Southport Botanic Gardens facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Southport Botanic Gardens |
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Botanic Gardens welcome map on the Verulam Road entrance
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| Type | Public park |
| Location | Churchtown, Southport, England |
| Created | 1874 |
| Operated by | Sefton Council |
| Status | Open all year round |
The Southport Botanic Gardens is a beautiful botanical garden located in the village of Churchtown, near Southport, in Merseyside, England. People often call it "The Jewel in the Crown" because it's famous across the country for its amazing flower displays. These gardens have even been shown on the BBC TV show Gardener's World! It's a wonderful place to explore nature and learn about plants.
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History of the Gardens
The Southport Botanic Gardens were started by a group of local working men. They formed a company called the Southport and Churchtown Botanic Gardens Company. This group bought land from the Hesketh Estate to create the gardens. They raised a lot of money, about £18,000, to build a museum, a large glass conservatory, and tea rooms. They also used the money to design and plant the gardens.
The lake in the Botanic Gardens was made from a stream called Otter Pool. This stream flowed from Blowick through Meols Hall and out to the Ribble Estuary. It's said that monks who lived nearby used to fish for eels in this stream a long time ago. In 2012, a blocked part of the stream was reopened. This let water flow freely into the lake again.
The gardens officially opened in 1875. Reverend Charles Hesketh, who owned the land, led the opening ceremony. During the event, a special foundation stone was laid for the museum. The museum then opened its doors to visitors in 1876.
The gardens had to close in 1932 because there were plans to build houses on the land. But the Southport Corporation stepped in and saved them from being sold. The gardens reopened on August 28, 1937. They were then called "The Botanic Gardens and King George Playing Fields." Today, the park is simply known as Botanic Gardens again.
The Conservatory
The gardens once had a huge glass conservatory. It also had a special fernery inside. This conservatory was very popular with visitors. It showed off many tropical plants from all over the world. Even though the big conservatory was taken down, the fernery is still there today. You can still see where the conservatory used to be. Its old shape is now a beautiful floral garden.
Botanic Gardens Museum
The Botanic Gardens Museum first opened in 1876. Local architects Mellor & Sutton designed the building. George Duxfield of Duxfield Brothers built it.
The famous showman P. T. Barnum even gave advice on building the museum! His top hat was once on display there. The museum used to get money from public donations and from Sefton Council. It was the only museum in Sefton that focused on local history.
New Collections
When the gardens closed in 1932, all the museum's collections were sold. Later, a person named John Scoles reopened the museum. He started a brand new collection from scratch.
The museum gathered many interesting items. Many of these were given by local people. The exhibits showed natural history and local history. These included the Cecily Bate Collection of Dolls and a Victorian room. There were also many local items that told the story of Southport's past. One very special and old item in the museum was an ancient canoe. This canoe was found in Martin Mere.
Friends of the Museum
In the 1980s, a group called the Friends of the Botanic Gardens Museum was created. This group helped stop the museum from closing at that time. The Friends even had their own shop inside the museum building.
Museum Closure
Sadly, the Botanic Gardens Museum closed on April 24, 2011. This was part of a plan by Sefton Council to save money. The items from the museum were moved to different places. For example, the Pennington taxidermy collection was moved to the British Historical Taxidermy Society Trust. However, this collection has since been returned to Sefton Council. It is now kept at the Atkinson Museum in Southport. The ancient Martin Mere canoe is now on display at the Atkinson Library. This library is next to Southport Town Hall.
Today, volunteers from the Botanic Gardens Community Association help take care of the flower beds. They work hard every Monday and Friday. They enter the gardens into the "Britain In Bloom" competition each year. They hope to make the gardens as grand as they once were!
See also
In Spanish: Jardín botánico de Southport para niños
