New Brighton

New Brighton sits at the north-east tip of the Wirral where the Mersey meets the sea, a faded-then-revived resort with the squat Fort Perch Rock and its lighthouse guarding the river mouth. From the air the fort, the wide promenade, the Mersey shipping lanes and the Liverpool skyline across the water all make strong subjects. There is ample parking along Marine Promenade and at the Marine Point development. There is no Flight Restriction Zone here, as Liverpool John Lennon Airport lies around seventeen kilometres to the south, but you are near busy Mersey shipping and a well-used seafront, so treat this as a caution spot. Fly from the open beach or foreshore at lower tide rather than the crowded promenade, keep clear of people, the fort and the boating lake, and never fly over the shipping channel. The surface is firm sand at low water with plenty of room, though the estuary wind can be brisk and gusty. Summer weekends and events are very busy; a weekday morning or a crisp winter day is calmer, and low sun over the river gives the fort and lighthouse real drama.