Churchtown is a suburb of Southport, Merseyside, England. Historically in Lancashire, it is surrounded by Crossens, High Park and Marshside in the ancient parish of North Meols on the northern fringe of what is now Southport. History In 1575, a shipwreck occurred off the Churchtown coast, the cargo of which contained potatoes, was washed ashore. Subsequently, the village became the first place in England where they were grown. The Botanic Gardens was at one time the terminus for the Southport tram system, and evidence can be seen in the large turning circle at the front of the gardens. Stocks dating from 1741 can be found adjacent to the church wall on St. Cuthbert's Road close to Botanic Gardens. The centre of the old village retains much of its character from bygone ages - with the green in front of St Cuthbert's Church flanked by the two local pubs - the Bold Arms and the Hesketh Arms. This is covered by a preservation order which covers much of Botanic Road, where some thatched cottages still exist. On one side of the Hesketh Arms is the entrance to Meols Hall, home of the Hesketh family. Geography Churchtown is situated in North West England. The closest cities are Preston to the north east and Liverpool to the south. Churchtown is a suburb of Southport which has the nearest town centre. To the North of Churchtown, is Crossens, which is the most northerly suburb of Southport. To the west of Churchtown is Marshside, to the east High Park, and to the south is the Hesketh Park area. The village is one of many villages on the West Lancashire Coastal Plain, most of the village is only slightly above sea-level just like the nearby village of Banks which means the village can be susceptible to flooding during heavy rainfall. There are embankments to the north of nearby Marshside and there are drainage systems across the area, the closest being the Three Pools Waterway to the East of the village which is controlled by the pumping station at the Banks/ Crossens border. Education Churchtown has one primary school (Churchtown Primary School) which is situated on St Cuthbert's Road and access is also available via Botanic Gardens The school is a "community school" (i.e. not a church school) but is closely associated with St Cuthbert's Church. It is among the ten biggest primary schools in the country,