Hilbre Island crossing times for the next 7 days
Each day below shows the calculated Hilbre crossing windows from Dee Lane, West Kirby: when the planning window starts, the calculated leave-by time and when to be back on the mainland by, with the day's predicted high waters and whether the window is in daylight. An estimate — not permission to cross. Check the Dee Lane noticeboard before setting out.
Calculated at UK time. From NTSLF predictions, updated 23 Oct 23:00. An estimate — not permission to cross. Check the Dee Lane noticeboard before setting out.
Saturday 24 October
Today
Starts in daylight
- Planning window starts
- Latest calculated start
- Calculated leave-by time
- Back on the mainland by
- Sunset 17:58 — after that, the RNLI advises not to cross.
In darkness · RNLI advises not to cross
- Calculated window runs
- –
Already on Hilbre? The calculated window runs 00:56–06:51: leave the island by 05:51, back on the mainland by 06:51. If you are cut off or unsure, call 999 and ask for the Coastguard.
- RNLI advice: do not walk to the islands in the dark or fog.
Predicted high water
- High water 8.47 m CD
- High water 8.94 m CD
Moderate tide · highest high water 8.9 m
Sunday 25 October
Predicted (NTSLF predictions only)
Starts in daylight
- Planning window starts
- Latest calculated start
- Calculated leave-by time
- Back on the mainland by
- Sunset 16:56 — after that, the RNLI advises not to cross.
In darkness · RNLI advises not to cross
- Calculated window runs
- –
Already on Hilbre? The calculated window runs 01:32–06:26: leave the island by 05:26, back on the mainland by 06:26. If you are cut off or unsure, call 999 and ask for the Coastguard.
- RNLI advice: do not walk to the islands in the dark or fog.
Predicted high water
- High water 8.83 m CD
- High water 9.26 m CD
Spring tide · highest high water 9.3 m
Monday 26 October
Predicted (NTSLF predictions only)
Starts in daylight
- Planning window starts
- Latest calculated start
- Calculated leave-by time
- Back on the mainland by
- Sunset 16:53 — after that, the RNLI advises not to cross.
In darkness · RNLI advises not to cross
- Calculated window runs
- –
Already on Hilbre? The calculated window runs 01:07–06:58: leave the island by 05:58, back on the mainland by 06:58. If you are cut off or unsure, call 999 and ask for the Coastguard.
- RNLI advice: do not walk to the islands in the dark or fog.
Predicted high water
- High water 9.09 m CD
- High water 9.44 m CD
Spring tide · highest high water 9.4 m
Tuesday 27 October
Predicted (NTSLF predictions only)
Starts in daylight
- Planning window starts
- Latest calculated start
- Calculated leave-by time
- Back on the mainland by
- Sunset 16:51 — after that, the RNLI advises not to cross.
In darkness · RNLI advises not to cross
- Calculated window runs
- –
Already on Hilbre? The calculated window runs 01:43–07:33: leave the island by 06:33, back on the mainland by 07:33. If you are cut off or unsure, call 999 and ask for the Coastguard.
- RNLI advice: do not walk to the islands in the dark or fog.
Predicted high water
- High water 9.22 m CD
- High water 9.46 m CD
Spring tide · highest high water 9.5 m
Wednesday 28 October
Predicted (NTSLF predictions only)
Starts in daylight
- Planning window starts
- Latest calculated start
- Calculated leave-by time
- Back on the mainland by
- Sunset 16:49 — after that, the RNLI advises not to cross.
- Friends of Hilbre asks visitors to leave the islands by 8pm.
In darkness · RNLI advises not to cross
- Calculated window runs
- –
Already on Hilbre? The calculated window runs 02:22–08:11: leave the island by 07:11, back on the mainland by 08:11. If you are cut off or unsure, call 999 and ask for the Coastguard.
- RNLI advice: do not walk to the islands in the dark or fog.
Predicted high water
- High water 9.22 m CD
Spring tide · highest high water 9.2 m
Thursday 29 October
Predicted (NTSLF predictions only)
Starts in daylight
- Planning window starts
- Latest calculated start
- Calculated leave-by time
- Back on the mainland by
- Sunset 16:47 — after that, the RNLI advises not to cross.
- Friends of Hilbre asks visitors to leave the islands by 8pm.
In darkness · RNLI advises not to cross
- Calculated window runs
- –
Already on Hilbre? The calculated window runs 03:05–08:53: leave the island by 07:53, back on the mainland by 08:53. If you are cut off or unsure, call 999 and ask for the Coastguard.
- RNLI advice: do not walk to the islands in the dark or fog.
Predicted high water
- High water 9.30 m CD
- High water 9.06 m CD
Spring tide · highest high water 9.3 m
Friday 30 October
Predicted (NTSLF predictions only)
No calculated window. Check the Dee Lane noticeboard before setting out.
Predicted high water
- High water 8.94 m CD
- High water 8.75 m CD
Moderate tide · highest high water 8.9 m
Best daylight windows this week
These are the calculated windows that are not night windows, in date order; any that opens before sunrise or runs past sunset says so. This is not a ranking and a window in this list is not permission to cross: each one is an estimate from NTSLF predictions, so check the Dee Lane noticeboard on the day.
- Saturday 24 October: window – · calculated leave-by time · Sunset 17:58 — after that, the RNLI advises not to cross.
- Sunday 25 October: window – · calculated leave-by time · Sunset 16:56 — after that, the RNLI advises not to cross.
- Monday 26 October: window – · calculated leave-by time · Sunset 16:53 — after that, the RNLI advises not to cross.
- Tuesday 27 October: window – · calculated leave-by time · Sunset 16:51 — after that, the RNLI advises not to cross.
- Wednesday 28 October: window – · calculated leave-by time · Sunset 16:49 — after that, the RNLI advises not to cross.
- Thursday 29 October: window – · calculated leave-by time · Sunset 16:47 — after that, the RNLI advises not to cross.
Why tide times are not crossing times
A high water time says when the sea is highest, not when the route can be crossed. The calculated window starts 3 hours after one NTSLF predicted high water and ends 3½ hours before the next, the latest time to be back on the mainland. The calculated leave-by time is 60 minutes earlier, to allow for the walk back. Low tide itself is not the start of the window.
Predictions leave out wind, pressure and surge, and a day further ahead is predicted from NTSLF alone. How the window is calculated, and West Kirby tide times for the raw high and low water table.
Check the Dee Lane signs before you go
Check the Dee Lane noticeboard before setting out. The noticeboard at the Dee Lane slipway is the information to follow on the day, whatever this page says. RNLI advice: do not walk to the islands in the dark or fog.
If you are cut off, or anyone is in danger, call 999 or 112 and ask for the Coastguard. What to do if you are cut off by the tide.
Print or add to calendar
Print this page to keep the week's times to hand; the printout drops the site navigation and carries the calculation time. A calendar file holds one day's daylight windows, never a window that starts in darkness, and the times can change, so check again on the day.
Printed from walkhilbre.co.uk/hilbre-crossing-times. These are calculated estimates from NTSLF predictions, not permission to cross. Check the Dee Lane noticeboard before setting out. Times can change: check the page again on the day.
WalkHilbre fetches the Hilbre high and low water predictions shown here directly from the National Tidal and Sea Level Facility (NTSLF), © National Oceanography Centre, Liverpool. NTSLF publishes times in GMT and heights in Chart Datum without meteorological effects; WalkHilbre displays Europe/London local time and keeps weather context separate.