Did you know there have been six Fylde Coast Piers? They’re another of those great British inventions, dreamed up by our Victorian ancestors as they gave us the seaside holiday.
Did you know? It was 1814 when the resort of Ryde built Britain’s first pier. Blackpool went on to become the only town to build three of them.
The Fylde Coast is lucky in that four of its original structures are still standing. By their very nature, built in iron and standing in sea water all day, their viability for the very long term was always at risk!
Blackpool Piers
After many years of extreme weather, numerous fires and storm damage, these three tributes to Victorian engineering excellence still stand today.
The piers in Blackpool are open with free admission to the public during the season each year. As a rule of thumb, that’s daily opening during February half term, then at weekends until Easter. From Easter until the end of the Illuminations, they’re open every day. Except when the waves are coming over the boardwalk!
North Pier
This was the first of these three famous landmarks to be built, using a brand new and ingenious screw-pile method. You can find out all about its history here. It was, and still is, a place for leisurely promenading, to take in the views and enjoy the weather and sea air.
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Blackpool North Pier
Did you know? It’s where Sooty the glove puppet was first discovered? See the oldest surviving puppet on display at the box office.
Today, there are amusements, bars and shops at the entrance to North Pier. At the end of it, the theatre hosts summer shows. Meanwhile, you can dance the sunny days away in the sun lounge and enjoy family entertainment in the bar.
All the properties listed on the Visit Fylde Coast websites by StayBlackpool are annually inspected. This means that you can book with confidence, safe in the knowledge of a great stay, somewhere that’s safe, clean and legal, at the very best price.
Bookings from these sites are also ultra-low or zero commission. This means that more of the money from your booking helps to support the local economy.
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Central
The second to be built of the three, this was a place for fun and enjoyment for the masses. Interested in how it came about and those early days? Find out about it’s history here.
Blackpool Central Pier with the Big Wheel
True to its past, today it’s still where you’ll find thrilling fairground rides and amusements. Plus of course the landmark Big Wheel!
And this was the last of the three Blackpool beach structures to be built. Find out more about why those Victorian engineers thought that Blackpool needed a third one!
Today, South Pier is the one with the adrenaline rides – right over the sea! If it’s your idea of fun, it’s where you can be flung high into the air, high over the beach!
The Fylde Coast piers, particularly the ones in Blackpool, play host to spectacular displays of starlings. You’ll particularly see them in the colder months of the year.
Huge flocks of starlings gather to roost at dusk, swooping and diving in a great big mass called a murmuration. Then they settle to roost for the night in the safety of the ironwork.
Opened in 1885, St Annes Pier was one of the first public buildings in the town.
Enjoy a family day out on the beach – this is St Annes Beach
Like most piers of the time, it started life as a sedate promenading venue. The attractions were added later, along with the Tudor style entrance, built in 1899. In September 1973 it was designated as a Grade II listed building.
Did you know? When it was new, you could catch a steamer from here to Blackpool or Liverpool!
Today, the original architecture and features of St Annes Pier join modern attractions and shops. There’s plenty for you to do in the undercover section of the pier. Then enjoy a stroll along the open air section and the amazing views from the end.
Four of the six Fylde Coast piers are still standing. But another two of them are lost to the ravages of time!
Lytham Pier
The Fylde Coast once had a pier at Lytham. This was a pleasure and a working pier, also designed by eminent pier architect Eugenius Birch. It opened in 1865 but wasn’t a universally popular attraction.
Lytham Pier. Photo: Tuck Postcards
In the 1890s and 1900s a number of renovations were carried out. But in 1903 two barges ran into it during a storm and split it in two! Seemingly doomed, fire struck in 1928 which was serious enough to put an end to the pavilion.
It saw its fortunes decline further and was closed just before World War Two began, to finally be demolished in 1960.
In 2007 the subject raised its head again, when plans to rebuild it were discussed by councillors. However, opposed by Lytham St Annes Civic Society at the time, the idea was dropped and hasn’t been raised again.
Fleetwood Pier
At The Esplanade on the seafront, Fleetwood Pier opened in 1910.
Fleetwood Pier
Did you know? Fleetwood was the last new pier to be built in the UK? It’s also one of the shortest ones too.
Because the buildings which they carry are almost always built from wood, they’re vulnerable to fire. Fleetwood’s was no exception, and the last fire in 2008 finally saw the end of this building. The site remains empty now, awaiting a new use.
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