Perhaps it’s because I live in Lancashire, or perhaps it’s just because Lytham Saint Annes is a seaside resort, but I think the area is wonderful. I hope you agree as I go through the key selling points of this interesting location.
The Past
Lytham Saint Annes is really two towns on the Fylde Coast in the western Lancashire coastal plain. Situated at the mouth of the River Ribble, which is one of North West England’s largest rivers, the settlements have a long history. They pre-date their much larger and better known neighbour of Blackpool which is just up the coast to the north.
Lytham is considered to have first been settled by the Anglo Saxons in about 600 AD and up until the seventeenth century it was a fairly small and isolated community. In 1606 the Clifton family came into possession of Lytham and they carried out significant agricultural improvements to an area renowned for poor land drainage. Much of the area has reminders of their ownership as the name crops up throughout the town. From the end of the eighteenth century Lytham became a health resort and residential town. The railway also came and gave better access to the hinterland.
Then, in the 1870s, there was the construction of the new town of St.Anne’s-on-the-Sea, to the west of Lytham.
Located on the Fylde coast of Lancashire, Lytham St. Annes is about five miles from Blackpool. From the M6 motorway you approach via Preston. Following the M6 you turnoff onto the M55 motorway to Blackpool and turn off south for Lytham St. Annes, when signposted, just before entering Blackpool.
Unfortunately, the road from the end of the M55 to St Annes is rather poor and twists around the end of Blackpool Airport. The construction of “Lytham St Annes Way”
across the moss to give direct access between the motorway and the town is still awaited, but even so the total travel time by car from Preston is about half an hour.
Lytham St Annes Today
The twin towns of Lytham and Saint Annes are nowadays jointly referred to as Lytham St Annes. As well as Lytham and Saint Annes the area includes Ansdell and Fairhaven. Much quieter and less commercially developed than Blackpool, the seaside resort is preferred by older people and those who seek a more peaceful coastal experience. Even younger people like the extensive beach, the promenade and the pier. On the beach I have often taken my children on the traditional donkey rides and these still attract young children today. Digging sand castles is easy because of the extent of the sands and the area is great for kite flying, although with modern large kites there has been a bit of controversy over the safety of this lately.
St Annes beach was also famous for sand yachting, but this activity has ceased since a lady walking on the beach died following a collision.
The Victorian pier lies centrally on the beach at St Annes and has been renovated in recent years. It includes refreshments, an ice cream kiosk, toilet facilities and an amusement arcade for small children. Although children up to the age of ten can find plenty to do, the pier is not generally appreciated by those in their teenage years who will prefer a more active place.
St Annes
The town of St Annes was designed to attract large numbers of visitors from the east Lancashire mill towns. It is larger than Lytham, but I believe it has less overall character. Traditional is the way to describe St Annes with its up-market hotels, sandy beach, donkeys, pier and promenade as already mentioned. There are also lovely sand dunes to the north and south of the town, including a sand dune nature reserve.
Pleasure Island is also in St Annes. Here there are indoor adventure trails, slides and a ball pond. I find the on-site cinema gives a local alternative to Preston or Blackpool, and the miniature railway goes around the seafront here. Outside there is a play galleon, a play area for younger children, a paddling pool, miniature golf and trampolines. Some old railway carriages now act as cafes and a public house and on site car parking make this a self contained venue. We have often eaten in the pub which is a well known national brand with large children’s play area. In the summer a large outside area can be used to eat and drink with wonderful views across the Ribble Estuary to Southport and North Wales. My son has also always enjoyed the trampolines and miniature train at Pleasure Island, and we all have tried the putting.
In the town the main shops are Woolworths, J R Taylor’s, Sainsbury’s and now a Marks and Spencer food outlet. I find these shops accessible and much easier to browse around than in larger towns. Parking is easy although there is usually a fee, but be aware of the traffic wardens if you visit. They have a local reputation of being a bit overzealous and tend to look for reasons to ticket cars. If you only intend to stay for a short while, and do some shopping in Sainsbury’s, they have a substantial free car park a short walk form the main street.
Ansdell
Ansdell is a small area between Lytham and St Annes. It has it's own railway station on the “Blackpool South“ line and a small street with a row of local shops. The place is famous because of Richard Ansdell, an artist who lived locally, and Ansdell is thought to be the only place in England to be named after an artist. I believe the town itself has little to specifically recommend it as it is mostly of interest to local residents.
