Marine Lake

Marine Lake

Bold Stre t

, 4 Victoria Street

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12

Waverley St

Portiand Stree

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Dunes Splash World ntre Start and finish at the Carousel at Route

• Queen Victoria Statue.

• NeviII Street Underground. 2.1 With your back to the Queen Victoria statue the subway follows the paved area and under the amusement arcade "Fun land".

3. Victoria Baths. 3.1 Walk along the promenade and Victoria Baths is a short distance from NeviII Street.

4. Queens Hotel. 4.1 The Queens hotel is opposite the Floral Hall.

5. St. Marie's Church - Seabank Road. 5.1 Turn right into Seabank Road. 5.2 Walk along Seabank Road and St.Marie's Church is on the left.

6. Retrace your steps to the Promenade Hospital which is on your right.

7. Lakeside Inn. 7.1 Turn right after the Lakeside Inn towards Marine Lake.

8. Marine Lake. 8.1 Behind the Lakeside Inn is the north end on Marine Lake. 8.2 Turn left and walk alongside the lake towards Southport Pier. Route

9. Floral Hall. 9.1 To the right is the Floral Hall (part of the Southport Theatre and Convention Centre.

10. Marine Way Bridge. 10.1 Walk along the left side of Marine Way Bridge. 10.2 Half way along the bridge on the left is a small footpath bridge connecting to the Pier. 10.3 Use the bridge and turn right on to the Pier.

11. Southport Pier. 11.1 Walk to the end of the Pier. 11.2 When returning along the pier use the steps/ramp on the right, both lead down the sea front. Use the pedestrian crossing and walk onto the sea wall.

12. Marine Drive Sculptures. 12.1 Walk along the sea wall towards the next pedestrian crossing.

13. Trans Pennine Trail. 13.1 Use the pedestrian crossing and walk towards the Esplanade.

14. Lifeboat Station. 14.1 Walk past the Lifeboat Station and towards the Marine Lake.

15. Lakeside Miniature Railway. 15.1 Turn right and walk alongside the Marine Lake, there are some steps on the right that lead down towards a disused fountain, use the steps on the other side and continue towards the Promenade.

16. Kings Gardens. 16.1 Turn left onto the Promenade.

17. Royal Clifton Hotel. 17.1 Continue along the Promenade.

18. Lifeboat Memorial.

19. Fernley Fountian. 19.1 Walk along the Promenade, until you reach the fountain.

20. Byng House. (Formally Claremont House) 20.1 Byng House is opposite the Fernley Fountain.

21. Promenade/Nevill Street - Finish. Start

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• 1. Queen Victoria Statue...

• The statue, erected in 1904, originally stood outside the Atkinson Library and Art Gallery. It was moved to this location in 1912.

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2. Nevill Street Subway...

• In the late 19th and early 20th century Nevill Street, near to the junction with the Promenade, had shops on two levels. A subway ran under the Promenade and onto the beach.

• The subway has now been covered over and despite extensive research there appears to be no access to the street.

• With your back to the Queen Victoria statue the subway follows the paved area under the "Funland amusement arcade ".

• There were a number of shops including confecti,.iers and oyster dealers. 3. Victoria Baths...

• Designed by Horton and Bridgford in 1871-72. This building replaced the first baths which opened on 2nd May 1839 at a cost of £6,000.

111 The baths comprised four sea water "swimming plunges", Turkish, Russian and private baths.

• Private baths could be filled with • • • fresh water but if you wanted sea water it would cost you more. BATils ATIRELY ALit • URKIsil USSIANt O miNG g • • • • • • • • • • • • • 0)11111.-

4. Queens Hotel...

• This building is a typical example of the hotels and guest houses that lined this part of the Promenade in their Victorian heyday.

• The hotel was built in 1866.

5. St Marie's Church - Seabank Road...

• Ce..114-kt-tew+frJUULIIHVI l..11U J1. ,C11,11,111, foundation opened in 1841.

• Originally known as "St Marie's on the Sands" as it stood isolated in the sand hills.

III The architect was Augustus Welby Pugin. The church was subject to major refurbishment in 1852, 1875 and 1924.

111 The church has a rose window and a Latin bell cote above the church's main entrance. (A bell cote is a small shelter for church bells that have no tower or steeple in which they can be housed).

