Lancashire is in the North West of England and takes its name from Lancaster City.
This county ranges from Blackpool - an amazing traditional and very exciting seaside resort - up to the Forest of Bowland and is packed with activities and attractions, heritage and wonderful folk tales. Known as England's golfing coast this area offers four superb courses near Lytham St Anne's. The beaches in the area are varied but mainly sandy and most offer safe swimming and watersports.
Coastal features include Lytham Windmill, the beautiful old town of Heysham and the three lighthouses at Fleetwood but apart from those the area is perfect for nature lovers with RSPB reserves, Ribble Coast and Wetlands that are home to wildlife and made up of mudflats, sand dunes and marshes. There's also a wonderful walk on the 140 mile long coastal path that takes you to Cumbria!
There are many seaside towns here and each has varied accommodation, harbours and great fish and chip shops! Lytham St Annes is an old town dating back to Victorian times with gardens right down to the sea, a Victorian Pier and Promenade, Lytham Green Windmill and A grandiose Hall!
Fleetwood is popular with its maritime heritage and busy harbour. Fleetwood Freeport Villages offers shopping galore on the marina and there's a five mile promenade at Morecambe where you can drink in the breathtaking views across the bay.
Why not check beaches nearby as we have 19 beaches in Lancashire, or have a look at our list of Lancashire dog friendly beaches, or even our United Kingdom Blue Flag beach list.
Lancashire Coast Search Bar
Where would you like to go? Use our search bar to search across all our local listings, ideal for finding that nearest spot to visit:
Want some ideas on where to visit?
Every favourite location must be visited for the first time. Want some ideas, why not check out the below small selection of coastal locations, including beaches, activities, things to see and do, places to stay and eat:
- 11th September 2020-13th September 2020St Anne’s Kite Festival takes place ob St Anne’s seafront and has kite teams from across the UK and overseas.Running over Saturday and Sunday you will get to see fabulous kite displays although this is weather dependent. Most years regardless of the weather you have been able to see something and have a great family day out.
- Jeffrey Hill, Ribble Valley, spectacular views on a clear day and excellent walks and mountain biking.
- Fleetwood lifeboat station was established in 1859 an operates inshore and all weather lifeboats. RNLI Shop and station only open by appointment.
- Sandylands beach is a large flat sandy beach that joins Morecambe South beach. Facilities include promenade, toilkets, plenty of parking options, some pubs, shops, cafes in the roads behind the beach.
- The Blackpool Golden Mile is the central stretch of sand and promenade that runs between Blackpool’s north and south piers, and has been famous as the home of British seaside culture for over a century. Blackpool is the only town in the United Kingdom with three piers. Blackpool became a major holiday destination, fueled by the Lancashire textile workers with the arrival of the railway in 1846. The growth of visitors continued in the inter-war years. But the post-war decline of the Lancashire textile industry and the arrival of cheap package holidays meant many of Blackpool’s traditional visitors headed off on planes. Today, Blackpool’s many attractions coupled with its good road communications continue to make it a popular destination with a large proportion being day-trippers. All the facilities of Blackpool.
- Half Moon Bay is a sandy beach with grass covered dunes and low cliffs. At low tide you have a great expanse of flat sand. The beach is backed by the small town of Heysham, and to the south a power station and a harbour serving passenger ferries to Douglas (Isle of Man) and Belfast (Northern Ireland). The beach is also known as Heysham sands. Parking, beach cafe, grass area and access to facilities within Heysham itself.
- The Blackpool Tower is 158m high and was opened in 1891. However, due to incorrect painting, the tower started to corrode and was nearly demolished. Instead, it was replaced (1921-24) and consists of 2,500 tonnes of cast iron and almost 100 tonnes of steel. The tower consists of a number of attractions:The viewing platform with a clear glass section of the floor. The Tower Ballroom. The aquarium. The Tower Circus.
- The beach extends northwards from North Pier, continuing to Bispham. The section between North Pier and Cabin is most popular with visitors as it is closest to Blackpool’s local services, hotels etc. Lifeguards in the summer and all the facilities of Blackpool.
- The North beach at St Anne’s consists of a sandy beach and dunes. Site of Special Scientific Interest which is full of interesting wild plants and animals.
- The beach at Cleveleys is mostly pebble with some sand backed by a promenade and sits a few miles north of Blackpool. Facilities include parking, promenade and nearby the traditional seaside town with shops and options to eat.
- Pilling Sands beach is located on the southern corner of Morecambe Bay and is really a salt marsh with large areas of sand when the tide goes out. Pilling Sands is not really a traditional beach to visit but is a popular beach for activities including kite sports, horse riding and walking. The Pilling Sea Embankment runs along the coast here and was built to protect the agricultural land from flooding from the sea and is part of the Lancashire Coastal Way, this sea defence is a good location for bird watching, although dogs are NOT allowed on the embankment. Parking is at Lane Ends Amenity Area where you can also find a picnic site, and for other amenities like a pub, you will need to visit Pilling village.
- Hest Bank beach is a sandy beach within Morecambe bay that is backed by a grassy area. The sandflats and saltmarshes form the Morecambe Bay Hest Bank RSPB reserve. Facilities include car park, toilets, food, shops and campsite. Do not go out onto the saltmarsh or inter-tidal area as there are dangerous channels and quicksand.
- Morecambe North beach is a sand and shingle beach within a traditional seaside town with amusements and promenade. You have views over the sands of Morecambe Bay. Facilities include toilets, cafes, bars, parking, promenade, seasonal lifeguards and an adjacent children’s playground.
