2 A HANDBOOK FOR SOUTHPORT. 



The exact geographical position of South port is 53 38' 40" 

 north latitude, and 2 59' 45" west longitude. 



The railway distances are : from Liverpool, 1 8 miles ; from 

 Wigan, 17 miles; from Bolton, 27 miles; and from Man- 

 chester, 37 miles. Preston, 18 miles distant, gives ready 

 access to Southport from Yorkshire and the North, and 

 no places upon the north-western coast of England are more 

 readily reached from the midland counties and the metro- 

 polis, either by Manchester, or by Crewe and Wigan. The 

 nearest market town is Ormskirk, nine miles to the east 

 The nearest patrician mansions and residences, are Lathom 

 House, the seat of the Earl of Lathom ; Rufford Hall ; Scar- 

 isbrick Hall ; and Blythe HalL 



Relatively to the village of Churchtown, two miles distant 

 to the north, Southport is of almost recent origin. At 

 the beginning of the present century, it had scarcely come 

 into existence. To imagine what was then the complexion of 

 the ground now occupied by Lord-street and the Promenade, 

 we must imagine the Birkdale sandhills continued uninter- 

 ruptedly to a point beyond the Hesketh Park, with pools of 

 water, and forests of sharp and rushy grass ; narrow pathways 

 leading crossways, at long intervals, to the wastes beyond. 

 The cottages of a few fishermen stood about half-a-mile 

 inland from high-water mark. Of other houses there were 

 none. Churchtown, in a word, was the seat of local resi- 

 dence. Churchtown was the little mother village of modern, 

 handsome, and wealthy Southport, and whoever would trace 

 the uprise of the latter, must commence his survey with 

 the immediate neighbourhood of the Churchtown Botanic 

 Gardens. 



