Southport factfile

How to get to Southport
Southport is a coastal town on the Irish Sea coast of the Sefton Borough of Liverpool, lying 16.5 miles (26.6 km) north of the city. Southport can be reached from Liverpool by the A565, or alternatively from the M6 motorway. The nearest airpoprt is Liverpool's John Lennon Airport.

Shopping in Southport
The centre of quality shopping in Southport can be found in the beautiful tree-lined Lord Street, which has all the top high-street names, together with speciality shops and independent boutiques.

There are more opportunities for shoppers in nearby Chapel Street and Eastbank Street and in a number of covered shopping malls including the Wayfarers Arcade and Marble Place. The Market Hall in King Street still hosts a traditional market, and you can browse the local produce at the Farmers Market on the last Thursday of every month.

Things to see and do in Southport
Southport has its own Model Railway Village, where locomotives travel through a delightfully crafted miniature landscape over 1.5 acres. And there's plenty of fun to be had at Southport's famous Pleasureland amusement park and Camelot Theme Park, which are open all year round.

Sport and leisure in Southport
Southport really is a golfer's paradise. Home to the Royal Birkdale, one of the country's finest courses, and a host of the Open Championship, the town also boasts a further five championship standard courses.

Younger visitors will enjoy Splashworld, the water amusement park at the Dunes Swimming Pool. The area also boasts many beaches of a high standard, including Ainsdale beach to the south, a popular kite sport location. The flat but scenic terrain makes the area a popular destination for cyclists, and Southport marks the start of the Trans Pennine Trail, which runs through Selby, Hull and Hornsea.

Natural beauty spots in Southport
As well as being tranquil and picturesque, the Sefton coast's dunes, beaches and marshes are a haven for all kinds of wildlife, including the rare sand lizard and natterjack toad. Birdwatchers will be particularly rewarded by the many species that can spotted here—over 300 species have so far been recorded in the area.

Southport's claim to fame
Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte (later Emperor Napoleon III) lived in exile in Southport's Lord Street from 1846 to 1848, before returning to France.