Southport can be classified as a town.
Southport ( [ ˈsaʊθpɔrt ] ) is a large seaside town in Merseyside , England . The town is 16.7 mi north of Liverpool and 14.8 mi southwest of Preston . Historically part of Lancashire , the town was founded in 1792 when William Sutton , an innkeeper from Churchtown , built a bathing house at what now is the south end of Lord Street .