10 Reasons To Visit Southport This Summer
While international travel restrictions have been largely lifted, many Brits have rediscovered the joy of a good old fashioned British holiday in the last couple of years. Our beautiful country has so much to offer, from exhilarating nights out to the theatre and fine dining to the beautiful countryside and incredible coastline.
It might leave you so spoilt for choice, you don’t know where to go! However, if you’re looking to escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life and find the ideal place to relax, then Southport has it all – art, festivals, nature, and much more than you realise!
1. Southport Market
After reopening in July 2021 following a £1.4 million refurbishment, Southport Market has become a firm favourite with visitors and locals. It has been transformed into a vibrant food and drink venue, with 10 different outlets serving traditional favourites such as pies and pizza, as well as international cuisine.
A drink at the carousel-themed bar based on the historic fairground and seaside favourites of the town is a must!
2. Southport Parks
There are numerous beautiful parks in Southport, including Hesketh Park, the largest park in the seaside town. It has multiple walking trails for you to explore, a lake, gorgeous ornate fountains, a play area for children, and four different gardens to explore, as well as abundant wildlife to spot.
As you head into Southport from our Riverside Park development, you’ll find Churchtown, which is home to the Botanic Gardens, Victorian gardens bursting with colour and floral displays. Explore the paths and the lake, as well as the aviary, and Victorian Fernery.
In Southport Town Centre you can find Princess Park, which has everything you could ever want for in a town centre park, as well as being next to a mini-golf course.
If you’re looking for open fields for ball games with the family and a children’s play park, then head to Victoria Park, which is also home to the Southport Flower Show, as well as many other events throughout the year.
Southport is also well-known for Rotten Row, one of the largest herbaceous borders in the country, a 746-metre stretch of one of the most visually alluring streets in all of Southport, bursting with colour.
3. Events
The event calendar for Southport is sure to have something for everyone. Victoria Park, as mentioned above, is renowned for its many events, and there is an event every month there starting with the Southport Food & Drink Festival from 2nd – 5th June, which will have a wide range of food and drink for everyone, from paella to spicy chicken wings.
On the 9th and 10th of July, there is the Southport Airshow, where you can watch the famous Red Arrows, RAF pilots in their Eurofighter Typhoons, and a Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, as well as more ground-based activities such as flight simulators, assault courses, and much more!
Southport Flower Show, the UK’s largest independent flower show, returns to Victoria Park in August, from the 18th to the 21st, packed with show gardens, a huge array of plants to buy, and celebrity guests, with Gardeners’ World’s Adam Frost and The Hairy Bikers appearing in 2022.
Music fans may be interested in the Southport Seaside Weekender festival offering three days of live music, each with a different theme. Friday is for lovers of all things pop, Saturday is reserved for old-school ravers, while Sunday serves up a variety of the best rock and pop tribute acts in the UK.
4. Birkdale Golf Course
Sports fans will know that the Royal Birkdale Golf Club is a popular venue for the British Open, having hosted the competition nine times since 1954. It’s a fantastic opportunity for golf enthusiasts to play a round at the same venue as the professionals. The club is open to the public, but a reservation is required, which can be made at the club’s website.
5. Martin Mere
This amazing wildlife reserve is a popular destination for families and nature lovers and offers a wide range of activities from outdoor adventure play areas, nature trails to explore, wildlife to spot and a chance to meet the animals. From April to September, visitors have the opportunity to explore the wetlands by canoe or a guided boat tour.
6. The Atkinson
Home to art, music, theatre and history, The Atkinson is where to go for culture in Southport. You can see all 3,500 museum pieces as the art exhibitions are always on rotation.
The museum also holds the Goodison Egyptology Collection, which has remained unseen for 40 years, until it was put on display in 2014 – the perfect place to learn everything about Egypt during the time of the Pharaohs.
If all that culture and history gives you a thirst, then visit the on-site café, A Great Little Place for locally roasted coffee, and then head to The Atkinson Gift Shop for souvenirs from your visit, including handmade items from local artists, and information about local history and events, such as craft fairs.
7. Windmill Animal Farm
Who wouldn’t want to bottle feed baby lambs? If you want to explore a farming life from a farm train that takes you around The Mere Trail, drive around on pedal tractors, and have fun in the indoor and outdoor play areas, then Windmill Animal Farm is the ideal day out.
As well as the Roller Races for competitive children, and many more activities, there’s also an ice cream lodge with 15 fantastic flavours.
8. Southport Pier
The oldest iron pier in England, Southport Pier also has the honour of being the second-longest pier in the country, stretching out over 1,000 metres. At the end of the pier, you’ll find the Pier Pavilion, packed full of historic charm with its old penny slot machines in the vintage arcade. If walking the kilometre to the end sounds like too much, there’s even a tram to take you to the end.
The pier also stands over Marine Lake a mile-long stretch of water along Southport’s Victorian Promenade, where you can take to the water in a speedboat or a far more sedate pedalo. At the bottom of the pier is a locally renowned fish & chip shop, a Funland arcade and a carousel, for those seaside essentials.
9. Southport Town Centre
Southport boasts an endless number of excellent bars and restaurants, with enough variety to suit all tastes. The town also has numerous shopping areas for some retail therapy, including the Parisian-style, tree-lined boulevard of Lord Street, with over 30 restaurants and various boutique shops to browse.
Adjacent to Lord Street is Chapel Street, with a selection of high-street stores, The Atkinson, Southport Market, and Marble Place shopping arcade. There is also Neville Street, running perpendicular to Lord Street, where you’ll find an array of fish & chip shops and ice cream parlours.
10. Burscough Wharf
Easily accessible from Southport by bus or train, and on the banks of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal is Burscough Wharf, the largest and unique collection of food and drink venues under one roof in the area. It is a great spot to spend some time and enjoy a bite to eat and a drink when the sun is shining. There is always a lively outdoor atmosphere, and regular live music and events.
As well as food and drink, there are local artists, and health and beauty practitioners.
If you are considering travelling further afield, then Southport has 22 miles of coastline, so there is plenty to explore, from Anthony Gormley’s life-size human sculptures on Crosby Beach, or perhaps try crab fishing at Crosby Marina.
Formby Pine Woods, down the coast from Southport offers a woodland walk that can lead you to the beautiful sand dunes and onto miles of golden beaches. Heading north towards the South Ribble area on the outskirts of Leyland is Worden Park, with a large play park and open fields.
Southport is convenient for travelling to Liverpool by train for city-centre shopping, and even more food and fine dining options, while Blackpool is only 30 miles to the north, with the famous Pleasure Beach, Sandcastle Waterpark, and Blackpool Tower.
Southport also has Pleasureland, a theme park on the coast, and Splash World, which is due to open to the public later in 2022.
To be close to all these amazing attractions then stay at our Riverside Holiday Park and be at the foot of all these locations whilst having the option to relax on-site where we have our own outdoor splash pad, bar & restaurant, indoor pool and outdoor play area.
