Blackpool

Blackpool is a seaside resort in Lancashire on the northwest coast of England, bordering the Irish Sea. It's a traditional holiday resort with miles of sandy beach, the iconic Tower, and cheap and cheerful amenities for visitors. In 2020 the population was 145,000.

Understand
The Black Pool was a large peat-stained lake and wetland. West of it along the coast were sandhills and rough grazing: the main village was Poulton-le-Fylde ("pool town") and other tiny settlements were Thornton, Cleveleys, Norbreck and Bispham. In the 18th and 19th centuries, the wetland was drained for agriculture, so nowadays Marton Mere is its only remnant. Drainage made road access easier just as the fashion for sea-bathing took off, but getting here involved a lumbering expensive stagecoach ride so few visited.

In 1830 a railway was built from Preston to Fleetwood, which was intended to become a ferry terminal. That venture flopped but a railway spur was built to Blackpool in 1848 just as leisure time and disposable income were benefitting a mass market. Each northern factory town took it in turns to close in summer for maintenance, releasing its labour. You could tell which town was having its "wakes week", especially during the "Glasgow trades", by the accents heard along the sea front. The concept of "wakes" — vigils on the eve of a Saint's Day — was carefully described in 601 AD by Pope Gregory I, who somehow failed to see its Victorian evolution. Blackpool acquired its promenade, three piers, amusements, pubs and accommodation, with Blackpool Tower opening in 1894. It had by far the best beach, miles and miles of sand, on a coast that is otherwise silted by estuary outflow. Amusements were concentrated on the 1½ mile strip between the north and south piers, and this was dubbed "Golden Mile", a wry reference to its slot machines.

Blackpool needed visitors and income outside the summer holiday season. The Illuminations were inaugurated in 1879 to extend the season, and the Winter Gardens (opened in 1878) pitched it as a year-round resort. It majored on conferences, including party political and trade union annual conferences. It developed a gambling strip, as the Golden Mile tried to ape Las Vegas with casino hotels, though the idea of a "super-casino" was rejected. Meanwhile the traditional week-long summer visitors had dwindled, as the Med and further afield came within budget price-range. Blackpool nowadays attracts party weekenders such as hen or stag groups, plus an older clientele who enjoy the nostalgia. The strains of the Tower Ballroom Wurlitzer striking up with "Oh I do like to be beside the seaside" brings a tear to the eyes of many, not least because the sharp sea breeze has already set their eyes and noses streaming.


 * Visit Blackpool visitor information

By car
Blackpool can be reached via the M55 from the M6, the UK's main motorway through the North West of England. Blackpool has many car parks available to visitors, several of which are very close the town's main attractions and promenade.

By bus
Long distance buses don't run to Blackpool - change in Preston.

Stagecoach Bus 61 runs hourly from Preston taking 75 min. Bus 42 runs hourly from Lancaster via the university, Galgate, Garstang, Churchtown, St Michael's, Great Eccleston and Poulton-le-Fylde.

See "Get around" for local buses from Lytham, St Annes, Poulton-le-Fylde, Thornton-Cleveleys and Fleetwood.

The is on Talbot Rd 200 yards from the beach front. It's a draughty coach-park with a prefab ticket office and toilets but little shelter.

By train

 * Wikivoyage has a guide to Rail travel in Great Britain

All trains to Blackpool run via Preston, taking about 30 min – change there coming from The Midlands or Scotland.

By plane

 * Manchester Airport has a huge range of flights. There are direct trains hourly between the airport and Blackpool North, taking 1 hr 40 min, plus other connections via Preston.


 * Liverpool John Lennon Airport, south, has budget flights across Europe.

Blackpool airport no longer has scheduled passenger flights, but remains in use as an air-support base for the gas fields out in Morecambe Bay.

By boat
Ferries no longer sail from nearby Fleetwood. The closest ferry routes are from Heysham near Morecambe to Douglas, Isle of Man, and from Liverpool to Dublin and Belfast.

On foot
The seafront is a flat walk, but even the central promenade between Pleasure Beach and Bispham is 4 miles (6.4 km); the entire strip is 17 miles (27 km).

