Southport is a 19th-century town which grew up on a thinly populated coast of sandy dunes. It is a region where landscape has played a dominant role and this new account of the area's past places the modern town inside a longer chronological narrative. South Port first developed as a bathing resort before becoming a desirable place to live. It was a product of the 19th century, and it is no surprise that this period has been the most extensively reported of the town's history, but the opportunity is taken here to consider areas and issues that had previously been relatively ignored. The 20th century, during which time Southport became established as a high-class residential town, has attracted less attention from historians. It is an omission addressed in a book which complements existing works but differs substantially from them. The post-1974 account of Southport into Sefton, for example, brings the story up to the present day. As well as placing Southport within a broader historical framework, this new study also deals with all the various parts of the town, including the suburbs of Birkdale and Ainsdale.