In 1830, a former Liverpool merchant, James Atherton, purchased 170 acres of land of what was then known as 'Rock Point'. The area had great views out to sea and had a great beach. Atherton had the idea of turning the heathlands and sandhills into a community and watering holes for the Liverpool business people and others to stay during the summer months.

'Eligible Investment At New Brighton'

James Atherton's prospectus, entitled 'Eligible Investment At New Brighton, Cheshire', stated that several gentlemen proposed to build a hotel and establish a ferry, to be called "The Royal Lighthouse Hotel and Ferry", which would have steam boats operating. The estimated cost would be £12,000, the sum to be raised by shares of £100 each.

The prospectus pointed out that views of the Welsh Mountains, Orme's Head and the Isle Of Man could be seen from the site. It had "a beautiful beach" with hard clean sands. Villas were to be erected, together with a church, market place. shops, buildings, including a Post Office. The prospectus was dated October 1832 and the area was intended to attract the nobility and gentry rather then the working class.

Atherton's dream of every house having interrupted views of the sea began to take shape when a number of villas were built on Wellington Road. His son-in-law, William Rowson, also played a huge part in the establishment of the new area.

Instead of keeping the name of Rock Point, they decided to call the new district a new name. It was to be like Brighton in the south of England, so this became "New" Brighton. Within a short period of time New Brighton went from a small fishing hamlet to a complete new town with a population of some 6,000 by 1880. It was the popularity of trains and ferries that would see New Brighton become a popular resort.

The Pier

The original pier was built by William Rowson in the 1830's and was made of wood. It was built to improve the embarkation point to Liverpool. In 1850 the pier was purchased by E.W Coulbourne, and, in 1860, it was passed into the hands of the Local Board; the pier being rebuilt in iron from 1865-67.

The new pier opened on 7th September 1867 but was not fully completed until 9th April 1868 when it finally passed over to the privately owned Pier Company. There was a passenger pier and, adjacent, a promenade pier. The pier was 550 feet long and 70 feet wide. The Promenade Pier was proclaimed as "one of the finest in the country". The only entrance was by a flight of steps from the gangway of the Ferry Pier and cost 2d to enter. The pier had a handsome saloon, refreshment rooms, bazaars, a raised platform for a band and there was seating all round the parameter area. Above the saloon was a further, smaller promenade area - which cost a further one penny admission - probably used by the more affluent - above this on a third level was a viewing area with fixed telescopes to view the shipping on the River Mersey. In 1900 the promenade pier was extended and connected to the new promenade which had been completed in 1899 - then there were two points of entry to the promenade pier.

On March 16th 1907, after a severe gale, the Ferry landing stage was torn from its moorings and floated down the Mersey - it was salvaged the following day and towed into dry docks.

Alterations were carried out in 1913 when a new pavilion was built but the Board Of Trade had condemned the pier as unsafe by 1923 and closed it. The Wallasey Corporation took charge 4 years later and, after spending £45,000 rebuilding the pier, reopened it in 1931.

During World War II torpedo tubes were installed on the floating stage and were placed there to protect the port. The missiles were able to be launched either on the surface of the water or below it.

New Brighton Ferry passenger numbers declined through the 1960s. Fortes Limited became the owners in 1968 but on 21st September 1971 the last ferry from New Brighton left the landing stage. Repairs were made to the promenade pier but it was not simply a paying proposition. Finally, in July 1978, the pier was dismantled.

