is any area that has been wooded continuously since at least 1600 AD. National Forest Inventory (NFI) woodland includes all forests and woodlands (0.5 hectares and over). The total woodland cover within the NCA is as follows (Forestry Commission, National Forest Inventory, 2020; 2023; Natural England, Ancient Woodland, 2021; 2024; this does not consider Natural England’s ‘Ancient Woodland – Revised (England) – Completed Counties’ data as this is being updated in tranches and no full dataset is yet available):

Distribution and size of woodland and trees in the landscape

Woodland in this area is restricted to small isolated pockets and copses. There are also large coniferous plantations at Formby and Ainsdale which form important sites for red squirrels (Sefton Coast Countryside Character Area Description, Natural England, 2010).

Woodland types

A statistical breakdown of the area and type of woodland found across the NCA is detailed below (Forestry Commission, National Forest Inventory, 2020; 2023):

Area and proportion of ancient woodland and planted ancient woodland sites (PAWS) within the NCA (Natural England, Ancient Woodland, 2021; 2024):


Trees and woodlands map for NCA57

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Boundary features and patterns

Note that numbers and figures in the body of the text are based on the 2014 profiles, unless otherwise stated.

Boundary features

Field boundaries are defined by a combination of hedgerows and post-and-wire fencing. 4,445m of boundaries had been entered into environmental stewardship agreements by March 2011 (Sefton Coast Countryside Character Area Description, Countryside Quality Counts, 2003, Natural England, 2011).

Field patterns

There remains a rural pattern with some older field patterns in existence (post-medieval enclosures can be found towards the eastern fringe of the NCA) (Sefton Coast Countryside Character Area Description, Countryside Quality Counts, 2003).

Agriculture section contains a map

Note that numbers and figures in the body of the text are based on the 2014 profiles, unless otherwise stated. The maps contain live frequently updated datasets.

The following tables provide the most recently available statistics from Defra on agriculture within the NCA.

Farm type

The following farm types are located within this NCA (Defra, Structure of the agricultural industry in England and the UK at June, 2025):

Farm size

The following table outlines the sizes of farms within the NCA (Defra, Structure of the agricultural industry in England and the UK at June, 2025):

Farm ownership

The following table outlines the ownership of farms within the NCA (Defra, Structure of the agricultural industry in England and the UK at June, 2025):

Land use

The following table outlines the types of agricultural land use within the NCA (Defra, Structure of the agricultural industry in England and the UK at June, 2025):

Livestock numbers

The following livestock are farmed within the NCA (Defra, Structure of the agricultural industry in England and the UK at June, 2025):

Farm labour

The following table outlines the types of farm labour within the NCA (Defra, Structure of the agricultural industry in England and the UK at June, 2025):

Please note: (i) Some of the Census data are estimated by Defra so may not present a precise assessment of agriculture within this area (ii) Data refers to commercial holdings only (iii) Data includes land outside of the NCA where it belongs to holdings whose centre point is recorded as being within the NCA.



Note that the below map only shows agri-environment scheme coverage, and not other schemes.

Agriculture map for NCA57

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Key habitats and species section contains a map

Note that numbers and figures in the body of the text are based on the 2014 profiles, unless otherwise stated. The maps contain live frequently updated datasets.

Habitat distribution/coverage

The coastal region is of international wildlife importance, the estuarine mud/sand flats and salt marshes providing important nesting habitats for many birds and the coniferous plantation to the north of Formby providing a home for a population of red squirrels. The majority of the undeveloped coast has SSSI status. Tree coverage, with the exception of the coniferous plantations around Formby, is sparse and is restricted to small wind-sculptured woods, copses and hedgerows trimmed by the salt-laden winds (Urban Mersey Basin Natural Area Profile).

Key Habitats

The NCA contains the following areas of key main habitats, as mapped by the national Priority Habitat Inventory (Natural England, Priority Habitats Inventory, 2021; 2024; Natural England, Wood Pasture and Parkland, 2020). Note: lakes and ponds were not included in 2021 data:






Key habitats and species map for NCA57

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Settlement and development patterns section contains a map

Note that numbers and figures in the body of the text are based on the 2014 profiles, unless otherwise stated. The maps contain live frequently updated datasets.

Settlement patterns

Settlement on the Lancashire coastline Now limited until relatively recent times. Development, which has taken place in tourist/commuter towns, is primarily Victorian or later. There remains a rural settlement pattern, with some older field patterns in existence, despite the growth of small fishing hamlets such as Formby and Hightown into commuter towns following the development of the railway. The largest settlement is Southport which expanded rapidly as a holiday and dormitory town catering for the large industrial towns of Manchester and Liverpool. Rates of change to urban and the urban fringe area are low and 75 per cent of the NCA is within greenbelt (Sefton Coast Countryside Character Area Description, Countryside Quality Counts, 2003).

