Southport Pier — Attraction in Sefton

June 2025. Good news everybody! And yes, this time the news may not be premature, but as so often, it's worth erring on the sceptical side. It seems Southport will be granted a sum of money to repair the pier and restore Southport to somewhat of its former glory. How much and when remains to be seen but it's positive news, something which Labour rarely indulges us in except if you're a Mauritian. Anyway, hopefully the rotten boardwalk, rusted ironwork, peeling paint and saggy length will now see better days and preferably in my lifetime too so I can take my daily stroll once again and take in the view of the majestic mud plain and tufty outcrops of the marauding salt marsh grass that is the beach. Woo hoo.

March 2025. Good news everybody! Oh apologies, my mistake, that was for another topic. Truth is there is no good news for the Pier and I predict the tolling of the death knell has picked up intensity. It appears that Sefton Council has had two fingers from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and that a meagre £10 million grant is not forthcoming anytime soon. Hey, here's an idea, next year you're going to need more money to fix the pier because the bloody thing is being trashed by the elements and can be seen visibly rotting like a dead horse in a meadow. Southport is suffering: the streets are practically deserted during weekdays and weekends are hardly thronged. This is my personal opinion but the Pier is ultimately destined for a lingering death: this pier is no more, it has ceased to be, it's expired and gone to meet its maker. It's a stiff, bereft of life, it's kicked the bucket, shuffled off its mortal coil, run down the curtain and joined the bleedin' choir. Watch this space folks for more sad news about this once treasured splendour's untimely end.

Update December 2024. It's been almost two years since the Pier was deemed unsafe to walk along it's historic boardwalk. Have I good news for fans of this Victorian treasure? No. The Pier is still in a sad and sorry state, it's rotten frame extending towards a slate grey horizon and mired in the saltmarsh clogged mudflats, desperately seeking a saviour to throw a lifeline to save it from the slurry brown soup of the relentless Irish Sea. Sad days.

Update July 2024. We have a Labour MP in Southport for the first time so let's hope it's not a pig in a poke of a vote and something akin to a starting gun is fired on the pier's restoration. The cost isn't just in the repair itself but in the lost revenue for businesses and the local economy and Southport's image as a tourist destination.

Update June 2024. No change. Still closed and rotting away from neglect. If I wasn't so cynical then I would believe it's going to be repaired to its former glory and not be left to rust into the Irish Sea by the local Ostriches who are allegedly in authority.

Currently closed for repairs due to damage discovered in December 2022. It's a seemingly endless process of inspections with no proposed date for reopening as of March 2023. It's a good job it's not a main attraction or a building that Southport is famous for and that attracts tourists, isn't it Sefton Council?

Great for a stroll whatever...

I would have put five stars but we were so disappointed when we visited 17/09/19, we always walk to the end of the pier when my partner and I visit Southport, we enjoy the views and as it was a lovely day and quiet it was very relaxing. My partner is a full-time wheelchair user, when we got to the cafe at the end of the pier he suggested we go for a coffee as we usually do, I have mobility issues as well and needed the toilet so went to use the disabled toilet. When I got to the toilet and closed the door the automatic light didn't work so went back out to ask one of the staff if the bulb had blown, I was told I couldn't use the disabled toilet and would have to use the ladies at the other end of the building, I went to the other end and found the baby changing room had a toilet with drop down bars so used this. This toilet had no indication it was a disabled toilet on the outside, it was just marked up as a baby changing room, I returned to where my partner was waiting for me and he needed the toilet, I informed him he couldn't use the disabled toilet and had to use the baby changing room with the ladies...which to me is totally disrespectful of a person's feelings. I sat down with our brews while he disappeared off to the toilet, when he returned he said he couldn't use the baby changing room as the door opened inwards and with his chair wouldn't close as the room was to small, he ended up going to the disabled toilet sussing out where the toilet was closing the door and having to use the toilet in the dark...Not Acceptable! He told me the manager had asked why he'd used that toilet, he'd explained to her and she told him he shouldn't of had any problem as they're the same size, the baby changing room was actually half the size of the disabled toilet, she was very off hand, apparently the reason we weren't allowed to use the disabled toilet was because it was approaching closing time and they'd mopped the floor!! Surely these things are carried out when customers have left the building, to add more insult to injury when we asked for two hot drinks, a tea and a coffee, they sold them to us. We found a booth a sat talking for a couple of minutes, then a member of staff came across to inform us the build would close in five minutes, luckily our drinks were in those take away style cups, so instead of staying we just got up and left and drank our drinks sat on a bench at the end of the pier. In all the businesses I've worked in the customer, their satisfaction and the hope in that they will return comes first, you do the end of day housekeeping once the doors close. We will return to the pier as we love the walk but sadly we won't be returning to the end...

The attraction of Southport pier is that it's entrance is on the Promenade but you cannot actually see the sea from here! This is because Southport has a large, very large marine lake with islands in it and surrounded by gardens. Walking the first part of the pier is like walking over a couple of bridges but it is definitely the Pier. First you pass over part of the lake with sailing boats from Southport Sailing club and hired rowing boats and pedallos. People are walking around the lake underneath the pier. Then you cross over an island in the lake and over the lake again. On this side of the lake you pass over the minature railway line which runs alongside the lake. Then you pass by a skateboard park which you can look down onto. Just after this point you can leave or enter the pier via a set of steps from the road below. Yes the coastal road runs under the pier and this is like a second promenade, but with actual sea views! Land around here was redeveloped in the 1980s and now there is a retail complex, a hotel, cinema and restaurants, all next to the pier. It is unlike any other pier in the country! Once the pier passes over the coastal road you are finally above sand. And the rest of your walk may be all above sand because the tide at Southport goes out a very long way. The end of the pier isn't that impressive compared to some piers but there is a nice modern restaurant, some amusements and the penny slot machine museum which is interesting. So Southport pier, oh! did I not mention the train? Many years ago, Southport pier had a minature train on rails, then that got replaced with a road train. In the 1980s the pier underwent some cosmetic improvements which saw the criss crossing light poles installed and the new restaurant too. In the 90s, a new tram was installed which was really nice but for some reason it was taken away and Southport pier is left with a small road train once again. So Southport pier,...