Preserving Southport’s Historic Verandahs
Sefton Council is leading the way in the preservation of Southport’s famous verandahs with the publication of a brand new maintenance and repair guide.
The guide has been jointly produced by Sefton Council along with Historic England and Southport Civic Society. It aims to provide businesses and property owners on the historic boulevard of Lord Street advice on how best to preserve their verandahs for future generations.
Its release coincides with a wide-ranging enforcement programme currently taking place, which has seen many of the town’s decorative structures restored to their former glory.
Lord Street’s impressive cast iron verandahs date back to the mid-19th Century, a time when Southport enjoyed a reputation as one of the most fashionable resorts in the country. Visitors would travel for miles to experience all that the town had to offer, but just like today, the seaside weather could never be relied upon.
Entrepreneurial shopkeepers soon began erecting covered walkways to allow customers to peruse potential purchases at their leisure, happily sheltered away from the rain. In time each individual verandah grew to become highly decorative, often embellished with strong classical columns, handsome finials, sophisticated spandrel brackets and other intricate and ornamental details. Soon an almost unbroken row of verandahs came to exist throughout the whole boulevard attracting thousands of tourists in their own right.
Each of these amazing structures remains in private ownership so it is vital that individual proprietors take steps to ensure that these beautiful examples of commercial heritage are cared for and remain in their best condition.
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