Main settlements

The main settlements in the NCA are; Southport, Formby, Ainsdale, Birkdale, and Hightown. The total estimated population for this NCA (derived from ONS 2001 census data) is: 114,834 (Sefton Coast Countryside Character Area Description, Countryside Quality Counts, 2003).

Local vernacular and building materials

Buildings are a combination of brick and sandstone with modern housing on the periphery of the Victorian core (Sefton Coast Countryside Character Area Description, Countryside Quality Counts, 2003).

Settlement and development patterns map for NCA57

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Key historic sites and features section contains a map

Note that numbers and figures in the body of the text are based on the 2014 profiles, unless otherwise stated. The maps contain live frequently updated datasets.

Origin of historic features

The introduction of the railway in the 1840s brought about a transition from a pattern of low-density rural settlement, with few significant nucleations and roots in the migrations of the early medieval period, to a string of coastal resorts.

Surviving areas of early nucleations, for example the historic core of Southport and the fishing villages of Formby and Hightown, are very limited in extent.

Much of area of the Victorian resorts as well as the later 20th century settlement expansions are built on reclaimed lowland moss. The pattern of early settlement Now dispersed and of medium or low density reflecting the scarcity of farming land amid the mosses and meres. Drainage works allied to the laying of the railway opened up the landscape to mixed farming serving both local needs and wider markets. Dispersed and loose courtyard farmsteads are typical, mostly of late-18th or early-19th century date.

Ancient enclosure is scarce; only one small area on the east side of Formby. Post-medieval enclosure is well represented along the eastern edge of the NCA, related to settlements inland and a semi-regular series of parallel roads and tracks leading towards the coast. There are a few woodland pockets and copses, mostly to the south around the parkland and former parkland at Ince Blundell. In 1918 around 2 per cent of the NCA Now historic parkland. Much of this has now been lost, although around 38 per cent of the remaining area is covered by a Historic Parkland Grant.

Coniferous woodland Now planted to gain long-term income from land that Now viewed as “unprofitable Nowte”.

The extensive marshland may include significant archaeological deposits. At Formby Point, coastal erosion of the foreshore has revealed the footprints of humans, animals and wading birds preserved in laminated silts dated to a period some 7,000 – 5,000 years ago (Countryside Quality Counts Draft Historic Profile, Countryside Character Area Description).

Designated historic assets

The NCA includes the following designated historic assets (Historic England, National Heritage List for England, 2021; 2024):

Listed buildings

The NCA includes the following listed buildings (Historic England, National Heritage List for England, 2021; 2024):

Heritage at Risk Register

The NCA includes the following designated historic assets listed within the Heritage at Risk Register (Historic England, Heritage at Risk Register, 2021; 2023):



Key historic sites and features map for NCA57

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Recreation and access section contains a map

Note that numbers and figures in the body of the text are based on the 2014 profiles, unless otherwise stated. The maps contain live frequently updated datasets.

Public access
The following areas of public access for recreation are located within this NCA (Natural England, 2021; National Trust, 2021):


Please note: Public access areas may overlap.
The following linear routes or public access for recreation are located within this NCA (Natural England, 2021; Sustrans; 2021):

Recreation and access map for NCA57

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Experiential qualities

Note that numbers and figures in the body of the text are based on the 2014 profiles, unless otherwise stated.

Tranquillity

Based on the CPRE map of tranquillity (2006) the areas with the highest levels of tranquillity are found along the coast and sand dunes. The areas of lowest tranquillity can be found around the urban centres of Southport, Formby and Ainsdale.

A breakdown of tranquillity values for this NCA are detailed in the table below (CPRE, Tranquillity Map, 2006):

Dark skies

Light pollution is a generic term referring to artificial light that shines where it is neither wanted nor needed, and can impact on people’s experience of the countryside within the NCAs. CPRE host an interactive map, depicting the light pollution and dark skies within the NCA.

Intrusion

The 2007 Intrusion Map (CPRE) shows the extent to which rural landscapes are ‘intruded on’ from urban development, noise (primarily traffic noise), and other sources of visual and auditory intrusion. This shows that 34 per cent of the Sefton Coast is classified as urban. These urban areas are found around Southport, Formby, and Ainsdale. Away from these urban areas most of the landscape is classified as disturbed. Intrusion is caused by development and transport routes such as the A565 and the railway line.

A breakdown of intrusion values for this NCA is detailed in the table below (CPRE, Intrusion Map, 2007):

Notable trends from the 1960s to 2007 are the 31 per cent decrease in the area of undisturbed landscape and the 34 per cent increase in the area of urban landscape. This shows how the towns of the Sefton Coast have developed, particularly since the 1990s.