Fairhaven
In contrast to Ansdell, Fairhaven is a very interesting place. Located to the seaward of Ansdell you have the famous White Church at the southern end. Running along the coast to St Annes, "Granny's Bay" and Fairhaven Lake are major attractions, along with the unspoilt sand dunes. The large public school of King Edward’s and Queen Mary’s maintain the upmarket image of the area, although I’ve noticed that some of the school has now been converted to private flats.
At Granny’s Bay the views across the estuary are marvellous and the views of the migrating birds difficult to match. In fact the Ribble Estuary is one of the best sites for wildfowlin the UK with over 250,000 migratory birds every year. It is ideal for bird watching and the RSPB have a “Discovery Centre” at Fairhaven Lake. There are also motorboats, rowing boats and tenniscourts at reasonable prices and our family have used all of these facilities over the years.
Lytham
Lytham is famous for The Green fronting the Ribble Estuary, the Windmill, the Old Lifeboat House Museum, and Lytham Club Day - a local event each year. The town has wide open streets where I have often enjoyed al fresco dining in one of the numerous cafes or Public Houses. The Queens on The Green is particularly popular in the summer, especially on Lytham Club Day. This event, in June each year, includes one of the biggest parades in the fylde and is very varied and colourful. My family love the whole experience of the Club Day, but of course access and parking are difficult on the day. A travelling fair comes especially for the occasion and even my teenager enjoys some of the rides on this.
Golf
I don’t play golf, but I have to mention that Lytham St. Anne's is famous for its Golf courses and there are four championship courses: the Royal Lytham and St Anne's; St Anne's Old Links; Fairhaven and Lytham Green Drive. Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club was founded in 1886 and the present course was constructed in 1897. The Clubhouse celebrated its Centenary in 1998 and it is one of the premier links courses in the world, host to ten Open Championships, two Ryder Cups and numerous other major tournaments.
The Lifeboats
Lytham St Annes has one of the most famous lifeboat histories in Britain and I feel anyone visiting should be aware of this. On the 9th December 1886 the worst disaster in lifeboat history happened in the Ribble Estuary. Lytham, St Annes and Southport lifeboats were launched to help the German barque Mexico which was in distress during a big storm off Southport. The Lytham lifeboat rescued the crew of 12, but sadly the Southport lifeboat capsized and 14 of her crew drowned, and the St Annes lifeboat was washed ashore the next day and her entire crew of 13 drowned. The disaster led directly to the foundation the Lifeboat Saturday Fund. It raised thousands of pounds before evolving into the Lifeboat Flag Day street collections that everyone is familiar with.
Accommodation
Lytham St. Annes has a plethora of Bed and Breakfast establishments for all price ranges. More luxury is available in a number of exclusive hotels such as the Clifton Arms Hotel. Overlooking Lytham Green and the seafront, this 48 room 4 star establishment has a heritage dating back over 300 years. The relaxed surroundings are complemented by fine food and wine, creating a luxurious atmosphere, with all the warmth and comforts of home. Offering stylishly decorated and beautifully furnished rooms, you can also relax in the hotel's restaurant; unwind in the lounge bar or indulge yourself with afternoon tea in the library. A selection of public rooms can be reserved to accommodate conferences, weddings or functions.
A quick search of the internet will soon bring up a full list of accommodation options and prices for Lytham St Annes. Prices vary according to time of year and type of establishment.
In Summary
I think Lytham St Annes is a great English seaside resort and I have spent many happy days there in my life. As a young child I played on the beach, went on the pier and rode the donkeys. My family visited the summer parades and as a teenager I went in many of the drinking establishments. Since then my own children have experienced the joys of Lytham St Annes.
It may be hard to believe, but on a couple of summer days we have played on the beach and then gone to the paddling pool at St Annes. In more modern times we’ve been to the cinema to watch films and my daughter enjoys eating in the railway carriages at Pleasure Island as these are a real novelty.
Lytham St Annes is good value for money, as the rides are cheap, and the pier still has a lot of 2p amusements. I can also see why the area is liked by older people as Lytham, in particular, has an historical atmosphere. There are a lot of leisurely walks and the whole place is flat with good paths. Accommodation for all price ranges is available.
Overall I recommend this resort to all ages, except perhaps some teenagers, that may want a bit more of an exciting destination. For them there is always Blackpool.
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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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