What is "southport"

Southport is a large seaside town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, Merseyside, England. During the 2001 census Southport was recorded as having a population of 90,336, making it the eleventh most populous settlement in North West England. The statistics for the 2011 Census were maintained on a ward basis.

Southport lies on the Irish Sea coast of North West England and is fringed to the north by the Ribble estuary. The town is situated to the north of the city of Liverpool and southwest of the city of Preston.

Historically a part of Lancashire, the town in its present form was founded in 1792 when William Sutton, an innkeeper from Churchtown, built a bathing house at what now is the south end of Lord Street, the town's main thoroughfare. At that time the area, known as South Hawes, was sparsely populated and was 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 and the town quickly grew. The rapid growth of Southport largely coincided with the Industrial Revolution and the Victorian era. Town attractions include Southport Pier with its Southport Pier Tramway, the second longest seaside pleasure pier in the British Isles and Lord Street, an elegant tree-lined shopping street, once home of Napoleon III of France.

Extensive sand dunes stretch for several miles between Birkdale and Woodvale to 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 the Hesketh family, 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 varied events including an annual air show on and over the beach, and the largest independent flower show in the UK in Victoria Park. The town is at the centre of England's Golf Coast and has hosted the Open Championship at the Royal Birkdale Golf Club.

Southport is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2001 by John Pugh, a Liberal Democrat.

Southport is a seaside town in Merseyside, England.

Southport or South Port may also refer to:

In Australia

• Southport, Queensland, a Gold Coast suburb
• Town of Southport, a former local government area in Queensland
• Electoral district of Southport, Queensland, Australia
• Southport, Northern Territory, a suburb of Darwin
• Southport Island, Tasmania
• Southport, Tasmania

In Canada

• Southport, Newfoundland and Labrador

In New Zealand

• South Port or Port Pegasus, a small former community on Stewart Island, New Zealand

In the United States

• Southport, Connecticut, a distinct section of the town of Fairfield, Connecticut.
• Southport, Florida
• Southport, Indiana
• Southport, Maine
• Southport, New York
  • Southport Correctional Facility
• Southport, North Carolina
• Kenosha, Wisconsin (formerly Southport)
• Southport (CTA), a rapid-transit station in Chicago, Illinois

Southport is a railroad station on the New Haven Line of the Metro-North Railroad. It serves Southport, a former borough in the town of Fairfield, Connecticut. It is one of three railroad stations in Fairfield, the others being Fairfield and Fairfield Metro. The station is nearly from Grand Central Terminal in New York City. The average travel time between Grand Central and Southport is one hour and twelve minutes, though this varies depending on the time of day and level of service. It has 179 parking spaces, 99 owned by the state.