Improvement works to Southport’s popular Hesketh Park, made possible by a generous bequest are underway.

In 2023, Sefton Council was notified of a generous bequest of £850,000 for improvements to the park from long-term neighbours and supporters Louis and Anita Marks. The contract has been signed and sealed with the trustees meaning the Council can start on elements of the work.

Since receiving news of the bequest, the Council’s Green Sefton team has been working closely with the Marks family trustees and the Hesketh Park Heritage Group to outline a project plan for works at the park.

Improvement works to the sensory garden have now been completed as phase 1, together with the appointment of an on-site gardener, with an apprentice, for two years who are already making visible improvements to the park as a whole.

There are volunteering opportunities for green-fingered locals who would like to support the continuing improvements and maintenance of the sensory garden. Anyone interested can contact local volunteer Rachel who is looking to form a volunteer group via email at hpsensorygarden@gmail.com

Additional bins, benches, signage, and notice boards will be installed in the coming months, while larger projects such as the extensive refurbishment of the Victorian Conservatory, will be tendered in winter 2024.

In a public consultation, carried out in 2021 before the Council’s Green Sefton service had received details of the bequest, more than half of respondents rated an improvement to the Park’s Conservatory for events, as a very high priority. There was also significant support for improvements to the Park’s heritage features and for replanting in the sensory garden that would improve access for all.

The first phase of restoring the Park’s Conservatory was completed in 2021 thanks to the Council successfully securing a £22,000 grant from the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund. Once the refurbishment is completed further arrangements will be made to seek a contractor to manage and operate it.

Cllr Mhairi Doyle, Cabinet Member for Public Health and Wellbeing said: “Thanks to the generosity of Louis and Anita Marks’ bequest, we are now able to start the delivery of improvements at Hesketh Park and do the kinds of things people have told us they want to see, like completing the refurbishment of the Conservatory.

“And I am so pleased to see that among the planned work is a proposal to create a memorial and acknowledgement of Louis and Anita Marks’ generous bequest.”

Barry Samuels, one of the trustees to the Marks Family Trust, said: “I still recall the magic of Hesketh Park when as a very young boy, my parents Dr Bernard and Jean Samuels and I used to visit my grandfather who lived in a house opposite the park in the early fifties.

“My Aunt and Uncle then moved into the house where his Uncle, Louis, was a fantastic and very skilled gardener. 

“So, it is a fitting memorial to them all that the Family Trust can assist to reinstate the beauty of Hesketh Park for the public to enjoy, hopefully for many years to come.”

“I also hope the restored Park (especially the tranquillity of the sensory garden,  place for contemplation) will contribute to the healing from the recent traumatic event in Southport”

Peter Downham and Adrian Fletcher who co-Chair the Hesketh Park Heritage Group said: "The Hesketh Park Heritage Group continues to work with Sefton MBC and all voluntary groups within Hesketh Park to ensure this treasured space will be available for the benefit of local residents, visitors to Southport and future generations.

“We are pleased to have been consulted and involved in the critical discussions which have led to this generous legacy coming to Hesketh Park. We see our ongoing role to ensure that the money is spent wisely and in a timely manner to enhance and maintain the Park for the future.”

The Hesketh Park Heritage Group and Green Sefton are offering free tours of the Park’s Conservatory and Observatory next week. People will get the chance to see the beautiful features of Grade II listed Hesketh Park and learn about the history and future plans. No pre-booking is required and further information can be found at www.heritageopendays.org.uk/

Conservatory tours

Wednesday 11 September, 10:00 – 12:00

Friday 13 September, 10:00 – 12:00

Sunday 15 September, 10:00 – 12:00

Observatory tours

Saturday 7 September, 11:00 – 15:30

Wednesday 11 September, 11:00 – 15:30

Friday 13 September, 11:00 – 15:30

Sunday 15 September, 11:00 - 15:30

To find out more about Sefton’s parks, people can visit: www.sefton.gov.uk/parks