Southport is a pleasant, elegant seaside resort on England’s North West coast. known as "England’s Classic Resort".

Our large Victorian home, in which the courses are held, is ideally situated within a 3 minute walk of elegant Lord Street, the Promenade and Marine Lake.

Lord Street is a mile-long, tree-lined boulevard in Southport, renowned for its high quality shopping, restaurants and bars. Victorian arcaded shops line one side of the road, with gardens and fountains along the other.

It is said that Napolean III, who lived in Southport for a time, modelled the famous Paris Boulevards on Southport’s Lord Street.

At various weekends during the year, but especially in the run up to Christmas, Lord Street becomes a riot of smells, tastes and colours when it hosts a European Market along its length, full of exotic foods and items to try.

There are a number of glass-vaulted shopping arcades off Lord Street including Wayfarers' Arcade, Cambridge Walks and the Royal Arcade.

The Marine Lake is one of the largest man-made leisure lakes in England. The lake is home to various watersports clubs including sailing, water-skiing and rowing, and also to a wide range of water fowl with many duck and a large flock of swans, including black swans.

A walk along the promenade, next to the lake, is delightful. The promenade runs for well over a mile, and is adorned with flower beds and the glorious Kings Gardens, leading to Victoria Park where Southport’s famous flower show is held every summer.

In addition we are a short walk from Hesketh Park, which recently celebrated its 140^th anniversary, and boasts the last clockwork floral clock in England.

Churchtown village is the oldest part of Southport, with charming, tiny fishermen's and cockler’s cottages, wonderful individual shops to browse around, and the Botanic Gardens which are a blaze of colour from early spring to late autumn, with Christmas Fayres over the winter period and a museum to explore.

The sand-dunes are home to the rare Natterjack Toads, while down the road in Formby the Pine Forests and beach are a National Trust Reserve which is home to a large colony of Red Squirrels, which you are almost guaranteed to see if you go for a walk around there.

Southport is packed with excellent restaurants with food from all over the world – you’ll be sure to find something to suit your palette.

With 2 theatres, a 9 screen cinema, a lively night-club scene and more, you’re bound to find ways to enjoy yourself – if you have any energy left after the course!

For those who want to travel further, we are close to the Trough of Bowland, Liverpool, which was European Capital of Culture in 2008 – or how about a trip to see the Blackpool Illuminations (in the Autumn)? A bit further away are the Lake District to the North, the Yorkshire Dales to the North-East, the Peak District to the South-East and Central and North Wales to the South and West.

If you enjoy visiting Stately Homes, the area boasts several very fine half-timbered medieval Manor Houses - Rufford Old Hall, only a few miles away, Speke Hall, near Liverpool John Lennon Airport and Samlesbury Hall, just beyond Preston.

The whole area is a Golfer's paradise, with Royal Birkdale only a couple of miles away, Royal Lytham & St. Annes about 10 miles as the crow flies (but over 30 by road) and many lesser courses within a few miles (the Municipal Links are only a few hundred yards from our house). There is a fine new indoor water park in the town ( Splash World). Southport FC play at Haig Avenue in the Northern Conference. Lancashire CC play one match a season at Southport and Birkdale Cricket Club's ground. There are other sporting facilities nearby, from roller-skating parks to a micro-light airfield!

There are many places to stay in Southport, from Bed & Breakfast and Guest Houses to 5-Star Hotels. Please check our accommodation page for a wide selection.

For more information on Southport, visit http://www.visitsouthport.com

Southport Pier, the country’s 2nd Longest Victorian Leisure Pier