Hoylake and the neighbouring West Kirby, situated at the mouth of the River Dee on the Wirral Peninsula, make the most of their seaside position with a range of watersports. The Wirral Sailing Centre on West Kirby Marine Lake offers windsurfing, dinghy sailing, kayaking and power boating courses, while Hoylake has hosted the European Sand Yachting Championships. Between the two communities is the Royal Liverpool Golf Club and a 300 acre patch of land nearby is being earmarked for a world class golf resort. Hoylake is gaining a reputation as something of a hub for artists with its growing population of painters, sculptors and other arty types. One particularly prominent project is a pirate ship 'beached' on the seafront made from driftwood and named the Grace Darling. The Festival of Firsts in Hoylake is an arts festival with a difference, focussing on innovation and creativity and community participation. There is plenty of interest for lovers of wildlife in this part of The Wirral. The Dee Estuary is a Site of Special Scientific Interest for its birdlife, which includes overwintering wildfowl and waders. Old favourites such as oystercatchers, curlews and redshank can be seen going about their business on the shoreline. Meanwhile, natterjack toads can be found in an area along the shore called Red Rocks, and there are rare grasses in the dunes. At low tide there is access from West Kirby to the Hilbre Islands, where there are grey seals and a bird observatory.
Webcam view of Hoylake Beach.
Map of the area.
Map of the area.
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| Red Rocks, Hoylake (geograph 3146708). Photo by El Pollock, via Wikimedia Commons. |
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