Southport has been named the country’s pothole capital after scooping a string of awards at the inaugural National Pothole Awards.
The town claimed four of the seven categories at a ceremony held in Birmingham on Monday evening, seeing off stiff competition from Blackpool, Stoke-on-Trent and Hull.
A pothole on Marine Drive was named Overall Pothole of the Year, with judges praising its “remarkable depth, consistent water retention and commanding presence on the carriageway.”
Locals have celebrated the suspension-shattering pothole on the 50mph road with it’s own heritage warning cone.
The awards, organised by the National Roads Appreciation Society (NRAS), recognise “outstanding examples of road surface deterioration across the United Kingdom.”
NRAS chairman Phil Hole said Southport’s dominance had taken the panel by surprise.
“We expected strong entries from the usual contenders but Southport was in a league of its own,” Mr Hole said.
“The sheer variety on offer was extraordinary. From the subtle ankle-turner on Portland Street to the vehicle-swallowing crater on Norwood Road, this is a town that truly has something for every pothole enthusiast.”
The Scarisbrick New Road entry, nominated by local resident April Daye, was described by judges as “a once-in-a-generation pothole” measuring 4ft across and 18 inches deep.
Ms Daye said she had monitored its growth since early 2024.
“I’ve watched it develop from a modest crack into something really quite special,” she said. “It’s become part of the community. People slow down to look at it. Dogs drink from it. I’ve seen children throw coins in and make wishes.”
Southport also won Best Newcomer for a pothole on Sussex Road that appeared in January and “matured rapidly”, Best Cluster for a stretch of Bedford Road described as having “the density and complexity of a championship golf course”, and the Heritage Award for a pothole on Cemetery Road believed to have existed continuously since 2019.
The Heritage Award proved controversial, with a set of ‘world-class’ potholes on Knob Hall Lane excluded from the judging. NRAS confirmed the entry had been disqualified amid confusion over who was supposed to pretend to care about fixing them.
Nominations for the 2027 National Pothole Awards open on 1st April 2027. Further details can be found https://youtu.be/xvFZjo5PgG0