West Lancashire Coastal Plain

The plain stretches from the Rimrose Valley in Seaforth, near Liverpool on the Mersey, to the south, to Preston on the Ribble, to the north.

The WWT Martin Mere near the villages of Holmeswood and Tarlscough gives a glimpse of what this area may have looked like prior to reclamation.

The mere as it was before drainage of the area was the second largest body of fresh water in England, behind Windermere.

Large areas have been reclaimed and have a distinctive pattern of rectangular fields of dark peaty soil with deep drainage ditches.

The Leeds and Liverpool Canal crosses the plain and, in summer, is used for irrigation, bringing water from the Pennines.