Crosby Beach

I’d read about Antony Gormley’s 100 life-​size statues of men (all identical and all based on the sculptor’s figure) and we visited the beach late this afternoon to see the statues. They span an area of about two miles, although it was getting cold & overcast and therefore we only walked part of the way. It was well worth the drive up there and we also liked the surrounding neighborhood.

Crosby Beach is one of my favorite places in the Merseyside area. My boyfriend’s family lives not too far away, so whenever we’re visiting, I ask to go and we always bring along the their dogs.
The main attraction here is to see Antony Gormley’s Another Place, a permanent installation of 100 cast iron men that spans the entire beach and into the sea as well.
The sculptures are all made in the form of the artist’s figure, and all face out looking at the sea. They’re ever-​evolving as nature erodes them away. They’re all identical, but they’ve been placed as various heights. Some are buried into the sea or into the water.
The beach itself is quite deserted; there’s never very many people here, but when you arrive you think there’s more people until you realized it’s the statues masquerading as people in the distance.
It’s a great beach to take your dog too. However, it’s quite windy here, so a nice stroll along the beach in the sand, or up on the boardwalk, that’s all that’s very nice. It’s not the beach to sit out at.
Come at sunset for a stunning sky and see the iron men in perfect light! This is a great spot for photographers! The iron men look beautiful in various lights, but especially at sunset.
There is easy, free parking in the parking lot above the boardwalk too.

The sand at Crosby beach isn’t quite as soft and luxurious as that of Formby, which is slightly further north. In parts you actually get the distinct feeling you may sink if you stand in one place too long and a sign actually warns beach goers not to stray too far from the promenade, and of «wet sand» — a slower version, I presume, of quick sand.
That said it’s still a great location. One hundred metal Antony Gormley’s stare out over the water, his ‘Another Place’ exhibit, great for amateur photographers.
Look to the left and you see cranes, ships and the odd pile of scrap metal. To the right a wind farm and on a clear day, the Blackpool Tower. Don’t stare at the stunning vistas too long mind, make sure you beware of the jellyfish that sporadically pop up from time to time.
On my last visit to Crosby’s sands (31 August) the sun was beaming and warm, and a walk along this under-​used beach was a real treat.