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6. Promenade Hospital... • The original hospital was a two storey building built in 1853 facing Seabank Road and called "North Meols Local Dispensary". It was later renamed "Southport Convalescent Hospital and Sea Bathing Infirmary". • Above the main entrance of the original building is a stone with the date 1806. This refers to when the Strangers Charity, that funded the building, was founded. The major part of the hospital was built between 1880 and 1883. • It is a mix of French and German gothic styles. Note the black painted drainpipes dated 1882 that have been designed to look like battlements with a tower at each end. • The hospital cost £30,000 and was financed by the Lancashire Cotton Famine Relief Fund. • As the name of the charity indicates the hospital was for "strangers" not the people of Southport. III The hospital was commandeered as a military hospital during both world wars. • It was not until 1948, under the National Health Act, that the hospital became part of the local health service and renamed as the "Promenade Hospital". The hospital was closed in April 1990 and converted into apartments.

7. Lakeside Inn... • Declared to be the smallest pub in Britain by a signed certificate from the Guinness Book of Records dated 1989. Ill The Inn was part of a series of timber framed rustic looking leisure buildings built between 1892 and 1913.

• • • • • • •Ipi■ 8. Marine Lake...

• In the late 19th century the sea came in as far as the Promenade. However, over time, the sea retreated leaving a rather muddy lake. In 1887 it was decided to enclose this space and subsequently the Marine Lake and Gardens were created. They opened with a flourish; a Venetian water carnival was held which went on into the evening and saw the lake and park covered in coloured electric fairy lights. • • • A new lake and gardens to the north of the Pier were created in 1892. The lakes • • were joined in 1895 and have since been further extended. • • • •

9. Floral Hall...

• The Floral Hall has undergone a major refurbishment in recent years and has a long tradition of supplying entertainment to visitors. • The original hall was built in 1932 and designed by Archer and Gooch. • The complex comprised of a 1,600 seater auditorium, dance hall, cafe, gardens with outside stage and conference facilities. • •

10. Marine Way Bridge...

• The bridge was officially opened on Friday 14th May 2004 after its cast iron Victorian predecessor had to be closed in 1990 due to its unsafe state. • The bridge is made up of 18,000 tonnes of concrete and over 30 miles of cabling.

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11. Southport Pier... • Southport has had a pier since 1860 though a pier had been planned since 1844. • After an extension in 1868 it became the second longest pier in Britain. • Until 1923 steamers plied their trade from the pier to Blackpool, Anglesey and other ports. • An ornate pier pavilion at the entrance of the pier was opened in 1902 but was demolished in 1969. • At the end of the pier, housed in Southport Pier Pavillion is an interesting collection of penny arcade machines that were popular in the early part of the 20th century, the majority of which can still be played.

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12. Marine Drive Sculptures... • As part of the sea wall project a number of wind sculptures were erected. 111 As you walk along the seafront you will encounter shoals of fish, waves, stars and comets that shift and creak in the wind. 111 The sculptures have been designed to represent the natural cycle of the sea.

• • • • • • • • • 44111111. 13. Trans Pennine Trail...

• This marks the start (or end) of a national walking/ cycling route which goes from the west to the east coast ending (or starting) in Hornsea, 215 miles away. III Part of the Sefton section of the trail utilises the old Cheshire Railway line that came across Formby Moss then along the coast until reaching the Lord Street terminus. This is now Morrison's supermarket and car park.

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0 0 ROYAL NAT ON AT INST T moN. isafk4 1. 14. Lifeboat Station... Scnith,r1 5t3

• The first lifeboat at Southport was in 1860. • The station was closed in 1925 but reopened in the 1980's. • The current boat is the "Heather White" and covers an area between the River Mersey and Ribble and up to 25 miles offshore. III More information is available along the side of the building.

• • • • • 0 0 • • • • • • • • • • • •10°. 15. Lakeside Miniature Railway, Pleasureland and Zoo...

