Southport Botanic Gardens

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Southport Botanic Gardens
Botanic Gardens sign, Churchtown.JPG
Botanic Gardens welcome map on the Verulam Road entrance
Location map United Kingdom Southport.svg
Red pog.svg
Botanic Gardens
Location in Southport
TypePublic park
Location Churchtown, Southport, England
Created1874
Operated by Sefton Council
StatusOpen all year round

Southport Botanic Gardens is a botanical garden situated in the suburban village of Churchtown, Southport, in Merseyside, England. It is often called "The Jewel in the Crown" as it is nationally known for its floral displays, which have been featured in the BBC TV program Gardener's World . [1]

Contents

History

The gardens were founded by a local group of working men, known as the Southport and Churchtown Botanic Gardens Company. The company acquired land from the Hesketh Estate (which belonged to Meols Hall) to establish the gardens. The company raised £18,000 to build the museum, a conservatory and tea rooms and to landscape the gardens.

The Botanic Gardens' lake was formed from part of a stream (known as Otter Pool) that flowed from Blowick through Meols Hall out to the Ribble Estuary. It is said that monks who lived nearby fished for eels in the stream. [2] Until recently the flow of this stream had been intentionally blocked for 20–30 years at the point where it passed into the Gardens under Botanic Road, but this conduit was reopened in 2012. The gush of water out of the lake on re-opening sluiced away silt and mud in the stream bed, briefly exposing the cobbled ford which predated the road bridge.

The gardens were officially opened in 1875 by Rev. Charles Hesketh, from whom the land occupied by the gardens has been acquired. The ceremony included the laying of a foundation stone for the museum, which eventually opened in 1876.

Southport Botanic Gardens glasshouse, taken during the 1920s Southport Botanic Gardens Glasshouse.jpg
Southport Botanic Gardens glasshouse, taken during the 1920s

The gardens closed in 1932, as plans had been drawn up for housing development, but were saved from being sold by the Southport Corporation. They reopened on 28 August 1937 as "The Botanic Gardens and King George Playing Fields". Today, the park's name has been reverted to Botanic Gardens.

Conservatory

The gardens boasted a large glass conservatory with a fernery, which proved very popular with visitors, as it featured many tropical plants from around the world. Although the magnificent conservatory was eventually demolished, the fernery still remains. The site of the conservatory can still be seen in front of the fernery today, as the outline of the remains is laid out as a floral garden.

Botanic Gardens Museum

Botanic Gardens Museum Museum, Botanic Gardens, Churchtown.JPG
Botanic Gardens Museum

The Botanic Gardens Museum was opened in 1876. It was designed by the local architects Mellor & Sutton of London Street and built by George Duxfield of Duxfield Brothers, Southport.

The famous showman Phineas T. Barnum was an advisor in the construction of the museum, and his top hat was on display in the museum.

Martin Mere canoe Martin Mere canoe.jpg
Martin Mere canoe

The running of the museum was funded by donations from the public and Sefton Council. It was the only local-history museum in Sefton. [3]

New collection

When the gardens closed in 1932, all the collections were sold off. The museum was later reopened by John Scoles, who started from scratch a new collection.

The museum contained a number of fine collections—many of which have been donated by local residents—and its exhibits dealing with natural and local history include the Cecily Bate Collection of Dolls, a Victorian room and many local artefacts relating to Southport's heritage. One special item, and probably the oldest item in the museum was the ancient canoe which was found in Martin Mere.

Friends of the Botanic Gardens Museum

During the 1980s the Friends of the Botanic Gardens Museum organization was formed. They stopped the proposed closure of the museum at the time. The Friends had their own shop within the museum building.

Closure

The Botanic Gardens Museum was closed as part of a cost-cutting exercise by Sefton Council on 24 April 2011. [4] The collections were transferred to the Atkinson Museum where many are currently on display, including the Martin Mere canoe and artefacts relating to the Mexico lifeboat disaster of 1886.

The Pennington taxidermy collection was transferred to the British Historical Taxidermy Society Trust (BHTST), based in Essex, in controversial circumstances. This was despite significant interest from National Museums Liverpool, who wanted to take on part of the collection and keep it in Merseyside. The collection has since been returned to Sefton Council and resides in the Atkinson Museum in Southport.

2012 Campaign

At the same time as the museum closed, horticultural activities at the gardens were significantly reduced. [5] Sefton Council highlighted for further closures within the park which would see the loss of the Botanic Gardens Fernery, Aviary, Garden Nursery and Toilets along with the Conservatory at Hesketh Park. A group of local residents formed to save the remaining facilities at both parks, in particular at Botanic Gardens, which had already lost the museum, boats on the lake, boat house, road train that provided a ride around the park and job losses of park gardeners. [6] The flower beds are now maintained and entered into Britain In Bloom each year by the Botanic Gardens Community Association of volunteers who spend Mondays and Fridays every week of the year tending to as much of the park as they can. They have big hopes and dreams to return the gardens to their former splendour. [7]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Metropolitan Borough of Sefton</span> Metropolitan borough in England

