Our day started with a delicious breakfast taking in the scenic views overlooking Morecambe Bay from the Sun Terrace restaurant of the Midland Hotel. Our overnight stay at this iconic hotel had been fabulous and I’d definitely recommend it for a luxurious break in the town.
Despite being sad to leave, we had much to look forward to as we spent the morning enjoying a stroll along Morecambe’s promenade whilst gazing out to sea. Morecambe Bay is the largest expanse of intertidal mudflats and sand in the U.K. covering an area of 120 square miles. The bay is a rich breeding area for birds and also an important wintering area for waders and other wildfowl.
We started off by following the Tern Trail which celebrates the local bird life through a series of sculptures and artwork along the seafront and the stone jetty. The sculptures comprise steel cormorants, gannets and razorbills all of which are frequent visitors to the bay. The stone jetty is also home to a giant sized floor compass, fun games for children including hopscotch and a popular cafe.
Continuing further along the promenade we arrived at the statue of Eric Morecambe who was one of the most successful comedy double acts of all time, being half of Morecambe and Wise.
John Eric Bartholomew (1926-1984) was born in the town and chose to use the stage name Morecambe in recognition of his birthplace. The slightly larger than life sized statue depicts Eric Morecambe in his characteristic ‘bring me sunshine’ pose and I couldn’t resist mimicking this and being photographed next to him.
He is seen wearing a pair of binoculars around his neck as a nod to his love of birdwatching in the surrounding area. The statue which was unveiled by Her Majesty the Queen in 1999 is surrounded by the Eric Morecambe stage where some of his greatest catchphrases have been embedded into the floor. Bronze seagulls sit on surrounding rocks and with the stunning backdrop of the bay, it’s a wonderful lasting memory to the local celebrity.
We continued as far as the impressive Town Hall which was constructed in 1932 in a neo-classical style then retraced our steps for a look around the shops before heading to the Winter Gardens Theatre just in time for our guided tour at 12.00 noon. The theatre opened as a music hall in 1897 and in its heyday comprised a theatre, ballroom, restaurants and a garden to the rear. Over the years the Winter Gardens has played host to famous stars including Vera Lynn, The Rolling Stones and The Who.
The theatre closed its doors in the 1970’s but was saved from demolition due to its listed status. A ‘Friends of the Winter Gardens’ group was formed who campaigned for the theatre’s restoration and through their efforts a trust was formed with substantial Government grants awarded for its renovation.
One hour tours take place each Saturday and Sunday costing £10 and these are led by knowledgeable volunteers. Entrance to the theatre itself is free and there’s a pleasant cafe to the rear of the stalls to enjoy a drink and a bite to eat. Each Sunday at 12.30 visitors are entertained by music on stage by the theatre’s resident organist, Peter Jetson.
We joined a small group on the lunchtime behind the scenes tour where we learnt about the history of the Victorian theatre which retains many of its original features including the original wooden ticket booths and mosaic floor in the entrance foyer.
Our tour took us from the entrance, through the stalls and up the marble staircase with its elaborate carvings to the grand circle. The magnificent auditorium is one of the largest in the country and a masterpiece of Victorian engineering.
We then had an opportunity of stepping out onto the large balcony overlooking the sea. Moving on and upwards we climbed the stairs to the upper circle known as ‘The Gods’. This area was reserved for the cheap seats with hard wooden benches, only being replaced by chairs as recently as 1953.
Our interesting tour then took us through the dressing rooms, backstage where we inspected some of the props and onto the stage itself where the organist had been playing. It’s a splendid tour and highly recommended if you are visiting Morecambe. Morecambe Winter Gardens.
It was then back to the hotel to collect our car and to drive to Heysham, a distance of just under four miles. This quaint village with its rose covered stone cottages overlooks Morecambe Bay where there is a ferry terminal with services to the Isle of Man.
Our first stop was at The Royal Hotel, a 250 year old inn steeped in history where we enjoyed a delicious Sunday lunch in its oak beamed restaurant. I always look forward to a Sunday lunch and the ones served at The Royal are certainly up with the best with their generous slices of tender roast beef and huge Yorkshire puddings cooked to perfection.
We couldn’t resist a dessert and their apple crumble with custard went down a treat setting us up for the remainder of the day.
We walked off our lunch with a stroll through the village and along the cliff top to a craggy outcrop which is home to the ruins of St. Patrick’s Chapel. This ancient monument is thought to date back to the Stone Age and is one of the oldest surviving religious buildings in the north west of England.
Also of interest and lying close to the chapel are two sets of ancient graves that have been hewn out of solid rock. The bodies and grave coverings have long since disappeared making the graves unique in appearance with holes at the head where a wooden cross would probably have stood. The graves gained notoriety when they were featured on the cover of Black Sabbath’s album “The Best of Black Sabbath”.
After viewing the graves we continued further along the clifftop taking in the dramatic coastal views and pausing to watch the afternoon ferry depart to the Isle of Man. Being a sunny afternoon there were many people out enjoying a stroll and taking the opportunity to breathe in the fresh sea air. We even came across a field of horses, many of them with young foals standing close to the fence waiting for a stroke.
Back in the car, there was just one more place we wanted to visit in the area, that being Glasson Dock, 12 miles to the south. After finding a parking place we walked around the small harbour, lock and picturesque village.
The harbour opened in 1787 following the demise of Lancaster as a port where it imported cotton, sugar and spices. It continues as a small, thriving port to this day and wandering around makes for a very pleasant stroll. Before setting off back home we had planned to have an ice cream but as it was late in the day sadly both the kiosk and village shop had already closed.
This brought to an end our three days exploring Lancaster, Morecambe and the surrounding area and what a lovely time we’d had visiting a castle, museums, taking a theatre tour, birdwatching at RSPB Leighton Moss and exploring some beautiful towns and villages. I hope this series of posts has inspired some of you to plan a visit to Lancaster and Morecambe.
During our stay we were guests of Visit Lancaster and as always, all views and opinions are entirely my own.
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