	The Pier, 1904		The Pier, 1930
	The Pier at night, 1949		The Pier, 1963
	The Pier, 1963		The Pier, 1973
	Demolishing, 1978		Demolishing, 1978
	Demolishing, 1978		Demolishing, 1978
	Postcard of the Pier		Postcard of the Pier
	Postcard of the Pier		Postcard of the Pier
	Postcard of the Pier		Postcard of the Pier

The Floral Pavilion

The Floral Pavilion was opened on the 3 May 1913 by Lord Derby as part of the Victoria Gardens complex. The site was once occupied by the infamous "Ham & Eggs Parade" (Aquarium Parade). It got its name of "Ham & Eggs" because day trippers could buy ham or eggs in one of the cafes on the parade. Visitors could also purchase a cup of tea and so the parade also got the nickname of "Tea Pot Row". The parade was originally built in two parts in 1872-73 consisting of a large terraced four storey building with cafes and shops, the Bon Marche being at the end. There were also amusement arcades, Pearson's Oyster Store and other shops on the lower parade. Above the shops there was a large parade with railings and some seats. On the lower sea wall there were wooden seats and steps down to the beach.

In 1905 the lower parade was so busy that women and children were pushed off the unfenced causeway onto the sands. On 27 January 1906 a local referendum voted for the local council to purchase and demolish the Ham & Eggs Parade buildings and extend the promenade to Waterloo Road. Work started in 1907 and the Victoria Gardens with a summer theatre was built in its place.

The summer theatre originally had no roof so plays were only performed in the summer season which, of course, depended on the weather. In 1925 a glass roof enclosed the theatre and it then became known as 'The Floral Pavilion'. In 1965 the glass roof was replaced at the cost of £55,000.

As part of redevelopment on the New Brighton promenade the Floral Pavilion was demolished in 2006 and a new £12 million 800 plus seat Floral Pavilion and Conference Centre was built. The new complex opened in December 2008.

New Brighton Bathing Pool

New Brighton Bathing Pool was opened on 13th June 1934 by Lord Leverhulme at a cost £95,000. It was the largest outdoor swimming pool in Europe measuring 330 feet by 225 feet wide and could hold 1,376,000 gallons of sea water.

The pool was designed in such a way as to obtain as much sunshine as possible so was built facing south and so was sheltered from the colder north winds. The pool was built on sand and covered an area of 4 1/2 acres (18.2 square metres). It was constructed of mass concrete, the floor being reinforced with steel mash. It was covered with a rendering of white Portland cement and had a skirting of black tiles. The exterior walls were coated with snow crete with special fine sand from Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire. For night time swimmers there was underwater lights at the deep end of the pool.

To keep the pool filled continuously, an ornate cascade was used, which, every hour, supplied 172,000 gallons of filtered and purified water from the nearby Marine Lake. The depth of the pool had an average of 5 feet but the diving end was 15 feet.

The pool could accommodate 2,000 bathers and 10,000 spectators. In the first few months, between June - September 1934, almost one million paying customers visited the pool. The admission fees were 6d for adults during the week and a schilling on Sundays and Bank Holidays. Children paid 4d and 6d. Non bathers paid 2d.

In May 1984 Granada Television staged a £100,000 Pop Spectacular under the title of "New Brighton Rock" with leading groups taking part such as Eddie Grant, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Gloria Gaynor, Helen Terry, Madness, Nick Lowe, Nik Kershaw, Spandau Ballet, The Flying Pickets, and the Weather Girls. The show was recorded over 2 days: Monday 21st May and Tuesday 22nd May and was broadcasted on ITV on Saturday 23rd June 1984 at 10.40 pm.

On 26/27th February 1990, hurricane force winds measuring more then 100 m.p.h caused severe damage to the pool. With costs of more then £4 million to repair the damage it was decided by the authorities to demolish the building. The Merseyside Development Corporation (M.D.C) bulldozed the site in the summer of 1990.

