Have been sorely neglecting Ciao recently but planning on rectifying that! I need to get my violet...
Have been sorely neglecting Ciao recently but planning on rectifying that! I need to get my violet dot :-)
Member since:15.02.2005
Reviews:26
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I LOVE Lytham St Annes, its one of my favourite places in the world. Although strictly speaking they are 2 seperate towns, Lytham and St Annes, they are generally referred to as one as their boundaries are now almost indistinguishable. Instead of differentiating between the 2 they are commonly referred to and recognised as Lytham St Annes
So first of all, where is it? Well St Annes is located just a couple of miles south of Blackpool on the North West coast of England. St Annes is everything Blackpool isnt. Where Blackpool is loud, brash and hectic. St Annes is quiet, refined and slow paced.
So who would visit or holiday here? Well, anyone and everyone. From people with young families who want a nice clean seaside resort which allows their family a bit of freedom, to people with older families who want the amenities Blackpool has to offer but dont fancy staying there, to the older set, whove done the noisy holidays and now want somewhere quieter.
St Annes is a pretty seaside town. The town centre is a traditional square with a good mixture of shops, both popular (Woolworths, WHSmith, Boots etc) to more local ones. If shopping isnt your thing then there are lots of seats
in the square, some in brand new pergola style shelters where you can watch the world buzz by.
Just behind the town is Ashton Gardens. A lovely peaceful park just moments from the shop. It offers a bowling green, lots of greenery, a play park, tenniscourts and ofcourse a coffee shop.
Heading to the front you pass the traditional seaside pier. St Annes Pier has a long and colourful history. Built in 1885 its original length was 914ft. In 1910 the Floral Hall was added to the Pier end and it remained here until it was destroyed by fire in 1982. The fire so badly damaged the Pier that part of it was demolished and it was reduced to only 600ft. Sadly for the past few years visitors are no longer allowed to walk on the outside area of the pier and have to content themselves with the facilities indoors. The pier has a popular amusement arcade, 10 pin bowling, cafe and small verandahs along the length of the enclosed area which allow visitors to sit outside, a great compromise when the kids want to spend money there while parents want to enjoy the sunshine!
St Annes beach is a vast, clean and sandy beach. The tide seems to come in very rarely and is usually just seen from a distance. The beach is great for families to relax and build sandcastles and there are the usual facilities youd expect, an ice cream stall nearby and donkeys to ride on.
Further along the prom is an indoor swimming pool surrounded on 3 sides by a boating pond which has a variety of pedalos etc on it. There is a more traditional boating pond near the pier with a typical seaside bandstand, which yes still hosts bands to this day. There is also a new area, Leisure land, another amusement arcade complex, with a cinema, outdoor rides for smaller children, an internet cafe and several food outlets. The food outlets are rather novelly on an old train. Several real railway carriages have been converted to 2 food areas and several gift shops.
The prom also boasts a miniture railway, pitch and putt, putting, trampolines, swing park, beautiful gardens, a waterfall and another paddling pool.
Accommodation in St Annes is wide and varied from Self Catering, to small B&Bs, small hotels, large family hotels to luxury hotels. Several of the large hotels along the front have kids clubs and you regularly see the children who are guest appearing on the beach with hotel staff for a morning/afternoons entertainment. presumably to allow mum and dad some peace to enjoy the hotel amenities in peace!!
Heading along towards Lytham is Fairhaven Lake. A very large lake is as youd expect the centre piece of this area. There are assorted boats for hire as well as My Fair Lady the larger boat which will take you right round the lake. Fairhaven really has something for everyone: playparks, tennis courts, bowling greens, putting green, crazy golf, tea room, giftshops theyve really thought of everything.
So, by now youre almost in Lytham. Lytham has a very pretty town centre, a main street with shops along either side, almost all are local shops, with the exception of Boots and Woolworths. Lytham is more residential than holidayish, there are very few hotels etc, the only concession they give to the tourists and holiday maker is the large number of coffee shops they have, most all with home baking. Lytham is even quieter than St Annes but more for your older person, theres really nothing in Lytham to entertain children.
The one famous Lytham landmark is ofcourse the Lytham Windmill. Built in 1805 it was a working windmill until 1919 when it was, yes, damaged by fire. It has been rebuilt several times and is now open to the public as an exhibition and museum of Lytham life in the past 100 years.
My family holidayed here every year when I was a child, in fact my parents still do. St Annes has a 'safe' feel to it, I know of friends who have taken children here who have allowed them a lot more freedom on the prom than they would have allowed in other places. Its only 10 mins from Blackpool which is ideal if your caught with a bad weather day and need some indoor activities, and ofcourse its perfect for visiting the Illuminations.
St Annes is a real traditional holiday town, and somewhere Id recommend to anyone, whether its for a weekend in a B&B or a break in a 'posh' hotel it really does have something for everyone.
----- Added June 20-------
Ive been asked about disabled access in the town. St Annes is great, its almost totally flat, with only one hill in the entire town. The Square has nice wide pavements and the prom is the same, even the pavements along the front are a good size. There is disabled parking in the 4 car parks on the front (though not at the Pier) and also in town. There are also LOTS of seats throughout the town and along the front should you feel the need to stop. Even facilities like the train which has steps up to the food carriages has a ramp at the side. If you do opt for using a ramp the ones I can think of, at the Beach cafe, the train and the pier, are all set beside the stairs or before them so you have no further distance to walk. Both Lytham and St Annes have mobility shops where you can hire wheelchairs (both push type and electric) and a whole host of other items for disabled persons.
My dad is disabled and walks with a frame with wheels (which he purchased there). Hes also bought several other items which hes never seen anywhere else.
So yes. St Annes really does cater for everyone :-)
Pictures of Lytham St Annes
The Pier
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Glad you liked the review. Cant comment on accommodation for disabled as my personal knowledge isnt as detailed as that. My review was really only on the town itself. Sorry
Littleswamp1 20.10.2005 01:38
Very detailed and I am glad for the addition about disabled access etc. The only thing I have reason to complain about is you have not indicated if any of the accomodation available is suitable for wheelchair users unable to walk. But maybe I'm just nit-picking here!!
james564 12.09.2005 21:18
I've only been round Blackpool way when i was small so if i've been here i don't think i'll remember it! James x
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Advantages: Sea Front setting. Old World Charm. Old School Courtesy From Staff. Facilities. Comfort. Disadvantages: Dated Furnishings. Small Car Park. Comedy Lift, Stair and Passageway Layout.
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