Look inside one of Southport’s most exceptional buildings as it’s transformed into new climbing gym and café

By Andrew Brown, Stand Up For Southport

Painstaking work is taking place to convert one of the “most exceptional Listed buildings in Southport” into a new climbing gym and café. 

Craft & Sons are carrying out the transformation of the Grade II building in Lord Street.

The family-run firm is also improving 479-481 Lord Street, previously the Jaeger shop, further along the boulevard. 

They believe that Southport, and Lord Street in particular, have huge potential. 

The business is investing over half a million pounds in the new climbing gym which they believe will bring something new and exciting to the town centre. 

“This is one of the most exceptional Listed buildings I have ever worked on,” says Duncan Craft. “The quality of the craftsmanship is remarkable. 

“Lord Street is one of the most outstanding streets in the whole of England because of its heritage and its architecture. 

“It is disappointing that so much of it has been unmaintained. It deserves – and should – be properly restored.” 

The historic three-storey site is part of a wider group of buildings known as the Albany Buildings, which stand prominently on the road. It was designed by architect EW Johnson and built in 1884. 

It previously hosted an auctioneer and firm of surveyors.

It will become an indoor climbing or ‘bouldering’ centre with a ground floor café, attic level office and possibly a yoga studio on the top floor. The ambitious project involves months of pain-staking restoration, highlighting the building’s Victorian features and repairing features which have been damaged by years of neglect. 

Duncan Craft grew up in Edgware in North London and spent 10 years living in France. 

He has a passion for restoring Listed buildings and Southport, with the Lord Street boulevard in particular, holding a particular fascination for him. 

He said: “As a family business, we are interested in transforming Listed buildings that are architecturally good into contemporary usable space.

“Some of these buildings along Lord Street are amazing Victorian monuments. They are emblematic of a progressive, confident and visionary generation. Sadly, many of them have suffered from years of neglect, and cheap makeovers.

“Many of the features in this building had been covered up. The roof was dilapidated and for many decades water had been pouring down the walls, causing extensive damage. We have rebuilt the roof and front canopy, and are in the process of restoring the walls.

“These buildings are of such high quality that they will stand for hundreds of years. but they need looking after properly. 

“I am really excited about creating a new climbing gym and café. The bouldering routes will regularly change, there will be a café, people can come here, relax, climb and enjoy the building.

“It’s a fine building. You don’t see many buildings like it in the towns and cities in the south of England, except for some in Central London. The reason for this is because our country was built through the Industrial Revolution which took place largely in the North of England, and Scotland.

“We are investing a huge amount of time, effort and attention to detail into completing this project exactly how we want it. 

“The onus is on creating a contemporary design that reflects the integrity and heritage of the building.

“We had hoped to be ready to open this summer, but it is looking more likely to be early next year, as the quantity of cost and work is more than we had initially envisioned.

“We are not hurrying this project – we want to make sure we get it right. 

“I want this to be a great facility for climbers but, beyond that, I want this to be a real hub for the wider community.

“It will definitely happen (God willing). The vast majority of people we have engaged with have been really positive about it. 

“We want to get the right staff involved and hope to be able to recruit locally.”  

Duncan believes the Lord Street boulevard has a very bright future provided the right care is taken. 

He said: “Lord Street is one of the finest streets anywhere in the UK, but unfortunately many of the buildings have been allowed to fall into disrepair.  

“The council’s Conservation department has a good appreciation of historic buildings, sadly they are underfunded. They should be granted more power to ensure that our cultural assets, like Lord street, are repaired and maintained. These buildings are in want of lime plaster and quality joinery; not gypsum and cheap timber.

“It is good to see redevelopment work taking place elsewhere, such as at The Grand, at The former Garrick Theatre, and on the corner of Lord Street and Bold Street. 

“When developers come into Lord Street they should focus on quality restoration and it is good to see the street gaining some traction with developers.

“Developers tend to flock together so hopefully the work taking place now will encourage others to come in and invest and raise standards. 

“Gathering momentum is really important for Southport.”  

Last year the Government backed local ambitions with £38.5 million in Town Deal funding. 

The lion’s share of that, £33.3 million, will underpin the £73 million creation of the new Marine Lake Events Centre and the Light Fantastic on the site of the former Southport Theatre and Convention Centre on the Promenade. 

It is projected to attract £18 million in revenue, and an additional 515,000 visitors, every year. Duncan said: “I really hope the new Marine Lake Events Centre works. 

“It is an exciting scheme and it cannot happen soon enough. It has the potential to make a massive difference to the town. 

“The new Marine Lake Events Centre and the new water and light show will be transformational, it will bring a lot more tourists into Southport. 

“It is part of Southport’s unique offering. The town is working hard to become a quality destination, very distinctive from Blackpool and other places nearby.

“There are good golf courses in and around Southport, along ‘England’s Golf Coast’. 

“We need to give golfers (and visitors) in general more reasons to stay in Southport and to visit the town in addition to their golf trips. 

“Retail is changing, and Lord street needs to evolve. There are opportunities to make either end of Lord Street more residential, and for the retail offering to become more centralised.”

Duncan went on to say: “Most importantly, Southport’s infrastructure has to be improved. This is central to Southport achieving its capacity, and becoming fully integrated with our two great Northern cities: Liverpool and Manchester.

“The Merseyrail service between Southport and Liverpool is a slow stop to stop service. It should be upgraded to include a fast direct service to Liverpool.  Ditto: Southport to Manchester. Southport would also benefit from direct rail connections between Southport, Preston and Ormksirk through the reopening of The Burscough Curves.

“These are national infrastructure projects which should be part of a national industrial strategy. Yet our current Government is proposing to spend hundreds of billions of pounds of our money on HS2, a project which will benefit only a small minority of our country. It’s a shocking waste of our money, uncommercial and should be cancelled in favour of national rail building. Keir Starmer should be all over this.

“I think locally Sefton Council are doing their best for Southport, but like many towns in the North, West and East of England it would benefit from an upgrade in public transport.” 

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