Thread by @CITiZAN1

Morning everyone! It's #LowTideTrail time! #NewBrighton developed from a coastal town, with a notorious history of smuggling and wrecking, into a booming and popular Victorian resort.

Let's take a look around and see what #archaeology we can see. #LiverpoolBayDiscovery

New Brighton has seen a lot of change, with much of the sea front reclaimed from the sea over the last 100 years.
The establishment of the promenade in the early 1900s extended the foreshore significantly, leaving this cliff face preserved as a relic of New Brighton’s past.

James Atherton kicked off the development of New Brighton in 1832. He started to establish a new resort for the local elite. These villas on Wellington Road, above the old cliff edge, were built for the local rich folk that flocked to New Brighton during Atherton’s development.

Construction of the promenade we see today was completed in 1939, with #WW2 bringing a halt to further expansion. It had taken 3 years to build, at a cost of £531,000 (£34 million today). The construction of the prom also provided a practical sea defence & barrier to besanding.

The New Brighton Open Air Baths opened on 13 June 1934 in front of a huge crowd. Built at a cost of £103,000 (£6 million in today’s money), they were one of the largest of its type ever built and were very popular. The baths were demolished following heavy storm damage in 1990.

Also constructed in the 30s, the Marine Lake complemented the nearby open air baths by providing a spot for people to sail pleasure boats and other small craft.

The construction of the Marine Lake sealed the earlier Victorian promenade. Find out more- thinglink.com/scene/12975019…

Perch Rock coastal battery was built between 1826 and 1830. The original design for the fort was by Captain John Sykes Kitson. Costing £27,000 (about £2 million in today’s money) to construct and known locally as ‘Little Gibraltar of the Mersey’. It was decommissioned in 1956

Perch rock is believed to get its name from an early form of makeshift beacon used to warn shipping of the hazardous rocks. The lighthouse we see today opened in 1830 and was eventually decommissioned and closed on 1 October 1973.

New Brighton Pier was designed and built between 1866 and 1867 by architect Eugenious Birch and builder J. E Dowson. The pier was 600 feet in length, with a saloon, a central observation tower, cafes, shelters & a floating stage. It was demolished in 1977, deemed unsafe.

New Brighton Tower was built between 1896 and 1900 at a cost of around £120,000. It was 567 feet tall and constructed from over 1,000 tons of steel.

During #WW1, it fell into disrepair & was dismantled between 1919 and 1921. In 1969, a fire destroyed the remaining buildings.

#TheBeatles played at the New Brighton Tower a total of 27 times. Their second most played venue after @cavernliverpool.

Time for our last site. The Magazine pub was named after the gunpowder magazines that were located in this area. The powder magazines were built to store the propellant for the guns at Perch Rock. The Liscard Battery was built nearby. The West boundary of the battery survives

Team North would like to thank you all for joining us over the last 4 weeks. You’ve all earned a bowl of scouse! #ScouseOclock

Be sure to check out this blog to find our more about the New Brighton landscape. We hope to see you all again very soon!-citizan.org.uk/blog/2020/Mar/…