1.1 When this 15" gauge railway was opened in 1911 the fare was 1 old penny for a one way trip. The pier station can be seen on the right as you walk along the pier out to sea. • The railway was originally known as Llewelyns Miniature Railway named after its builder and creator Mr GV Llewelyn. 111 In the late 19th and early 20th century Pleasureland extended to cover where the bowling green is now and a water chute into the Marine Lake. • Pleasureland has had many interesting rides and attractions including "Professor Eagle", the Canadian character expert. 101 The zoo was started as a pets corner in 1953 by Frank Farrar. 111 Over the years the site was developed to include a reptile house, parrot house, aquarium, primate enclosure, schoolroom, hospital and natural history museum.

16. Kings Gardens...

111 Opened by King George V and Queen Mary in 1913, the laying out of the gardens cost in the region of £20,000. • As you walk round the end of the lake you will see in the water a large rectangular stone structure. This is one of the foundations for a water chute that entertained visitors in the early part of the 20th century. • The Gardens were inspired by Thomas Mawson. Look across the lake you will see the spectacular Venetian Bridge. • To your right is a Grade ll cast iron shelter, there are 9 within the gardens, behind this shelter are situated the bowling greens. 111 Within the sunken garden there lies a fountain, this has been modernised to make the space more useable for recreational activities. • As you leave the sunken garden look to your left and you will see the pumping station, to the right of the pumping station you will see a pebbled wall, this is part of the original sea wall. • The gardens were added to the "Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest" in June 2001.

• • • • • • - • • • • • 17. Royal Clifton Hotel...

111 The first part of the hotel was built in 1854 and comprised of the buildings to the right. This was known as the Royal Hotel.

• The Clifton Hotel was opened in 1903 and was a conversion of existing houses. The Clifton was a Temperance hotel.

• In 1977 the Royal merged with the Clifton and became the Royal Clifton Hotel.

111 If you look up on the roof you should see what looks like an owl statue. Despite extensive research it is not been possible to establish the story behind this statue. If you know please let us know.

18. Lifeboat Memorial...

• Although dedicated to all Southport lifeboat personnel the town's greatest loss was on Thursday 9th December 1886. The cargo vessel "Mexico" was en-route from to South America when it was blown off course and ran aground near Southport. Three lifeboats were launched from Lytham, Southport and St Annes. The Lytham lifeboat managed to rescue the crew but the St Anne's lifeboat was lost with all hands. The Southport lifeboat lost 14 of its 16 crew. •

• • • 19. Fernley Fountain...

1111 Gifted by John Fernley, a local philanthropist, in 1861. A thermometer, weather vane and barometer were incorporated. • John Fernley also funded a lifeboat named "Eliza Fernley" and a Meteorological Observatory in Hesketh Park. • • • • " 20. Byng House...

111 This was opened as a private hotel by Michael Charlton in 1838. • On the 29th September 1845 a fire broke out, unfortunately Southport did not have a fire engine so a mounted messenger was dispatched to Ormskirk and arrived there 23 minutes later. Returning to start of walk SOUTHPORT e6 Scale /4

The Pie

Information Sources Ne(Q„/ Aug I ‘c,. A -

Below is a list of sources used in the collation of information for this walk. These, and more, are available for viewing at Crosby Library, Crosby Road North, Waterloo, Liverpool. L22 OLQ. For more information please call in, telephone 0151-257-6401 or e-mail us at [email protected] yA-t7- .4 /0..y \ k awe, 1-01 I 111 A History of Southport-FA Bailey • Archive Photographs Southport - Ian Simpson • Annals of Southport 1903 - E Bland • Around Southport - Francis Firth \i) e III Britain in old photographs Southport - Jack Smith !t- 0 • List of buildings of special Architectural or Historic Interest, Southport - Sefton Council , e 111 Sand and Sea : Sefton's Coastal Heritage - Jennifer M Lewis & Jennifer E Stanistreet \I' • Southport A History - Harry Foster M Southport Maps of the time fillside • Southport Stage and Screen - Harold Ackroyd Southport Visiter newspaper archives •III Thatch, Towers and Colonnades - Cedric Greenwood 711‘: V • The Great Lifeboat Disaster of 1886 - J Allen Miller 0 -0

e • The Sand Dunes of the Sefton Coast - David Atkinson 0 ,1 • The Sands of Time: An introduction to the sand dunes of the Sefton Coast - Phillip H Smith #0 11 ' 4(1 MI Kings Gardens Development Project Archive k9d v 0 0 4

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