Hoylake Promenade', c 1894

Hoylake Promenade', c 1894. A photographic view of the Promenade and beach at Hoylake, (now in Merseyside), published by Francis Bedford & Co. The village of Hoylake is less than two hundred years old. It was originally called Hoyle Lake - an anchorage for vessels on the way to Chester and Liverpool. By the 1830s, the lake disappeared and the area began to develop from the village that was already there, Hoose, into Hoylake. Bedford (1816-1894) was a prolific and well-respected photographer, best known for his numerous topographic and architectural views of Britain. During the 1860s and 1870s Bedford travelled extensively throughout Britain, taking hundreds of views of British scenery. He was assisted by his son, William (1846-1893) whose work is almost indistinguishable from that of his father. ©SSPL/National Media Museum