Southport Town Hall

Southport is a seaside town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in Merseyside, England. At the 2021 census, it had a population of 94,421, making it the eleventh most populous settlement in North West England.Southport lies on the Irish Sea coast and is fringed to the north by the Ribble estuary. The town is 17 miles (27 km) north of Liverpool and 15 miles (24 km) southwest of Preston. Within the boundaries of the historic county of Lancashire, the town was founded in 1792 when William Sutton, an innkeeper from Churchtown, built a bathing house at what is now the south end of Lord Street. At that time, the area, known as South Hawes, was sparsely populated and dominated by sand dunes. At the turn of the 19th century, the area became popular with tourists due to the easy access from the nearby Leeds and Liverpool Canal. The rapid growth of Southport largely coincided with the Industrial Revolution and the Victorian era. Town attractions include Southport Pier, the second longest seaside pleasure pier in the British Isles, and Lord Street, an elegant tree-lined shopping street. Extensive sand dunes stretch for several miles from Woodvale to Birkdale, the south of the town. The Ainsdale sand dunes have been designated as a national nature reserve and a Ramsar site. Local fauna include the natterjack toad and the sand lizard. The town contains examples of Victorian architecture and town planning, on Lord Street and elsewhere. A particular feature of the town is the extensive tree planting. This was one of the conditions required by the Hesketh family when they made land available for development in the 19th century. Hesketh Park at the northern end of the town is named after them, having been built on land donated by Rev. Charles Hesketh.Southport today is still one of the most popular seaside resorts in the UK. It hosts various events, including an annual air show on and over the beach, the largest independent flower show in the UK (in Victoria Park) and the British Musical Fireworks Championship. The town is at the centre of England's Golf Coast and has hosted the Open Championship at the Royal Birkdale Golf Club.

Southport Arts Centre, formerly known as Cambridge Hall, is on the east side of Lord Street, Southport, Sefton, Merseyside, England, and stands between Southport Town Hall and the Atkinson Art Gallery and Library. It was built in 1873–74 and originally contained an assembly hall. The centre contains mixed architectural styles and has a tall clock tower at the right end. During the 20th century the assembly hall was converted into a theatre, and it forms part of the arts complex known as The Atkinson. The arts centre is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II listed building.

Lord Street is the main shopping street of Southport, in Merseyside. It is 1 mile (1.6 km) long, with a roundabout marking each end of the street. There are many water features, gardens and architectural buildings along the entire street, with a mix of residential, commercial and public buildings. It was laid out in the early 19th century. Southport Lord Street railway station, which opened on 1 September 1884, was the terminus of the Southport and Cheshire Lines Extension Railway. Although it closed to passengers in 1952, the frontage of the building was retained.

The Atkinson is a building on the east side of Lord Street extending round the corner into Eastbank Street, Southport, Sefton, Merseyside, England. The building is a combination of two former buildings, the original Atkinson Art Gallery and Library that opened in 1878, and the adjacent Manchester and Liverpool District Bank that was built in 1879. These were combined in 1923–24 and the interiors have been integrated. The original building is in Neoclassical style, and the former bank is in Renaissance style. The art gallery and library has been integrated with the Southport Arts Centre and is now known as The Atkinson. The two former buildings are each recorded in the National Heritage List for England as designated Grade II listed buildings.

Dune Radio (formerly Sandgrounder Radio) is an Independent Local Radio station serving the North West Coast of England covering Southport, the Liverpool City Region, the Fylde Coast, and West Lancashire. The station broadcasts on DAB and Online. The station started life as a 28-day RSL (Restricted Service Licence) covering Southport on FM in November 2015. In June 2016 the station launched full time on DAB Digital Radio covering Southport and The Liverpool City Region. In the summer of 2020, broadcasting regulator Ofcom granted permission for the station to extend its editorial coverage to the Fylde Coast taking in Lytham St Annes and Blackpool covering the North West Coast of England. The station offers a full range of programmes 24 hours a day. A recent tie in with local bus operator Peoplesbus saw the launch of the 'Sandgrounder Shuttle' - a fully branded bus to be used on promotional trips. The bus has an eye catching all over livery featuring the images of a number of presenters.

Wayfarers Arcade (previously the Leyland Arcade and Burton Arcade) is a Grade II listed structure located in the seaside town of Southport, Merseyside on the famous boulevard of Lord Street in the town centre. The arcade is a near untouched building with the glass dome and Victorian shop fronts below it, creating a shopping arcade.

Southport is a constituency in Merseyside which has been represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2017 by Damien Moore of the Conservative Party.

Southport War Memorial is in London Square, Lord Street, Southport, Merseyside, England. It consists of an obelisk flanked by two colonnades in the form of Greek temples. Outside the colonnades are memorial gardens, each containing a Pool of Remembrance and fountains. The memorial was designed by the local architects Grayson and Barnish, and the carving was executed by Herbert Tyson Smith. It was unveiled in 1923 by the Earl of Derby. Following the Second World War and subsequent conflicts further inscriptions and names have been added. The memorial is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II* listed building.

Southport & District Reform Synagogue, also known as Sha'arei Shalom ("Gates of Peace"), is a Reform Jewish congregation at the corner of Princes Street and Portland Street, Southport, in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, Merseyside, England. The congregation was formed in 1948 as Southport New Synagogue and has been associated with the Movement for Reform Judaism since 1949. It celebrated its 70th anniversary in 2018.The synagogue publishes a newsletter, L'Chayim.

Southport railway station serves the town of Southport, Merseyside, England. The station is the terminal of the Southport branch of the Northern Line of the electric Merseyrail network and the diesel-operated Manchester-Southport Line. It is the fourth busiest station on the Merseyrail network. The station and services to Liverpool and Hunts Cross are operated by Merseyrail, with Manchester services operated by Northern Trains.

St George's Church is in Lord Street, Southport, Sefton, Merseyside, England, and is an active United Reformed Church. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II listed building.

The Monumental Obelisk, Southport, stands on the Promenade in Southport. Merseyside, England. It commemorates a number of events, mainly relating to the work of the Southport lifeboats, and in particular the loss of fourteen lifeboatmen when their boat capsized in 1886. The monument was designed by Thomas Robinson, and is constructed in granite. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II listed building.