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Feel free to come along to any of our open days, where our friendly and knowledgeable volunteers wil give you a free tour, and answer any questions you might have. 

 

Currently there is a large exhibition about Yuri Gargarin's flight into space in 1969, where he became the first man ever to go into orbit, in the lower portion of the building.

 

Upstairs you can see the telescope itself, and test yourself with our quiz.

 

We typically open from 11am - 4pm on our open days.

Visiting Us
Our Open Days in 2016:
May Open Day

29th May 2016

June Open Day
June 26th 2016
July Open Day
31st July 2016
August Open Day
25th August 2016
Victorian Open Day
25th September 2016

OUR OBSERVATORY TIME-LINE

 

1815 Joseph Baxendell Senior born in Crumpsall, Manchester.

 

1869 Thomas Cooke & Son finish the 6 inch refractor telescope and deliver it to their client, J.Baxendell.

 

1871 Joseph Baxendell snr invited to Southport by Mr. John Fernley, local philanthropist and well off resident of Southport. He is invited to run the new Meteorological station.paid for by JF.

 

1887 Death of Joseph Baxendell snr, His son , by the same name takes over the station at the age of 18 years,

 

1901 Joeseph Baxendell Jnr donates to the Southport Education dept, his fathers Observatory and the telescope. " for the Education and Enlightenment of its citizens".,..  The Observatory is removed from 14 Liverpool road to the new site in Hesketh Park. The Fernley trust builds a brick first story for the Observatory to stand on.

 

1938 J. Baxendell jnr retires.

 

1956 After 87 years of weather measurements, the Fernley Meteorological station closes.

 

1980s Education department hands over the Observatory and telescope to the Southport Atronomical society to hold their meetings and open the Observatory to the public) Long Period of neglect leads to severe deterioration of the Observatory building.

 

2007/2008 A successful bid by the Hesketh Park Heritage group leads to plans to conserve the Observatory and the Cooke telescope. . Despite a very respectable sum being spent on the Observatory, the effort fails to check the buildings' decline. It remains closed to the public for long periods of time.

 

2014 The Fernley Observatory Heritage group is formed from a concerned group of Southport Citizens Its aim: to restore the Observatory and the telescope to as near original as possible to initiate a programme which will increasingly make the Ob available to the public to safeguard its long term future.

 

2015 Trustees appointed/ open days organised/public awareness/ funds begun to be raised etc Sefton MBC conduct complete survey of the building. 1,000 plus visitors since opening in 2014

 

2016 New doors fitted with Lions cub £1,600 grant. Biggest space exhibition downstairs Observatory passes all planning and conservation committees Sefton put aside funds for reconstruction./ preparation for \the sending out of tenders Young peoples Spacegroup planned.

Our History
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