RSPB Marshside

If you're heading up Marshside Road to the RSPB reserve, you'll need somewhere to park. This is it: the RSPB Marshside car park. It's free if you're an RSPB member (which, let's be honest, you probably are if you're going there!) and also free for visitors to the reserve. It's just north of Southport town centre, so not exactly on your doorstep, but easy enough to find.

Two reviews on Google give it a perfect 5.0, so people seem happy enough. It's open 24/7, which is handy for those early morning birdwatching sessions – or maybe if you just fancy a late-night wander (though I'm not sure why you would!). It's a car park, so not much else to say, really.

It's not usually rammed, but weekends and sunny days can obviously get busier, especially during peak migration seasons. It's a decent size though, so you should be alright.

One tip: take some wellies if you're planning on walking out onto the marsh itself, especially after it's been raining. It gets boggy out there!