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You are going to take a virtual walk through the Freshfield Dunes. Starting at Freshfield Station on the Liverpool to Southport line, you will walk along the Fisherman's Path to the beach, passing through several different land use areas on the way.

The aim of your fieldwork is to
find out how the land use
and vegetation cover
changes as
you travel
closer to
the sea.

Look back at a dune succession.

After you have walked along the beach in front of these mobile dunes you will see large deep gaps in the dunes caused by storm damage. When you reach the exit sign on the beach for Victoria Road South, follow a walkway over the dunes and into a visitors' car park.

You will now have walked past another sign to Ainsdale Dunes along the dune path south route towards the beach. When you arrive at the beach you will stop at the bottom of the high mobile dunes that fringe this coastline. These dunes are among the best examples of a dune coast in Britain.

Here storm damage has twisted old pine trees and re-shaped the way they grow. It's a good place to look out to see over the large mobile dunes in front of you.

These deciduous trees' are native to the local area and grow in the slacks where the tree's roots can reach the water they need.

When you arrive at the pine woods you are walking through an area of woods that are not natural to this coastal area. They have been planted here to stabilize the dunes and protect Formby from strong winds.

This area of land is a small conservation area. The land has been kept in its natural state as a heathland based on very old dunes formations.

After crossing the level crossing and walking along Fisherman's Path, you will have walked across Formby Golf Links and arrived at a sign post for Ainsdale Sand Dunes National Nature Reserve. This English Nature reserve is of national importance for the protection of the Natterjack Toad, Sand Lizards and other important wildlife.

You have reached the last stop of your tour, Formby Point. Here, as well as protecting and giving public access to the dune coast, there is an important squirrel reserve.

Your virtual tour is now complete. You should now have a very good idea of how people use areas of a sand dune coast.

Freshfield is one of many dormitory settlements that surround Liverpool. Commuters use this station to travel to work in Liverpool or Southport, leaving their cars in the carpark.