(Excerpt from ‘History of Southport’, a chapter of Marina: Southport in 1831, a reprint of Peter Whittle's Marina)
The beach is perfectly smooth and firm, of large extent, and free from quick‑sands, stones, or pools of water, which, in general, are not only disagreeable but dangerous. The sea flows so far inland, that it is perfectly inmaterial whether you go there at spring or ebb tides.[3] The name of the district is “South Hawes” (hawes is a Saxon word, and means a thorp of dwellings) and to the meritorious Mr. Sutton, of Church-town, the public are most certainly indebted, for laying the foundation of the first hotel, about the year 1792. Be it remembered that before that time those who resorted to this part of the coast for the purpose of sea‑bathing usually visited Church‑town, and were brought down here at the flax of the tide in a vehicle called a shandrydan, or other conveyances such as could be procured for the special purpose of bathing or sea air. This became extremely unpleasant to many, wherefore the idea struck Mr. Sutton of erecting a house for their accommodation at South‑hawes, which was carried into execution. A house was built. The village received its title of Southport from the late Mr. Barton, surgeon, at an entertainment given by Mr. Sutton, at the opening of his new hotel. The doctor, during the course of the evening's dejune, took a bottle of wine, and, dashing the contents about him emphatically said “this place shall be called Southport”. There was formerly a road where ships and other vessels might anchor. Tradition reports that it was a port for vessels; the bay or road has now filled up with sand, owing, no doubt, to a geological change having taken place, which it has done at many places, as may be seen in Howard's Theory of the Earth, and Cuvier's Geology of the Earth. The Lancashire and Cheshire coasts have wonderfully changed, as is stated in Nichol's magazine of 1796.[4]
Mr. Sutton's attempt to form a marine village was considered at the time a very romantic speculation, and was treated by many as truly ridiculous. Necessarily the residence of Sutton was nicknamed the “Duke's Folly”. The first part was erected of timber chiefly, and was only kept open during the summer months, except when a hunting or shooting party wished to be accommodated, when provisions and liquors were conveyed there from Church‑town.[...]
Photo by Russ Broadbent