Wayfarers Arcade, Southport
Encyclopedia
Wayfarers Arcade is a Grade II listed structure located in the seaside town of Southport
, Merseyside
on the famous boulevard of Lord Street
in the town centre. The arcade is a near untouched building with the glass dome and victorian shop fronts below it, creating a shopping arcade.http://www.wayfarersarcade.com/about.html
. The arcade was the idea of John Humphrey Plummer, a Victorian entrepreneur, who at the time owned most of the shops on Lord Street. His idea was to create an indoor shopping area that could be enjoyed in all weather conditions. Due to the existing shops on Lord Street providing him with a good income, he did not want to lose the rent from any of them by decreasing their size. Therefore this explains the reason for the narrow entrance to the arcade that still exists today.
In 1939 during the outbreak of World War II, the domed roof was painted black as part of blackout precautions
, the tropical fish aquarium was removed from the arcade to save electricity.
During the 1950s the arcade was purchased by a tailors business 'Montague Burton', so the arcade was renamed From Leyland Arcade to the Burton Arcade. While under ownership by Burtons major restoration took place by replacing original pitch pine block floor with asphalt. Finally in 1976 the Wayfarers Arcade head lease was acquired by Anthony Pedlar and re-named Wayfarers Arcade.
racehorse, Red Rum
. In 2009 a new cafe opened in the centre of the shops.
Further investments in 2001 took place to replace the 13m span, barrel vaulted glazed roof, whioch makes it one of the largest in the UK.
Between 2004 and 2007 investments where focused on replacing and french polishing the mahogany shop fronts in the arcade, while standardising the sign writing in a heritage font and colours while improving signage for visitors.
In 2008 the 1950s asphalt floor was replaced with new terrazzo
tiles, incorporating original mosiac edging and new design features.http://www.pilkingtons.com/arch/index.php?page=studywayfarers After the work was finished a party was held in the Arcade, to celebrate the final part of £2m investment.http://www.wayfarersarcade.co.uk/index.htm
Southport
Southport is a seaside town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in Merseyside, England. During the 2001 census Southport was recorded as having a population of 90,336, making it the eleventh most populous settlement in North West England...
, Merseyside
Merseyside
Merseyside is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1,365,900. It encompasses the metropolitan area centred on both banks of the lower reaches of the Mersey Estuary, and comprises five metropolitan boroughs: Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton, Wirral, and the city of Liverpool...
on the famous boulevard of Lord Street
Lord Street, Southport
Lord Street is the main shopping street of Southport, in Merseyside, England. It is one of the great shopping streets of Northern England and measures exactly 1 mile in length, with a roundabout marking each end of the street...
in the town centre. The arcade is a near untouched building with the glass dome and victorian shop fronts below it, creating a shopping arcade.http://www.wayfarersarcade.com/about.html
History
The Arcade first opened in October 1898 and was originally called the Leyland Arcade, after Southport MP, Sir Herbert LeylandSir Herbert Naylor-Leyland, 1st Baronet
Sir Herbert Scarisbrick Naylor-Leyland, 1st Baronet , was a British politician.Naylor-Leyland was returned to Parliament for Colchester as a Conservative in 1892, a seat he held until 1895 when he accepted the Chiltern Hundreds. The latter year he was created a Baronet, of Hyde Park House, Albert...
. The arcade was the idea of John Humphrey Plummer, a Victorian entrepreneur, who at the time owned most of the shops on Lord Street. His idea was to create an indoor shopping area that could be enjoyed in all weather conditions. Due to the existing shops on Lord Street providing him with a good income, he did not want to lose the rent from any of them by decreasing their size. Therefore this explains the reason for the narrow entrance to the arcade that still exists today.
In 1939 during the outbreak of World War II, the domed roof was painted black as part of blackout precautions
Blackout (wartime)
A blackout during war, or apprehended war, is the practice of collectively minimizing outdoor light, including upwardly directed light. This was done in the 20th century to prevent crews of enemy aircraft from being able to navigate to their targets simply by sight, for example during the London...
, the tropical fish aquarium was removed from the arcade to save electricity.
During the 1950s the arcade was purchased by a tailors business 'Montague Burton', so the arcade was renamed From Leyland Arcade to the Burton Arcade. While under ownership by Burtons major restoration took place by replacing original pitch pine block floor with asphalt. Finally in 1976 the Wayfarers Arcade head lease was acquired by Anthony Pedlar and re-named Wayfarers Arcade.
Architecture
The design of the building is of classical Victorian architecture, with a domed glass roof, supported by decorative iron work, with some stained glass windows and mahogany shop fronts that have been virtually unaltered since the day the arcade opened. There are at least thirty shops which are spread over two floors in the arcade.http://www.visitnorthwest.com/southport/wayfarers-arcade.htm The upper shopping level features balconies that stretches the majority of the building's length, which can be accessed from three staircases in the arcade.Features
In the past the arcade has housed brass band concerts on the bandstand, an aquarium and since the 1970's has featured a solid bronze statue of the famous local Grand NationalGrand National
The Grand National is a world-famous National Hunt horse race which is held annually at Aintree Racecourse, near Liverpool, England. It is a handicap chase run over a distance of four miles and 856 yards , with horses jumping thirty fences over two circuits of Aintree's National Course...
racehorse, Red Rum
Red Rum
Red Rum was a champion Thoroughbred racehorse who achieved an unmatched historic treble when he won the Grand National in 1973, 1974 and 1977, and also came second in the two intervening years...
. In 2009 a new cafe opened in the centre of the shops.
Restoration
During the 1980s major investments where completed to restore the central dome in roof and surrounding units that where previously part of Wayfarers Arts.Further investments in 2001 took place to replace the 13m span, barrel vaulted glazed roof, whioch makes it one of the largest in the UK.
Between 2004 and 2007 investments where focused on replacing and french polishing the mahogany shop fronts in the arcade, while standardising the sign writing in a heritage font and colours while improving signage for visitors.
In 2008 the 1950s asphalt floor was replaced with new terrazzo
Terrazzo
Terrazzo is a composite material poured in place or precast, which is used for floor and wall treatments. It consists of marble, quartz, granite, glass or other suitable chips, sprinkled or unsprinkled, and poured with a binder that is cementitious, chemical or a combination of both...
tiles, incorporating original mosiac edging and new design features.http://www.pilkingtons.com/arch/index.php?page=studywayfarers After the work was finished a party was held in the Arcade, to celebrate the final part of £2m investment.http://www.wayfarersarcade.co.uk/index.htm