There is something rather exciting about exploring a new area, particularly when you know that the paths ahead can be enjoyed by people of different ages and abilities.
Our first Access the Dales accessible walk at Wyre Estuary Country Park introduced us to a beautiful corner of Lancashire and marked the beginning of a new partnership with Wyre Coast and Countryside Service. With three Trampers based at the country park, people with limited mobility could travel alongside friends, family members and walkers and enjoy the landscape together.
That, for us, is what a good day in the countryside should look like.
Exploring the Wyre Estuary
Wyre Estuary Country Park lies at Stanah, near Thornton-Cleveleys, on the western bank of the River Wyre. From the park, a network of paths leads through woodland and open grassland and alongside the river, offering wide views across the estuary.
This is not a landscape of dramatic hills or rugged peaks. Its beauty is quieter and more subtle. The huge skies seem to stretch forever, while the river winds between creeks, mudflats and saltmarsh. The scenery changes with the tide, the light and the weather. Boats move along the river, grasses ripple in the breeze and birds pick their way across the exposed mud in search of food.
It is the sort of place that encourages you to slow down and look more closely.
The route was ideal for our group. The mostly level paths allowed those using the park’s three Trampers to explore alongside people walking on foot. Nobody had to be left behind or take a separate route. We could travel as one group, stopping whenever something caught our attention—or whenever we simply wanted to enjoy the view.
The Trampers are all-terrain mobility scooters designed for people who find walking difficult. They can cope with grass, mud and uneven paths that would be challenging or impossible for many standard wheelchairs and mobility scooters. Having three of them available at the country park opens this wonderful landscape to people who might otherwise only have been able to admire it from the car park.
A Landscape Full of Life
The Wyre Estuary supports the largest area of ungrazed saltmarsh in North West England. Because the marsh has not been closely grazed, a rich mixture of specialist plants has been able to flourish. Glasswort, sea purslane, sea aster and common sea lavender grow across different parts of the marsh, with sea rush, common reed and sea clubrush found higher above the water.
At first glance, mudflats can appear rather empty. In reality, they are the dining rooms of the estuary. The soft mud is packed with nutrients and small creatures, including worms, snails and shrimps. These provide vital food for fish and for the wading birds that gather here.
Depending on the season and the tide, visitors may see curlew, redshank, shelduck, dunlin, lapwing, teal and black-tailed godwit. Little egrets and herons can also be spotted patiently watching the shallows, while reed buntings and sedge warblers make use of the reedbeds. In the surrounding scrub and woodland, willow warblers and whitethroats may be heard, and the meadows provide food for bees and butterflies.
The estuary forms part of the wider Morecambe Bay estuarine complex and is protected through several important nature designations. It is a Site of Special Scientific Interest and forms part of an internationally significant area for migrating and wintering birds. The Wyre–Lune Marine Conservation Zone also protects habitat used by European smelt, a small fish that needs healthy rivers and estuaries to complete its life cycle.
Saltmarshes are not only valuable for wildlife. They store carbon, soften the impact of waves, reduce erosion and help to manage floodwater. Protecting them is therefore important for nearby communities as well as for the plants and animals that depend upon them.
From Former Landfill to Country Park
The park itself has an interesting history. Part of the site was used as landfill during the 1960s before being levelled, covered with topsoil and used as an informal car park.
Development of Wyre Estuary Country Park began in 1988. Surfaced paths, picnic areas, grassland and native woodland plantations were created, transforming the site into an accessible green space for local people and visitors. The trees planted during those early years have matured into small woodland areas that now provide shelter and habitat for birds, insects and mammals.
The Wyreside Visitor Centre opened in 1991, and the Riverside Room—originally a watersports clubhouse—was later converted into an environmental education and volunteer centre. It is a wonderful example of how land can be reclaimed and gradually restored for wildlife, recreation and the community.
Nearby Cockle Hall adds another thread to the story. A small two-bedroom cottage once stood there during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Although the building has disappeared, old damson and apple trees still mark the area where it once stood.
Accessible Facilities at Wyre Estuary Country Park
Good accessibility is about much more than the path itself, and Wyre Estuary Country Park has several facilities that make planning a visit easier.
There is ample free parking close to the main visitor area, along with a Changing Places facility for visitors who require additional space and specialist equipment. The on-site Wyreside Café serves hot and cold food and drinks, making it an ideal place to meet before a walk or to finish the day with refreshments—and, naturally, a well-earned slice of cake.
These facilities, together with the accessible paths and Trampers, help to make the country park a genuinely welcoming destination for disabled visitors, families and carers.
Details about the park, its facilities and forthcoming activities can be found on the official Wyre Estuary Country Park website. Information about borrowing an all-terrain mobility scooter is available on Wyre Council’s Tramper hire page.
What Made It Such a Good Day?
Of course, beautiful scenery helps, but the best Access the Dales days are never simply about the route.
They are about people.
They are about conversations as we travel, laughter during our stops and the confidence that comes from trying something new. For some participants, using a Tramper can mean experiencing a countryside route they believed was no longer available to them. For family members and friends, it means enjoying an outdoor adventure together instead of somebody waiting behind.
There was a wonderful sense of companionship as we followed the estuary paths. We had time to notice the changing colours of the saltmarsh, watch the birds and appreciate the enormous Lancashire sky. Nobody was rushing to reach a summit or tick off a distance. The pleasure came from being outdoors and sharing the experience.
Our visit showed exactly why accessible countryside matters. A suitable path is important, but access also depends upon the right mobility equipment, appropriate facilities, good information, welcoming staff and organisations prepared to work together.
Wyre Estuary Country Park provided all of these.
This may have been a new area for Access the Dales, but it felt completely at home with our belief that the countryside should be available to everyone. We are looking forward to returning, exploring more of the Wyre landscape and helping even more people discover the freedom of an accessible day outdoors.
Because the view, whether it is from a Yorkshire hill or a Lancashire saltmarsh, really is for everyone.