Southport’s iconic Victorian Carousel has been honoured as one of the top seaside attractions in the UK – now it needs YOUR votes to get into the top 10!
Herbert Silcock’s Golden Gallopers have been putting smiles on families’ faces since the historic ride was built in 1901.
The ride has now been shortlisted for Coast Magazine’s Bucket & Spade Awards.
If you love Southport’s famous Carousel as much as we do then please vote for it using this link: https://bit.ly/bucket-spade-vote
The Bucket and Spade list aims to celebrate the very best of the Great British seaside.
This is being promoted in an issue of Coast Magazine over the summer and put to an online public vote with the final top 10 to be announced at an event in Blackpool in September.
The Carousel is recognised as one of the Liverpool City Region’s top attractions, having been honoured in the top 10 in the Hidden Gems category in the 2023 Liverpool City Region Tourism Awards.
It stands proudly on the Promenade in Southport, offering fun for people of all ages as they spin round and round to the sound of a Gavioli fairground organ.
The ride is a beautiful symbol of happy times at the seaside through history, entertaining many thousands of generations over the past few decades.
Silcock Leisure Group Operations Manager Serena Silcock-Prince said:
“We are thrilled to see Silcock’s Carousel recognised as one of the best seaside attractions in the country by Coast Magazine.
“We’d love to see your votes to help us put Southport on the map!
“It would be fabulous to see a Southport attraction featured in the top 10 in the country, along with the recognition this would bring for our town.”
Silcock’s Carousel in Southport. Photo by Andrew Brown Media
The remarkable ride was built in 1901, in the reign of Queen Victoria, by Savages of Kings Lynne.
It was purchased by the Silcock family in 1989 and it took three years of painstaking restoration to return it to its former glory.
This 18 ton ride is 42 ft in diameter, 18 ft tall and has 33 Horses – each of them named after a member of the Silcock family and family friends.
The horses on the inside of the ride are original Anderson carvings and date to when the ride was built at the turn of the century. The rest of the horses have been replaced by copies due to wear and tear.
Silcock’s Carousel in Southport. Photo by Andrew Brown Media
The beautiful Gavioli organ at the centre of the ride, built by Gavioli in Paris in 1901, is worthy of being recognised as a Hidden Gem in its own right.
The Carousel is surrounded by lots of other fun attractions, including the beautiful Kings Gardens, the Marine Lake, Silcock’s Funland, Southport Beach, Southport Miniature Railway Village and more.
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