New Brighton is my go-to place and it’s where much of the inhabitants of the tank came from. There are half a dozen different locations around the immediate vicinity of Fort Perch Rock, and you can park right next to it free of charge.
Low tide at New Brighton opens up an array of options to rockpool in. There are sandy pools overflowing with crabs, prawns and gobies, there are rocky pools further up the beach where you will find blennies, and there are dozens of small pools within the concrete structures that run along the beach which contain starfish, crabs, anenomes, and various small fish that get trapped in them when the tide goes out.
The tank is packed full of things I caught at New Brighton, while I’ve returned plenty of creatures (mostly crabs and anenomes) back where I found them after enjoying their presence in the tank for a while. Like anybody who grew up on Merseyside, I’ve been visiting New Brighton for many years. As well as the fairground, the main attraction for me was always the crab lake. It’s still there, but I don’t think there are crabs in it these days as you rarely see anybody crabbing in there, and when I’ve tried I’ve caught nothing.
So the rockpools are where you’ll find the crabs now. If you park outside the fort, there is. wide expanse of sandy beach when the tide is out. The main rockpooling spots are directly facing the Liverpool side of the Mersey. You’ll see the huge red cranes on the other side and that’s the direction you’ll want to go.
Directly behind the fort are two large pools next to the rocks. They’re mostly sand, with some seaweed attached to the side of the rocks that are home to the prawns. One swish of the net through that seaweed will usually scoop up several prawns of varying sides. You may grab a goby or two that way as well.
The best way to catch the gobies is to just place the net under the water in the sandy pool and wait for them to swim in of their own accord. Alternatively, just dragging the net through the sandy bottom will occasionally bear fruit. You’ll definitely catch some common / brown shrimp that way as they bury themselves under the sand and are incredibly easy to catch. I’ve had some small flatfish that way too.
It’s a similar story in the main pool located to the right of the car park. That pool sits alongside a wall like structure which is home to some larger prawns as well as Blennies and Gobies. There are numerous small pothole like rock pools around it too, and I’ve had a few blennies out of those in the summer when the seaweed has started to grow. In the winter / spring those pools are pretty much empty.
The most interesting places to explore though are the pools that sit inside the man made rock structures that line the beach. The ones furthest to the right are no good as they don’t really hold water, but the middle ones directly facing the car park contain all sorts. Staples of those pools are starfish, crabs and anenomes, but there are definitely various types of fish in there including blennies and sea scorpions.
So far I’ve been unable to catch any of them though as it’s virtually impossible to scoop them up in a net due to the nooks and crannies they can shoot off into. I have tried using a fish trap but didn’t leave it in very long as I’m usually on the move and don’t like to stay in the one pool. I did catch a baby sea scorpion in there, but it was way too small to take back and I probably wouldn’t take that species home regardless of size, as I expect they’d make short work of the prawns and gobies.
All in all, New Brighton is a great place to go as there’s plenty to do other than just rockpooling. It boasts the UK’s longest promenade, perfect for relaxing, strolling, and enjoying seaside sights. At Fort Perch Rock you will find the Perch Rock Lighthouse, a marine lake, and family attractions like arcades and mini-golf. The beach is lifeguarded from late May to August but keep an eye on tide times due to sandbanks and occasional mud patches.
New Brighton boasts a wide range of nearby amenities includes toilets, cafes, bars, a bowling alley, Lasertag, a cinema, model boating, and plenty of free parking. It’s also served by a one-mile walk from New Brighton rail station.