	Ham & Eggs Parade		Ham & Eggs Parade
	Victoria Gardens, 1919		Victoria Gardens, 1923
	Floral Pavilion, 1973		Floral Pavilion, 2007
	Floral Pavilion, 2007		On the front of the Floral Pavilion, 2007
	Building the Pavilion, Summer 2008		Building the Pavilion, Summer 2008
	The New Pavilion, 2009		The New Pavilion, 2009
	The New Pavilion, 2009		The New Pavilion, 2009
	The New Pavilion, 2009		The New Pavilion, 2009
	The New Pavilion, 2009		The New Pavilion, 2009
	The New Pavilion, 2009		The New Pavilion, 2009
	The New Pavilion, 2009		New home for the commemorative statue 'Guide Dogs For The Blind'
	New Brighton Pool Entrance		New Brighton Pool Postcard
	New Brighton Pool Diving Board		Miss New Brighton Contest, 1963
	New Brighton Pool Storm Damage, 1990		New Brighton Pool Storm Damage, 1990
	Former site of New Brighton Pool, 2008		Former site of New Brighton Pool, 2008

Tivoli Theatre

The Tivoli Theatre was opened on the Tower Promenade at the foot of Egerton Street on 6th April 1914 with Lily Langtry topping the bill. The theatre was close to the pier with shops facing the River Mersey and an open-air cafe above. The first owners of the theatre were 'New Brighton Tivoli Limited' but was taken over soon after by a new company called the 'Tivoli Leases Limited'.

Between 1914 to 1923 Fred Ross, who successfully marketed the 'Tower Ballroom', became the Manager of the Tivoli. In 1923 Pat Collins, a fun-fair showman, purchased the theatre for £37,000 but 2 years later the theatre was sold again at auction to William Squires. In 1926 'Tivoli Leases Limited' took over again with Fred Ross the Managing Director of the company.

In 1928 the Tiviloi was purchased for £27,000 by the 'Gaumont British Company' who put on shows and films. The theatre was renamed as the 'New Tivoli' for a short while and in 1938 it closed for a time. Fred Ross returned as the Managing Director and the theatre re-opened in 1940 but had to close during the duration of the war. It opened again in 1945 with 'Lean Productions Limited' as the new owners. Bob Scullery became the new manager of the theatre. After many seasons of plays the theatre closed in April 1955.

Later the theatre was transformed into an amusement arcade but by the 1970s it was boarded up. In 1976 the building was demolished after it had suffered a fire.

The Palace

The Old Palace Theatre was built in 1880. Salt baths were added in 1881. Other amusements included a concert room, skating rink, dancing saloon, aquarium, greenhouses and a theatre. Operettas and musical plays, some by London companies, were performed there. By 1889 it had the largest plunge baths in the country.

In 1907 the Wallasey Council bought the Palace for £41,500 but the building caught fire on 22nd April 1916. Even though the theatre and skating rink were untouched it was decided to close the Palace Theatre after its final performance on 11th December 1926. Soon afterwards the Palace was demolished and a car park occupied the site until August 1939 when Wilke's Palace Amusements opened. The War office took over the building during World War II and used part for storage space with secret munitions factory operating under the building.

After the war the 'New Palace' was a success with holidaymaker's with new exciting rides such as the "Moonrocket". During the Summer months Wilmer Wilke's Circus opened next to the New Palace. This was replaced by a permanent family funfair.

In the late 1980's Go-Karting was introduced to the Palace but closed in 2001 and in 2003, after redevelopment, 'Adventureland' opened which is an indoor children's play area that includes a 25 foot climbing wall, ball pool and giant inflatable's.

	'Tivoli' & 'Tower Ballroom' Postcard		Inside The Tivoli
	Tivoli, 1973		Demolition, 1976
	After demolition, 1976		Site of the former 'Tivoli', now residential flats, 2008
	The Palace, c1900		New Palace, 1973
	The Palace, 2008		The Palace, 2008

	On the Promenade, 1972		Former site of the Royal Ferry, 2008
	Children at play, 1972		'Granada Bowl, 1973
	"The Pier"		Commemorative statue 'Guide Dogs For The Blind'.
	The Entertainment		The Chippy
	Marine Park		Marine Park
	New Brighton skyline		New Brighton skyline
	New Brighton skyline		New Brighton Skyline
	The Marine		The Marine
	RNLI		Welcome To New Brighton