Editing Formby (section)

{{Short description|Town in Merseyside, England}}
{{other uses}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2015}}
{{Infobox UK place
| country = England
| type = Town
| coordinates = {{coord|53.5586|-3.0666|display=inline,title}}
| official_name = Formby
| label_position = left
| metropolitan_county = [[Merseyside]]
| population = 22,886
| population_ref = (2021)
| metropolitan_borough = [[Metropolitan Borough of Sefton|Sefton]]
| civil_parish = Formby  <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.formby-pc.gov.uk/|title=Formby Parish Council, Sefton, Merseyside, Official Website|website=Formby Parish Council}}</ref>
| region = North West England
| constituency_westminster = [[Sefton Central (UK Parliament constituency)|Sefton Central]]
| post_town = LIVERPOOL
| postcode_district = L37
| postcode_area = L
| dial_code = 01704
| os_grid_reference = SD293074
| static_image_name = Formby town centre (1).JPG
| static_image_caption = Formby Town Centre
 |parts_type = Districts of the town
 |p1 = [[Freshfield]]
 |p2 = [[Great Altcar]] (Village)
 |p3 = [[Little Altcar]] (Village) 
}}
[[File:Our Lady of Compassion, Formby - geograph.org.uk - 2356640.jpg|thumb|Our Lady of Compassion Church, Formby]]

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'''Formby''' is a town and [[Civil parishes in England|civil parish]] in the [[Metropolitan Borough of Sefton]], [[Merseyside]], [[England]].

[[Historic counties of England|Historically]] in [[Lancashire]], three manors are recorded in the [[Domesday Book]] of 1086 under "Fornebei", Halsall, Walton and Poynton.<ref name=Formby/> [[Cockle (bivalve)|Cockle]] raking and shrimp fishing lasted into the 19th century.<ref name=Formby/> By 1872, the township and sub-district was made up of two chapelries ([[St Peter's Church, Formby|St Peter's]] and [[St Luke's Church, Formby|St Luke's]]), Birkdale township, the hamlets of Ainsdale and Raven-Meols and Altcar parish.<ref name=Formby>{{cite book |author1=Farrer, William  |author2=Brownbill, J  | title=A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 3 | publisher=Victoria County History | year=1907 |pages=45–52 }} The Section dedicated to Formby.</ref><ref name=Wilson>{{cite book | author=Wilson, John Marius | title=Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales (1870–1872) | publisher=A. Fullarton & Co | year=1874 }}</ref> Formby was built on the plain adjoining the [[Irish Sea]] coast a few miles north of the [[Crosby, Merseyside|Crosby channel]].<ref name=Formby/>

A [[commuter town]] for [[Liverpool]],<ref name="theworkfoundation.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.theworkfoundation.com/Assets/Docs/Liverpool%20City%20Region.pdf|title=City Relationships: Economic Linkages in Northern city regions. Liverpool City Region|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120407025056/http://www.theworkfoundation.com/Assets/Docs/Liverpool%20City%20Region.pdf|archive-date=7 April 2012|df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sefton.gov.uk/pdf/2%20Profile%20of%20SeftonFORPRINT.pdf|title=Sefton Council Core Strategy Options Paper May 2011. Profile of Sefton|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120402140633/http://www.sefton.gov.uk/pdf/2%20Profile%20of%20SeftonFORPRINT.pdf|archive-date=2 April 2012|df=dmy-all}}</ref> Formby is also a tourist destination with [[Day-tripper|day trippers]] attracted to its beaches, [[sand dune]]s and wildlife, particularly the endangered [[red squirrel]] and [[natterjack toad]].<ref name=BBC>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/naturescalendar/spring/sandy_coast/formby/formby_walk.shtml|title=Formby coastal walk|author=Carolyn Garlick|publisher=BBC.co.uk}}</ref> The area is conserved by the [[National Trust]], and designated a [[Site of Special Scientific Interest]].<ref name=police>{{cite web|url=http://www.merseyside.police.uk/index.aspx?articleid=431|title=Formby, Ainsdale & Birkdale – Inspector Jim Atherton profile|publisher=Merseyside Police|access-date=3 October 2011|archive-date=20 May 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180520123837/https://www.merseyside.police.uk/index.aspx?articleid=431|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-formby-2|title=Formby|publisher=The National Trust|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111002152630/http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-formby-2|archive-date=2 October 2011|df=dmy-all}}</ref>