By tram
Trams run the length of the sea front from Starr Gate in the south near the airport to Fleetwood in the north. Trams run every 15 min from 6AM to 7PM then every 30 min to midnight. In 2022 a single fare is £2.90 and a return is £5, pay on board by cash or card. If arriving by train, a "Plusbus" ticket allows travel on trams within Blackpool but not Fleetwood. The standard trams are modern Bombardier Flexitys with low floors and are wheelchair accessible. (See below for heritage tram rides, by separate ticket.) The tramway has operated since 1885, the world's second oldest, powered from overhead cables once they realised what happened to under-street electrical conduits when sea-spray washed over the prom. In the 1960s the inland sections of the tramway system were decommissioned. There is however a revival with a spur linking the tramway system to Blackpool North Railway Station expected to open in 2023.

By bus
Buses within town are operated by Blackpool Transport.

Bus 1 parallels the tram route between Starr Gate, central promenade, Cleveleys and Fleetwood. Town buses 11 and 17 run from St Anne's via Lytham; Bus 11 follows the promenade while Bus 17 goes inland behind Squires Gate. Bus 7 starts from St Anne's and from Starr Gate runs inland.

Buses 5 and 18 zigzag though south districts, Buses 3, 6 and 20 serve southeast districts.

Buses 2 and 20 run east via the hospital to Poulton-le-Fylde. Bus 2C continues across the River Wyre to Hambleton, Stalmine and Knott End.

Buses 3, 4, 7 and 9 run through the north of town as far as Cleveleys. Bus 14 takes an inland route north to Thornton and Fleetwood.

The Blackpool "blue" fare zone 1 covers the entire town north to Cleveleys, east to Poulton-le-Fylde and south to Starr Gate. Anything beyond is "green" or Zone 2, covering Thornton, Fleetwood and St Annes. In 2022 a single in Zone 1 is £2.30 and for both zones is £2.90. A 24-hour ticket is £6.60 (slightly cheaper online) and 3, 7 and 30 day tickets are available.

By taxi
Over a dozen firms ply the town. Those around town centre include 24/7 (+44 1253 777222), C Cabs (+44 1253 292929) and Blacktax (+44 1253 596596). The maximum fare is set by the Council. In 2022 from 9AM to midnight it's £2.60 flagfall then reckon £2.50 a mile.

See



 * Showtown just south of the Tower is an interactive museum about Blackpool showbiz, opening 15 March 2024.
 * Showtown just south of the Tower is an interactive museum about Blackpool showbiz, opening 15 March 2024.
 * is a freshwater lake and wetland wildlife reserve, all that remains of a much larger lake drained for agriculture in the 19th century. It's free to access 24 hours, and best approached from the south via the Holiday Village.
 * is a freshwater lake and wetland wildlife reserve, all that remains of a much larger lake drained for agriculture in the 19th century. It's free to access 24 hours, and best approached from the south via the Holiday Village.
 * is a freshwater lake and wetland wildlife reserve, all that remains of a much larger lake drained for agriculture in the 19th century. It's free to access 24 hours, and best approached from the south via the Holiday Village.

Do

 * What's on? Check local listings for forthcoming events in Blackpool.
 * Blackpool Sands extend for miles. The area between North and Central Piers can get busy and trash-strewn in summer. Take a donkey ride, ironically if that helps (not Fridays; 50-kg rider weight limit). It's all safe (though cold) for bathing but there are gullies near the sea wall that silently flood behind you and cut you off; if the shore watchman is waving and barking through a megaphone, it's time to return to the Prom. (Over 90 people got stranded one spring day in 2011.) The beach becomes shingly and muddy north of Bispham as you come into Cleveleys, but it is good all the way south to the sand hills of St Annes.
 * is a drag cabaret staged at 5 Dickson Rd FY1 2AX.
 * is an aquarium one block south of the Tower, open daily Nov-Mar 10AM-3PM, Apr-Oct 10AM-4PM.
 * Football:
 * Golf: is on North Park Drive on Stanley Park. White tees Par 70, 6048 Yards.
 * See Lytham St Annes for St Annes Old Links and Royal Lytham GC. Harry Lauder's short comic film "Bunkered at Blackpool" appears to show St Annes; his flailing golf club grows ever longer.
 * Football:
 * Golf: is on North Park Drive on Stanley Park. White tees Par 70, 6048 Yards.
 * See Lytham St Annes for St Annes Old Links and Royal Lytham GC. Harry Lauder's short comic film "Bunkered at Blackpool" appears to show St Annes; his flailing golf club grows ever longer.
 * See Lytham St Annes for St Annes Old Links and Royal Lytham GC. Harry Lauder's short comic film "Bunkered at Blackpool" appears to show St Annes; his flailing golf club grows ever longer.


