We’re all familiar with these circular markers on interesting and historic buildings. We thought we’d dig out all of our local ones in this guide to Blue Plaques on the Fylde Coast. Photos on this page are copyright Visit Fylde Coast unless stated otherwise.
What is a Blue Plaque?
A blue plaque is a permanent sign in a public place to commemorate a link between that location and a famous person, event, or former building on the site. They’re historical markers – guides to interesting things from the past.
The “official” Blue Plaque Scheme is run by English Heritage, and currently restricted to sites within Greater London. But the Blue Plaque has come to be a recognisable standard for many similar schemes administered by organisations all over the UK.
Dating Back to 1866
The “official” scheme traces its origins to that launched in 1866 in London, on the initiative of the politician William Ewart MP, to mark the homes and workplaces of famous people. The first plaque was unveiled in 1867 to commemorate Lord Byron at his birthplace, 24 Holles Street, Cavendish Square.
Since then the official scheme has been administered run by the Society of Arts (1866–1901), London County Council (1901–1965), the Greater London Council (1965–1986) and now English Heritage (1986 to date). The first such scheme in the world, it directly or indirectly provided the inspiration and model for many others.
Guide to Blue Plaques on the Fylde Coast
You’ll find blue plaques and historical markers in Fleetwood, Blackpool, Cleveleys, St Annes and Lytham. They’ve been installed through the years to mark our own important places, people and events. Some of these places also throw their doors open each year during Heritage Open Days.
We’ve collected together a list of where they are and who they were installed by. Follow the links to find out more –
Blue Plaques in Blackpool
These are installed by Blackpool Civic Trust.
In 2013 they carried out a review all of the plaques in Blackpool. In some cases plaques have been removed for work on buildings and in other cases buildings no longer exist. There are 60 Blue Plaques and one Green Plaque in Blackpool. Some are known to be missing.
Alistair Cooke, 10 Vance Road
Abingdon Street Market
Adelphi Hotel
Armfield, Jimmy CBE DL (2018)
Baileys Hotel
Big Wheel (town centre)
Blackpool Municipal Airport (Zoo)
Blackpool Tower
Blowing Sands
Bonney’s Farm*
Borough Theatre
Central Library
Central Picture Theatre
Blackpool Central Pier
Central Station*
Church of the Sacred Heart
Clifton Hotel
Collegiate School (new Oct 2019)
Cornelius Bagot, 251 Whitegate Drive
Courtfield House (New 2020)
Empire Theatre*
Former Odeon Cinema
Foxhall
General Post Office
Grand Theatre
Gynn, The
Harold Larwood
HMS Foudroyant (pictured at the top of the page)
More Blue Plaques in Blackpool
Ibbison Street
Imperial Hotel
Jean Robinson (new January 2020)
Lane Ends Hotel*
Little Marton Windmill – one of a number of Fylde Coast windmills
Lucy Morton, Olympic Gold Medal winner
Masonic Hall
Mitre Inn
Municipal Buildings
North Pier*
North Station
Old Coach House
The Old No 3 and Didsbury Hotel*
Old Post Office
Oxford Hotel and Little Marton Windmill
Parish Church of St John
Princes Parade
Queen Vera Road
Raikes Hall
Railway Hotel*
Revoe Library
Richmond Villa, 253 Whitegate Drive
Roberts Oyster Rooms
Saddle Inn
Salisbury Woodland Pill Box
Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes
Solaris Centre
Sooty – at North Pier
Squires Gate Aerodrome
St John’s National School
Nobel Peace Prize winner Michael Smith at St Nicholas’s School
St Stephens on the Cliffs
Stanley Park Visitor Centre
Swallow Sidecars, 23 King Edward Street.
The Swallow Sidecar Company, Cocker Street (Green Blackpool Heritage Trust Plaque)
Swallow Sidecars at The Armfield Club, Bloomfield Road (2023)
Swift, Frank (2018)
Temple of Arts
The Palace (Alhambra)*
Town Hall
Victoria Promenade*
War Memorial
Watson Road Park (2018)
Winter Gardens
*this plaque is not able to be located.
Blue Plaques in Fylde
Lytham St Annes Civic Society runs the Blue Plaque scheme in the borough of Fylde.
The plaques commemorate significant events, people and buildings in the town and are of top quality in cast aluminium. The society welcomes any suggestions for more plaques.
In Lytham…
Assembly Rooms
Lytham Market Hall
Talbot Hotel (Leonard Dews)
Clifton Arms Hotel
Lytham Railway Station
Mr Hincksman’s Chapel
Lytham Institute
In St Annes and Ansdell…
Sir Nigel Gresley at St Annes Railway Station
Public Offices
George Formby OBE
Richard Ansdell
St Annes Lifeboat House
Carnegie Library
Tramway Passenger Shelter (cafe)
Sir John W Alcock KBE DSC
Tramway Passenger Shelter Fairhaven
Frank Dickinson Optometrist
St Annes Church Parish Rooms
St Annes hospital
Blue Plaques in Wyre
Our Guide to Blue Plaques on the Fylde Coast takes in the towns of Fleetwood, Cleveleys, Poulton – all in the borough of Wyre.
In the late 1990’s, Poulton Historical Society organised the installation of around 20 brown plaques. Around 10 years later they were replaced by Wyre Council with orange ones. Do you know where any of them are?
Fleetwood Blue Plaque Trail
In 2024, a new trail was created with ten sparkling, new Blue Plaques. They’re combined together to make a trail with a printed leaflet or an online guide. It’s an interesting walking tour around the heritage and history of the town. Why don’t you follow the Fleetwood Blue Plaque Trail? It includes:
- The Customs House – now Fleetwood Museum
- Euston Hotel
- Lower Lighthouse
- Fleetwood Market
- Mount Church
- Pharos Lighthouse
- Queen’s Terrace
- St Mary’s Church
- The Mount
- The Steamer Public House
Other Plaques in Fleetwood
In Fleetwood there’s a National Transport Trust Red Wheels Plaque on the North Euston Hotel, unveiled on 6 May 2019. In the early 1800’s, Fleetwood served as a railhead for a steamer service to Ardrossan and was thus part of the quickest route from London to Glasgow.
Red Wheels is a national scheme of marking key locations around the UK with significant historical value to British transport heritage.
Still in Fleetwood, the Civic Trust unveiled a blue plaque at Rimmers sweet shop on Blakiston Street on 17 April 2015.
There are a number of white plaques in Fleetwood too. These mark buildings and places of interest, for example Fleetwood’s three lighthouses and the house in Bold Street, where Wilfred Owen lived for a while. Do you know where any of them are?
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