Stage 73 (W14)

STAGE 73 (W14) – CLEVELEYS to BLACKPOOL

5.25 miles – 2 hours walk

159 feet climbed – highest point 80 feet – Blackpool North Railway station

The last leg of the Western Loop, dominated by the Irish Sea, the Lancashire coastline and the Promenade into Blackpool. It has so much of interest and lots of history along the way. Hopefully you will have time to take it all in!

A map of Stage 73 can be found below courtesy of Ordnance Survey maps. You can subscribe yourself using this link, https://osmaps.ordnancesurvey.co.uk, which will enable you to import the GPX file which can be downloaded below.

 

 

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To download the GPX file for this stage click on the link above.

From the Sea Swallows structure continue south along the South Promenade. It is here that we will see the remaining two sculptures of the Wyre Mythic Trail. The first is the Paddle. It is my favourite! It is nine metres long, weighs 1.5 tones and has been craved out of purpleheart timber. It bears the words from the story – “the Sea Ogre’s paddle drifted up, to lie on the muddy sand like some strange offering”.

Continue along the promenade to find the final sculpture of the Mythic Trail – Shipwrecks. This 4.5metre high structure made from weathered steel and supported by a timber frame has the names of all the shipwrecks along the Fylde Coast from 1643 to 2008 cut into the metal. A large disc is also cut out of the metal to give a view up and down the coast. The brown weathered steel gives an excellent impression of a wrecked ship. This marks the end of South Promenade and with it the distinctive modern lighting structures.

And before we finally leave this section of the Promenade there is one more interesting fact. It was used as a film set in the Disney + Star War’s spin off “Andor”. The promenade became part of world of NIAMOS. It was filmed in May 2021 with the Cove Café receiving a considerable make-over and even palm trees were added to the front.

We now leave Cleveleys and the Borough of Wyre, and step into Blackpool itself as we continue along the promenade with Princess Way now on your left and the coast on your right. The Promenade is still modern but not nearly as interesting! After the park on your left, Princess Way turns inland, and the promenade and sea defences are much older and less pleasing on the eye.

Modern Blackpool developed from four medieval manorial holdings including Bispham to the north. Reclamation of the mosslands, on which Blackpool is built, began in the 16^th centuries and farming and fishing were the main occupations. In the early 18^th century, there was a small resort and by the end of that century the town had become a fashionable sea bathing resort for the wealthy and the first accommodation was built for visitors. The resort continued to grow slowly but in 1846 the railway arrived and by 1870 the number of visitors were estimated at more than one million, as the decade saw the first large scale visitor attractions promoted by entertainment companies, with large scale theatrical presentations heralding modern show business. The Theatre Royal was the first purpose-built theatre (1868), Winter Gardens opened in 1878 and the Tower in 1894. By this time Blackpool was undoubtedly the largest holiday resort in Britain.

At this point, you have several options on your journey south as there is some height on the coast here as we head through Norbreck into Bispham and then into Blackpool itself. Firstly, there is a path along the top of the promenade along a grassy section This gives views along the road, Queen’s Promenade, including the unique Norbreck Castle Hotel, the trams as they head along the coast and of course to the coast itself on your left. Alternatively, you can keep away from the road and follow the sea defences themselves immediately by the sand/sea, at the bottom of the “cliffs”. Cliffs might sound a little dramatic but the further you venture into Blackpool the higher they become. There are actually two different levels of promenade and then of course there is the sands themselves when the tide allows. The choice is yours although you can mix the two as there are many paths up and down between the different levels. My choice is the sea defences as you will see lots of what Blackpool has to offer soon.

Pass the brick tower on your left which houses a lift (the Cabin Lift, a Grade II listed building from 1930) that gives access down to the go kart track built into sea defences on your right! This was previously a boating lake!

The cliffs are now at their highest – about 10m high. The rocks are covered in concrete but you can still make out the original sedimentary strata – or are they purely artificial? One of the largest hotels here is called the Cliffs Hotel built in 1921. Shortly after you come to the sad remains of the beginning of the Colonnades. At this point you might want to head up to the main road using the stairs built into the structure. At the top there is a roundabout which includes three large model spitfires, sponsored by Airfix. This area is known as Gynn Square and more recently Spitfire Island. There is also a small park, Jubilee Gardens dating back to 1914 with a couple of old stone pillars, one of which includes a memorial to three policemen who died whilst trying to save attempting a sea rescue. The two pillars, which were previously topped by urns, marked the beginning of the Lower Walk along the shore.

