Day 2. St. Annes-on-Sea & Poulton-le-Fylde

On By Little Miss TravellerIn Blackpool, Blackpool September 2017, Lancashire, North West, United Kingdom

After a good night’s sleep we enjoyed the Ibis buffet breakfast which was included in our room rate.  The breakfast room features a seaside theme with imitation sticks of Blackpool rock adorning it’s walls.  The restaurant overlooks the sea so we were able to watch the trams pass along the promenade whilst we were sipping our morning cups of coffee.

St. Annes Pier, Lancashire
St. Anne’s Pier

After checking out of the hotel we made use of our second PlusBus ticket by catching a No.11 bus from nearby Corporation Street to St. Annes-on-Sea.  The bus took 30 minutes to reach St. Annes, only a short journey but a complete contrast to the bright lights of Blackpool.  Leaving the bus in the main square we started off by taking a stroll along the seafront.

St. Annes Pier, Lancashire
The end of St. Annes Pier

Overlooking the square lies the town’s Victorian pier which was constructed in 1885.  With its Tudor style entrance it reflects the town’s heritage and exudes a feeling of grandeur even if it’s clock is no longer working.  Stepping inside though we were saddened to notice that it’s now one big amusement arcade full of slot machines.  There’s a small cafe and one or two kiosks selling seaside paraphernalia but that’s about it.  The outside area at the end of the pier was closed to visitors as some maintenance work was taking place.  The pier used to boast both a Pavilion and a Floral Hall but both were destroyed by fire in separate incidents.  The length of the pier was reduced by 314 ft to 600 ft when the jetty at the seaward end was demolished and the remains of the jetty can be seen on the above photograph.

Promenade gardens, St. Annes-on-Sea
Promenade gardens, St. Annes-on-Sea

On leaving the pier we strolled through the promenade gardens passing the Victorian bandstand and ornamental fountain, both of which had been carefully restored and surrounded by ponds and neat flower borders.

St. Annes-on-Sea beach huts
Modern beach huts in St. Annes-on-Sea

Returning to the seafront we spotted these newly constructed beach huts which looked very stylish and are available to rent by the day or week, offering uninterrupted views over the Irish Sea.

St. Annes-on-Sea
St Anne’s Square

A short stroll inland took us to the town centre where we found some inviting small shops on either side of the broad square.  There’s little evidence of flashy Blackpool here, as St. Annes gives visitors an impression of affluence with its stylish cafes and boutiques on tree lined avenues.  After pausing for coffee in a cafe on Wood Street we returned by bus to Blackpool just as it had started to rain.

The Winter Gardens, Blackpool
The Winter Gardens, Blackpool

The rain was falling heavily when we arrived back into Blackpool but that didn’t matter too much as we wanted to look inside the Winter Gardens complex which comprises a collection of theatres, exhibition halls and a ballroom.  Constructed in 1878, visitors are welcome indoors without charge and we enjoyed viewing the Art Deco interior and marvelling at its elegant Empress Ballroom.

The Winter Gardens, Blackpool
The main hallway, Winter Gardens, Blackpool

The Winter Gardens has over the years hosted the conferences of all three main UK political parties and that of several Trades Unions.  Its Opera House is one of the country’s largest theatres seating 3,000 people and still attracts top performers to its stage.

Statue of Morecambe and Wise, Winter Gardens, Blackpool
Statue of Morecambe and Wise, Winter Gardens, Blackpool

In the Opera House foyer we were interested to view a recent statue of the comedy legends Morecambe and Wise.  This bronze statue was unveiled in 2016 to commemorate more than 1,000 appearances of the comedy duo in Blackpool, their spiritual home.

St Chad's Church, Poulton-le-Fylde
St Chad’s Church, Poulton-le-Fylde

Still raining heavily, we made good use of our day tickets by taking a No.2 bus to the small market town of Poulton-le-Fylde five miles away.  The town centre is in a conservation area and the historic market place is closed to traffic.  At one end of the square lies the parish church of St. Chad’s, it’s churchyard being noted for its springtime crocus displays.

The market place, Poulton-Le-Fylde
The market place, Poulton-Le-Fylde

At the head of the market place stands the town’s war memorial, market cross and stocks.  The stocks which can be seen in the foreground of the above photo were restraining devices formerly used for punishment by public humiliation.

The market place, Poulton-Le-Fylde
The market place, Poulton-Le-Fylde

The town boasts 15 buildings listed by English Heritage, it was just a pity that we couldn’t see them at their best due to the poor weather.  To keep dry we glanced in the small, enclosed shopping mall and the new Booths supermarket which sells a range of high quality produce and has an attractive cafe on its upper floor.  Having seen most of what the town had to offer, we hopped on a waiting bus back into Blackpool to have a meal before returning home that evening.  And finally, our verdict on a short break in Blackpool – it’s big, it’s brash but for a traditional seaside break it’s definitely good fun!

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57 thoughts on “Day 2. St. Annes-on-Sea & Poulton-le-Fylde”

  1. Alwsy nice to take a break from a popular busy toruist attraction to see nearby smaller towns. Sad to see when they decide to deviate from what makes them special to compete with the bigger center. While rain is not the desired holiday weather, it did not spoil your shots of Poulton-Le-Fylde, Marion. Thanks for sharing. Allan

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  3. Pingback: Day 2.  Around and about in Blackpool – Northern Biz WordPress Blog

  5. Another enjoyable day traveling with you around Blackpool! These small places look delightful and are in contrast to the bright and showy Blackpool. Glad to see you were not put off by the weather. Your photos, as usual, are fabulous. They give a real sense of the places you visited.

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  6. Blackpool is a ‘special’ place. We visit every July for a long weekend to watch the darts at Winter Gardens. It is a beer orientated break but over the years we have discovered most places, included some different pubs, quirky pubs and plain awful pubs.

    Would I recommend Blackpool? Yes, but with a big warning that it is its own little place and not representative of the rest of the UK!

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  12. You must have huge tidal variations in that area judging by the jetty standing tall in that waterless expanse. Loved the Tudor constructions and scenery and of course the little shack changing buildings at the beach. I enjoy your travel blogs.

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    1. We’ve usually been quite impressed with the standard of Ibis hotels with their good value room rates. I think they may have only recently taken over the Blackpool one as the breakfast area had been refurbished but the rooms still had Travelodge fittings. Hopefully they will get around to updating the rest of the hotel soon. Thanks for your much appreciated thoughts.

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  19. I don’t think I’ve ever been to St Anne’s Marion but I like the sound of it – definitely one to remember! The pier looks beautiful but how dreadful it is an amusement arcade inside – definitely not my idea of a fun place. Shame about the rain but you made the most of your trip!!

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    1. I was brought up on the Fylde coast Joy so am very familiar with the area despite not having visited for awhile. St. Anne’s-on-Sea is lovely as are it’s close neighbours Lytham and Fairhaven. About once a week in the summer months we used to drive the short distance to St. Anne’s for an evening trip out. Mum would read her book or newspaper whilst Dad and me would enjoy a round of putting or crazy golf on the promenade. We were never very good but we had lots of fun!

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    1. St. Anne’s is a smaller tourist town but doesn’t get as many visitors as Blackpool despite being so near and I would imagine that it’s only locals who visit Poulton-le-Fylde but it’s really nice, especially if it’s not raining.

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