 * World Fireworks Championships are hosted by Blackpool on weekends in October. View them from the central promenade.

Buy

 * is a cylinder of hard candy that needs to sucked slowly, never bitten if you value your teeth. It has "Blackpool" written right through it, or a person's name if you pay more. It's usually peppermint or fruit-flavoured and is also sold in cut slices, lollipops and smashed bits. A basic stick might cost 50p.
 * once proclaimed the limit of the town's sexual debauchery. They're still worn nostalgically, while corny picture postcards where vast women declare "I've lost my little Willy..." have become antique collectables.

Eat

 * "Chippies" are everywhere in Blackpool, but the quality varies enormously. The promenade is one enormous strip of fish & chips and other fast-food places.



Self-catering

 * in Bispham and similar upscale apartments are run by Burbage Holiday Group. They're wheelchair accessible and some accept dogs.
 * in Bispham and similar upscale apartments are run by Burbage Holiday Group. They're wheelchair accessible and some accept dogs.
 * in Bispham and similar upscale apartments are run by Burbage Holiday Group. They're wheelchair accessible and some accept dogs.

Mid-range

 * Britannia Group run four mid-range hotels in Blackpool: Norbreck Castle, the Grand, the Savoy, and the Metropole:
 * Britannia Group run four mid-range hotels in Blackpool: Norbreck Castle, the Grand, the Savoy, and the Metropole:
 * Britannia Group run four mid-range hotels in Blackpool: Norbreck Castle, the Grand, the Savoy, and the Metropole:

Stay safe

 * The keeper was quite nice about it; He said, “What a nasty mishap.
 * Are you sure that it’s your boy he’s eaten?” Pa said, “Am I sure? There’s his cap!”

Blackpool is generally a friendly and outgoing place, but exercise the usual caution over traffic, care of valuables, and children in the cold sea. Visits are generally incident-free. During Friday and Saturday nights, the busiest areas of the town centre such as Talbot Square and Queen Street can become very crowded and somewhat rowdy, but there is a large and generally good-natured police presence. The seafront and piers are usually crowded so are generally safe. Town centre becomes raucous at night with less-than-sober crowds, but it's all good-natured. Swerve clear of the occasional aggressive drunk. A few blocks back from the seafront are dingy areas blighted by deprivation, street sex industry, drug dealing and opportunistic crime. You have no reason to be there. Due to its unfortunate deprivation problems, Blackpool has an issue with homelessness. The overwhelming majority of homeless people are harmless, friendly and genuine, and even listening to what they have to say without giving any money or items will put a smile on most of their faces. Just to be safe, don't walk directly along the beach at night, particularly along the stretch opposite St Chad`s Road. Although not dangerous as such, you may find the atmosphere here after dark less than welcoming. Blackpool is also a pretty sizeable place which many do not realise until they are in the town. It can take up to an hour to walk from the south shore area where Blackpool Pleasure Beach is to the main area of town by Blackpool North station and Tower, where most of the town's nightlife and restaurants are found. Blackpool Trams are a very safe, reliable, reasonably priced and very friendly service to get around town. The last tram often departs before midnight so if you are returning late, order a taxi from a licensed taxi company. Uber exists, however it is not as frequent as in other towns. Gay male visitors should avoid the Middle Walk cruising area; a gay man was murdered here in 2007, and there have been several violent homophobic attacks. Lighting in this area has been improved and there are regular police patrols. The "gay quarter" around Talbot Road, Dickson Road and Queen Street is as safe as the rest of the town centre. It is now being heavily monitored with CCTV. Finally, don't eat ice cream and fish and chips before getting on the Big One rollercoaster. You have been warned!

Connect

 * At that Mother got proper blazing, And “Thank you, sir, kindly!” said she.
 * “What?! Waste all our lives raising children, To feed ruddy lions? Not me!”

As of April 2022, Blackpool has 5G from EE, Three and Vodafone, and 4G from O2.

Go next

 * The beach turns muddy further north. Thornton-Cleveleys and Fleetwood have cheap accommodation but few attractions; you might visit just to take the tram ride.
 * Lytham St Annes is a pair of family-oriented seaside towns; St Annes has sand dunes and the better beach.
 * Preston's main attraction the Harris remains closed.
 * Lancaster the historic county town retains its old castle and judicial quarter. The Lake District starts further north.