Leasowe Bay

Leasowe Bay sits on the north coast of the Wirral, between Wallasey and Moreton. The beach is a long flat expanse of sand and mud fronting the offshore sandbank known as Mockbeggar Wharf, with a substantial sand-dune system behind the Wallasey Embankment — a 3.5 km sloping concrete sea wall that protects Leasowe, Moreton and Meols from inundation.

Headline draws are Leasowe Lighthouse (Grade II listed, 1763, widely cited as the oldest surviving brick-built lighthouse in Britain), the Wallasey Embankment walking and cycling route, and — at very low tides — the exposed peat and tree stumps of the submerged forest off Dove Point.

The flood across Leasowe's flat sand is as fast as anywhere on the Wirral coast. Hoylake RNLI's hovercraft was tasked in March 2025 to rescue three people cut off near the lighthouse.

Beware soft mud patches behind sand ridges, and old timbers exposed in the surf around Mockbeggar Wharf — many ships have been lost on this stretch over the centuries. (The famous Confederate blockade-runner PS Lelia lies offshore in Liverpool Bay, not on the beach, contrary to occasional local lore.)

Leasowe Bay is an RNLI-lifeguarded beach with seasonal patrols (typically Easter to end of September — verify the current year on the RNLI page). Lifeboat cover is provided by Hoylake RNLI to the west (Shannon all-weather lifeboat + hovercraft) and New Brighton RNLI to the east (Atlantic 85 inshore); both stations are tasked regularly to Leasowe shouts.

In an emergency, dial 999 and ask for the Coastguard.

RNLI Leasowe Bay beach page →

The main beach car park is Gunsite Car Park, off Leasowe Road adjacent to the bay. Smaller parking is available at Leasowe Lighthouse (Lingham Lane) and the Leasowe Sand Dunes conservation area (Green Lane).

Wirral Council have been consulting on coastal car-park charges; verify the current tariff at the meter before parking.

By train: Leasowe Merseyrail station is on the Wirral Line — trains every 15 minutes daytime, eastbound to Liverpool Central and westbound to West Kirby. The station is about a 10-minute walk to the bay via Pasture Road.

By road: Access via Leasowe Road (A551) and Pasture Road from Moreton. M53 J1 is the nearest motorway exit.

Leasowe Lighthouse was built by Liverpool Corporation in 1763 — one of four north Wirral lights, coal-fired at first then converted to oil. It was decommissioned in 1908 as Rock Channel silted up; its last keeper was Mrs Williams, one of the very few female lighthouse keepers of the period.

The submerged forest off Dove Point is described in writing as early as 1636. The stumps are chiefly oak and fir with alder, birch and elm — the remains of a forest that grew here before the sea took the coast. They are largely buried by sand now, but big storms still expose them.

Leasowe Castle just inland was built in 1593, traditionally linked to the Earls of Derby and to the Wallasey horse races that ran on the sands.

Leasowe Bay is one of the Wirral's better-known kitesurfing spots: shallow flat water at high tide, decent space, works in most wind directions except E/SE. Multiple kitesurfing schools (Airforce, Northern Kites) run beginner lessons here.