Blackpool Morecambe Bay Lytham St Annes Tourist Information Lancashire Coast UK

Blackpool, Britain's Favourite Seaside Resort

Blackpool is one of the UK's most popular and famous seaside holiday resorts. Blackpool Pleasure Beach with its dare devil amusement rides and roller coasters stands as one of Britain's most visited attractions and this resort is a veritable feast of family holiday attractions, theatre shows, endless sandy beach and three historic piers crammed with amusements, more theatres and bars and cafes. Blackpool is easily accessed via direct motorway links, excellent public transport by both rail and coach and Blackpool International Airport sits just minutes from the centre and has links with around 20 top European destinations. Moving around Blackpool is made easy via the iconic Blackpool Trams which run regularly along the full 12 mile stretch of the Blackpool Holiday Coast from Squires Gate to Fleetwood.

Blackpool is the home of shows and live entertainment performed within its many historic venues including two designed by the legendary Frank Matcham - the Grand Theatre and Blackpool Tower Ballroom. Music Hall, Variety, comedy, pop concerts, West End Musicals and cabaret are all here in Blackpool at the Opera House, Grand Theatre, North Pier Theatre, Blackpool Pleasure Beach arenas and the ever popular Funny Girls Showbar.

Blackpool's Golden Mile Promenade offers a host of family attractions including the Sea Life Centre, Louis Tussaud's Waxworks, Ripley's Believe It or Not, Blackpool Tower & Circus with Jungle Jims Adventureland and Aquarium, Coral Island Amusements and Sandcastle Indoor Waterpark - the UK's largest with 18 slides and famous Masterblaster indoor water rollercoaster! Move inland slightly and Blackpool has more family holiday attractions around historic Stanley Park including a large boating lake, Model Village and nearby Blackpool Zoo. Golf fans are always at home in Blackpool, with a choice of golf courses and golf hotels located in the resort and one of England's Golf Coast Royals and more renowned golf clubs like Fairhaven close to hand in nearby Lytham St Annes. Blackpool is alive all year round - the resort is famous for its numerous events, conventions, large conferences and concerts hosted by a superb choice of entertainment hotels and large venues including Winter Gardens. The Big Switch on of Blackpool's famous Illuminations takes place annually at the end of August running through to the beginning of November and numerous fireworks displays, events and festivals run year round. Unlike many UK seaside resorts, Blackpool never really went away and has remained popular particularly with families and groups. Consistently evolving and boasting new attractions, considerable new attention has been drawn to Blackpool by new innovative artistic contemporary attraction - The Great Promenade Show on revamped South Shore. The ten sculptures here include work by the likes of Peter Blake, and each piece has thematic links with Blackpool's history. Lovers of historic seaside architecture will marvel at the interiors of the Grand Theatre, Winter Gardens and Blackpool Tower Ballroom and of course a trip up the historic tower itself which celebrated its 110th birthday in 2004. The Grundy Art Gallery in Blackpool frequently hosts historic exhibitions of artefacts, posters and memorabilia on Blackpool's seaside holiday history. Blackpool is a seaside resort with something to please all.

Blackpool Tourist Information Centre, Central Promenade, Blackpool FY1 1LY. Tel. 01253 478222. A tourist information point is also situated within Blackpool International Airport.

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Lytham & Lytham St Annes

Lytham and Lytham St Annes have their own distinct classic seaside character. Tranquil and elegant with a glorious garden fronted seafront with charming Victorian Pier, Bandstand and Victorian hotels, this stretch of the coast is Lancashire's golf centre, home to one of the famous golf coast Royals, Royal Lytham St Annes, and three other acclaimed Golf Courses - Old Links, Fairhaven and Green Drive.

Within easy reach of Blackpool International Airport and Blackpool itself just to the north, Lytham boasts a fine selection of attractions including historic sites such as Lytham Hall and the famous Lytham Green Windmill, plus a superb heritage centre with changing exhibitions. Seaside attractions on the St Annes waterfront include St Annes Pool, a cinema and amusements at The Island, Fairhaven Saltwater Lake for boating and adjacent RSPB Discovery Centre and miniature golf and railway. Some of the best of Lancashire independent shopping and fine dining are to be found around St Annes, Lytham and the nearby Fylde villages.