The Metropolitan Borough of Sefton is a metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England. It was formed on 1 April 1974, by the amalgamation of the county boroughs of Bootle and Southport, the municipal borough of Crosby, the urban districts of Formby and Litherland, and part of West Lancashire Rural District. It consists of a coastal strip of land on the Irish Sea which extends from Southport in the north to Bootle in the south, and an inland part to Maghull in the south-east, bounded by the city of Liverpool to the south, the Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley to the south-east, and West Lancashire to the east.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southport</span> Town in Merseyside, England

Southport is a seaside town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in Merseyside, England. At the 2001 census, it had a population of 90,336, making it the eleventh most populous settlement in North West England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Formby</span> Town in England

Formby is a town and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, Merseyside, England, which had a population of 22,419 at the 2011 Census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marshside, Merseyside</span> Human settlement in England

Marshside is a suburb of the town of Southport, Merseyside, England. It is part of the ancient parish of North Meols and was formerly a detached settlement, on the northern fringe of what is now Southport.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Churchtown, Merseyside</span> Human settlement in England

Churchtown is a suburb of Southport, Merseyside, England. Historically in Lancashire, it is surrounded by Crossens, High Park and Marshside in the ancient parish of North Meols on the northern fringe of what is now Southport.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southport (UK Parliament constituency)</span> Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Meols Cop railway station</span>

Meols Cop railway station serves the Blowick suburb of the coastal town of Southport, Merseyside, England. The station has an island platform and is served by Northern Trains‘ Manchester Victoria/Manchester Piccadilly - Southport via Wigan Wallgate branch services, on which it is the last stop before the terminus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northern line (Merseyrail)</span> Line part of the Merseyrail network

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North Meols is a civil parish and electoral ward in the West Lancashire district of Lancashire, England. The parish covers the village of Banks and the hamlet of Hundred End. The population of the parish/ward at the 2011 census was 4,146. Historically the parish covered a wider area including much of what is now Southport.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Banks, Lancashire</span> Human settlement in England

Banks is a large coastal village in Lancashire, England, south of the Ribble estuary four miles (6 km) north-east of Southport. The village is administered by West Lancashire Borough and North Meols Parish Council. It is in the South Ribble parliamentary constituency. At the 2001 census the population of the North Meols civil parish was 3,792, rising to 4,146 by the 2011 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sefton Council</span> Local government body in England

Sefton Council is the governing body for the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in the county of Merseyside, north-western England. The council was under no overall control from the 1980s until 2012 when the Labour Party took control. It is a constituent council of Liverpool City Region Combined Authority.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Meols Hall</span> Manor house in Churchtown, Merseyside

Meols Hall is a historical manor house in Churchtown, Merseyside, dating from the 12th century with a 16th-century tithe barn restored for wedding receptions and ceremonies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kew, Merseyside</span> Human settlement in England

Kew is a suburb and ward of Southport, a seaside town in Sefton, Merseyside, England. It makes up the southeastern edge of the town, bordering Scarisbrick in West Lancashire. It is a middle class area of mostly modern development, and one of Southport's smallest suburbs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Cuthbert's Church, Churchtown</span> Church in Merseyside, England

St Cuthbert's Church is an Anglican church in Churchtown, Merseyside, a village that is now a suburb of Southport in the English county of Merseyside. It is an active parish church in the Diocese of Liverpool and the archdeaconry of Warrington. It has been designated a Grade II listed building by English Heritage. Historically, St Cuthbert's was the parish church of the ecclesiastical parish of North Meols and was within the boundaries of the historic county of Lancashire.

High Park is a suburb of Southport, Merseyside, England. It is located on the eastern fringe on the town, just south of Churchtown. High Park Road is within the area of Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council Council who provide services such as refuse collection and are responsible for the collection of council tax.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hesketh Park, Southport</span> Public park in England

Hesketh Park is a public park situated near the north end of Lord Street in the Victorian seaside town of Southport, Merseyside, England. It was designed as a public park in the mid-19th century by Edward Kemp, and was further developed in the 20th century. The land was donated by the Rev Charles Hesketh and has many Victorian features and landscape designs.

Southport station may refer to:

Churchtown is a district to the north of Southport, Sefton, Merseyside, England. It contains 84 buildings that are recorded in the National Heritage List for England as designated listed buildings. Of these, one is listed at Grade II*, the middle of the three grades, and the others are at Grade II, the lowest grade.

References

  1. ↑ "Sefton Home". 26 August 2021.
  2. ↑ http://www.seftonarts.co.uk/subvisit.php?id=40&PHPSESSID=bef32eecadcec20b601ae480d8d1e344%5B%5D
  3. ↑ "Botanic Gardens Museum, Southport | Culture24". Archived from the original on 26 February 2010. Retrieved 24 November 2009.
  4. ↑ "Sefton Home". 26 August 2021.
  5. ↑ "Southport - latest news pictures and video from the seaside town from the Visiter team".
  6. ↑ https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Save-our-Parks-Southport/182170911890783?bookmark_t=page [ user-generated source ]
  7. ↑ "Home". botanicgardensca.org.uk.

Coordinates: 53°39′43″N2°57′33″W / 53.66194°N 2.95917°W / 53.66194; -2.95917

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