North West England
Rainy day date ideas in Southport and the Sefton Coast
Updated
Southport was built for the weather. Lord Street’s long glass canopies keep you dry from one end to the other, and the Atkinson, halfway along, has a free museum and gallery and a theatre for the evening. Ride the Golden Gallopers under their canopy at Silcock’s and play the arcade next door, or go and see the British Lawnmower Museum, which is far more fun than it sounds. Catch a film at the Bijou, a little community cinema with a bar, have cocktails at the Vincent or book dinner at Bistrot Vérité in Birkdale. If you’ve been out at Formby in the wet, the Freshfield is a warm pub to dry off in.
Our picks
Lord Street and Wayfarers Arcade
Lord Street, town centre
Address: Wayfarers Arcade, Lord Street, Southport PR8 1NT- Culture
- Free
- Rainy day
Stroll Southport's grand Victorian boulevard under its long glass-and-iron verandas, then duck into Wayfarers Arcade, a glass-roofed shopping arcade from the 1890s.
Why it's a good date: The canopies were built to keep shoppers dry, so it's a walk that works in any weather. Look up as you go: the buildings above the shops are the best part, and the gardens across the road are made for a sit-down.
Photo: Steven Haslington, CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped and resized)
The Atkinson
Lord Street, town centre
Address: The Atkinson, Lord Street, Southport PR8 1DB- Culture
- Rain-proof ☔
- Free
Wander the free museum and art gallery in the Atkinson, from Southport's own history to its Ancient Egypt collection, and check what's on in its theatre.
Why it's a good date: The town's arts centre packs a lot under one clock tower, and the galleries cost nothing. Make a day of it with a show in the evening. It's closed on Sundays, so go on a weekday or a Saturday.
Photo: Jeff Buck, CC BY-SA 2.0 (resized)
Silcock's carousel and Funland
Pier Forecourt, the Promenade
Address: Silcock's Funland, Pier Forecourt, Promenade, Southport PR8 1QX- Activity
- Cheap and cheerful
- Rainy day
Ride the Golden Gallopers, a carousel well over a century old, then spend your change in the Funland arcade next door and share fish and chips.
Why it's a good date: Pure seaside silliness for a few pounds. The carousel turns under a canopy and the arcade is indoors, so it's a good shout when the weather turns.
Photo: Chris Heaton, CC BY-SA 2.0 (resized)
The British Lawnmower Museum
Shakespeare Street, south of the town centre
Address: 106-112 Shakespeare Street, Southport PR8 5AJ- Culture
- Rain-proof ☔
- Cheap and cheerful
Visit Britain's museum of lawnmowers, in a garden machinery shop on a side street, from Victorian push mowers to the mowers of the rich and famous.
Why it's a good date: Gloriously odd, and somehow more interesting than it has any right to be. It isn't open on Sundays and keeps short hours on Saturdays, so ring ahead before you go.
Photo: Rept0n1x, CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped and resized)
Southport Bijou Cinema
Post Office Avenue, off Lord Street
Address: 8 Post Office Avenue, Southport PR9 0US- Activity
- Rain-proof ☔
- Cheap and cheerful
- Cosy
Catch a film at the little community cinema off Lord Street, run as a not-for-profit, with a bar that opens before each screening.
Why it's a good date: Classics, independent films and world cinema, with no adverts or trailers before the film, and you can take your drink in with you. Book ahead, as it's small.
Cocktails at the Vincent
Lord Street, town centre
Address: 98 Lord Street, Southport PR8 1JR- Bar
- Rain-proof ☔
- Mid-price
- Romantic
- Big night
Dress up a little for cocktails in the bar of the Vincent, a modern hotel on Lord Street, with dinner in its V Café if you're making a night of it.
Why it's a good date: One of Southport's smartest spots for a drink, right on the boulevard, so you can walk under the canopies afterwards.
Bistrot Vérité
Liverpool Road, Birkdale
Address: 7 Liverpool Road, Birkdale, Southport PR8 4AR- Restaurant
- Rain-proof ☔
- A treat
- Foodie
- Romantic
Book dinner at the family-run French bistro in Birkdale village, with a menu that changes daily and a little bar next door for a drink first.
Why it's a good date: Hearty French cooking in a warm, bustling room, and long a fixture in the Michelin Guide. It's closed on Sundays and Mondays and fills up, so book ahead.
The Freshfield
Massams Lane, Freshfield, Formby
Address: 1 Massams Lane, Freshfield, Formby L37 7BD- Bar
- Rain-proof ☔
- Mid-price
- Dog friendly
- Cosy
- Foodie
Warm up after Formby's pinewoods with a pint and a pub lunch at the Freshfield, a short walk from the station.
Why it's a good date: The natural end to a squirrel walk, and the dog's welcome too. Come in out of the wind, find a table and order something hearty.
Photo: Stephen McKay, CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped and resized)
Quick answers
What's free to do in Southport when it rains?
The Atkinson's museum and art gallery on Lord Street cost nothing, and Lord Street's glass canopies keep you dry from one end to the other.
Do we need to book the Bijou cinema?
It's worth it. It's a small, not-for-profit community cinema off Lord Street, so seats go quickly.
Save these to your jar
Dote keeps every date idea you find in one jar you share with your partner, and tells you which ones suit the weekend weather. It's free on iPhone and Android.