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Fleetwood, Cleveleys & The Wyre

North of Blackpool sits one of the North West's lesser known gems - the Wyre Coast and Countryside. Well known locations such as Fleetwood, Cleveleys and Thornton and Poulton-le-Fylde sit within the area. The 11 miles of stunning coast here pushing upto Morecambe Bay are easily accessed from Blackpool via the Fylde Coast Tram service. Ferries run regularly from Fleetwood across the Wyre Estuary to Knott End and you can pick up direct ferries to Fleetwood from Larne in Ireland via Stena Line. Fleetwood and the Wyre host numerous festivals and events throughout the year including the renowned Fylde Folk Festival. The Wyre Coast has a rich marine heritage, best explored at the comprehensive Fleetwood Museum. Charming pretty villages abound in the Wyre Countryside including Great Eccleston - home to the popular Tractor Pulling events and Singleton where kids will love the seasonal Maize Maze. The Forest of Bowland beyond Garstang is within easy reach of popular Wyre bases Cleveleys, Thornton and Fleetwood as is bustling Blackpool to the south and Morecambe and Lancaster to the north.

Push inland from the coast and you're in Wyre Estuary Country Park territory. This award winning accessible park sits close to the Forest of Bowland, and is fast gaining a reputation for being one of the most accessible parks in the UK. A choice of footpaths are fully accessible as are various bird hideways. Popular attractions around Fleetwood and the Wyre, many of which are perfect for families, include the revamped beautiful Cleveleys Promenade with artworks, cinema and pretty Jubilee Gardens, the ever popular Fleetwood Freeport Shopping Outlet, a choice of family farm parks, Marsh Mill Windmill with shops, restaurants and heritage centre at Thornton and the Marine Hall Theatre and Events venue on the Fleetwood Waterfront. The Wyre also has an outstanding reputation for the finest of Lancashire food, on sale in the regions many markets and enjoyed in numerous fine restaurants. Find details on the Wyre's many markets and acclaimed restaurants via the comprehensive Visit Wyre webguide link right. Here you'll also find a full listing of Wyre Festivals and Events.

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Morecambe & Morecambe Bay

Morecambe offers a fabulous choice of seaside entertainment with lively pubs and the resort's famous beautiful Morecambe Bay overlooking the Lake District Hills. Morecambe is seeing some exciting changes in recent times. This historic seaside resort is home to one of the UK's most famous art deco treasures - the Midland Hotel due to reopen in Summer 2008 after extensive renovations. The Midland Hotel forms a centrepiece for a host of deco and historic architecture in Morecambe. The resort's stunning Winter Gardens is open for tours and pushing ahead with regeneration plans with the help of patrons including Morecambe born Wagne Hemingway, and Ken Dodd who performed in this glorious music hall on numerous occasions. Read more via the Winter Gardens' webguide - tours are highly recommended.

The resort boasts a fine selection of seaside holiday attractions including its glorious long 5 mile flat level promenade with views of the Lake District Mountains. Extensively renovated, Morecambe's now stunning sandy beach bays are perfect for families and a choice of amusements and kids play areas line the promenade. Restaurants, pubs, cafes, bars, cinemas, Splash Pools, bowling and Megazone laser adventre are some of Morecambe's many seaside holiday attractions. Not forgetting too the resort's famous sunsets!

Walking around Morecambe is to marvel at its architecture - the deco front of Woolworths, the Winter Gardens and the spectacular seafront art deco Midland Hotel. Morecambe's promenade is dotted with sculptures which form part of the TERN Public Art project which includes the popular Eric Morecambe statue on the promenade. Morecambe Bay is a hotspot for bird watching, with the sand flats and salt marshes providing a feeding ground for wading birds and wildfowl.

The Platform situated just opposite the Midland hotel is Morecambe's top entertainment venue. A character railway station building conversion, the Platform plays host to Morecambe's music festivals and numerous concerts, comedy evenings and shows.

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Carnforth & Carnforth Station Visitor Centre

Carnforth is most famous for its station, which featured centre stage in the 1945 legendary David Lean film 'Brief Encounter'. Carnforth Station & Visitor Centre includes an exhibit room totally dedicated to Brief Encounter alongside exhibits on the history of the railway, Carnforth Station, station workers and local residents. Numerous events run at the station throughout the year including the August 'Age of Steam' Festival and a host of Antiques and Collectors Fairs. A gift shop and recreated Refreshment Room from the Brief Encounter Film are on-site.

Carnforth is ideally located for access to a number of nearby attractions including the RSPB Leighton Moss Reserve, the North West's largest reedbed with on-site hides, trails and a visitor centre. The fully navigable Lancaster Canal pushes up from Lancaster to Carnforth, taking in spectacular views of Morecambe Bay and the Lune Aqueduct. Canal Boat Trips run regularly from Lancaster to Carnforth, culminating at Canal Turn in Carnforth where you'll find the great family Canal Turn Canalside Pub.

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