History Southport is in the North West of England on the coast of the Irish Sea. It was founded in 1792 when William Sutton opened a hotel – ‘Duke’s Folly’ – on a site which is nowadays at the junction of Lord Street and Duke Street. In this area, the first houses in Southport were then built. The name ‘South Port’ first appeared in 1798. Its closeness to the towns and cities of the textile districts of Northern England and the port of Liverpool led to its growth which increased further. This was even more true when the Victorian period railways were built in the 1840s and 50s. It was very fashionable to take seaside holidays in Victorian times, with doctors recommending a dose of sea air as a cure for most ailments. You may notice that the sea in Southport is a long way out – leaving a wide beach exposed for most of the time. You may not believe it but the sea once came in further than Lord Street. The Marine Lake is a reminder left behind by the previous extent of the sea. A wide expanse of coast has been reclaimed from the sea because it is almost totally flat land. The Victorian era has left the town with a glorious legacy – the spaciousness of Southport, the parks and gardens and wide tree-lined streets. Lord Street is the main shopping thoroughfare and is straight and wide and almost a mile long. Along one side are shops with Victorian glass topped canopies and on the opposite side are gardens, fountains and classical buildings. Although they didn’t realise it back in 1798, Southport’s town fathers created the perfect spot for weekends and short breaks.

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