This part of the coast down to the Metropole Hotel was developed in 1877 and really emphasises the three different levels – Queen’s Drive, the Promenade and the Lower Walk. It was built to promote an area for a better class of resident and visitor. A toll operated for access! The Middle level is marked by the Colonnades which replaced a grassy slope in 1925. There are actually five elegant colonnades linked together enclosing a walkway along the coast and steps up to Queens Drive. Each colonnade has twenty four well proportioned Tuscan columns with the end columns being coupled with a pillar of a different design. There is Greek key detailing on the pillars.

This wonderful architecture and its many great seafront hotels, including the Grade II listed Imperial Hotel and houses are not unsurprisingly part of a conservation area.

Continue along the promenade south. I suggest you take the middle level to see the Colonnades. Shortly after the Gynn you will see Blackpool Tower in the distance. The end is in sight! The three levels of the promenade finish at the grand Metropole Hotel, the War Memorial and Cenotaph and the North Pier.

The Memorial, unveiled in 1923, is a 30m high column made of granite and is another Grade II listed building. Take time to view the high-quality bronze sculptured plaques by Gilbert Ledward, which unusually includes women serving in the Home Front and a fallen German soldier.

The North Pier opened in 1863 and is the oldest of the three in Blackpool. It is around 500m long and also a Grade II listed building. It distinguished itself from the others by charging admission and providing respectable comedians and orchestras. It has housed many buildings and attractions since its opening including the Indian Pavillion, which was burnt down in 1938, bandstands, theatres to the Arcade Pavillion at the entrance to the Pier. A landing jetty was built after opening, which operated pleasure steamers. It has survived fire, storms and ships crashing into it.

From the War Memorial head to front of the North Pier – there is an option to walk along the pier to the end but only if you have time and a train does not beckon. There is no longer an admission charge!

From the front of the pier cross the main road to the brown stone building on the left-hand corner of Talbot Square. This is now a pub called the Counting House, which dates to 1863 when it opened as a bank. Just outside the pub is a statue of a mermaid called “Call of the Sea”, cast in bronze and painted in deep sea greens and blues. It was added in 2021 as part of enhancing the experience of visiting the resort. It was a controversial commission only just passing approval stage.

It is wonderful and deserves some time and words. To quote the artist Lawrence Payot:

“Call of the Sea will mark a turning point for Blackpool which has declared a climate change emergency and send a positive and optimistic message about the town’s progress to maintain its quality sea water and clean beaches. She was carefully designed with and for Blackpool, and emerges out of the sea, like a magical and surreal apparition. I hope people will accept her and care for her, for she represents hope, change and kindness. She is a motherly figure, caring for local sea life found in the Irish Sea holding it tight to her heart. But she is also a powerful figure, a fighter with a determined position, moving forward and raising a bright red conch shell as if raising an emergency call, inviting us to follow her path. She is a call for the sea, and for the young and future generations. Her body, the sea, and the fauna and flora she is holding are all intertwined into a colourful web of life. Reds and blues, opposite colours, sit together, representing the contradictions she embodies, and the choices we have to make. I cannot wait to see her in situ. I hope she will surprise passers-by, and make children dream of a beautiful future.

Head away from the front along Talbot Road, which take us up the end of this stage and the Western Loop at Blackpool North Railway Station, which you may remember from our start fourteen stages ago. However, if you want one last small detour then turn left into Abingdon Street and then right into Queen Street with the impressive Library building on the corner. After about 50 metres you will see the Grundy Art Gallery built on to the end of the library. It was first opened in 1911, being commissioned by Blackppol council after receiving a bequest of over twenty paintings a financial gift from brothers John and Sir Cuthbert Grundy, who were both artists. Sir Cuthbert was born in Bury but died in Blackpool in 1946, four months short of his 100^th Birthday. It is free and well worth a short or even longer visit.

Continue up Queens Street. When crossing Dickson Road, look to your left to see the Funny Girls Theatre/Cabaret bar famous for its burlesque drag shows. Continue up Queens Street noting the new development on your right which incorporates the North shore Tram station and Holiday Inn Hotel. At the top of Queens Street, the railway station is directly ahead of you and can be accessed via the stairs to your right, which we climbed up at the very beginning of the route.

Apologies for the many words on this Stage but hopefully it has been an interesting one and if you have time, then it will hopefully encourage you to explore more!

END OF STAGE

Well done on completing the Western Loop of the Lancashire Way. I hope you feel it was a worthwhile and compliments the other Loops. It is certainly different and has much of interest although parts are difficult to navigate. Hopefully you made it without any dramas?

Blackpool has all the amenities you could wish for if you are staying overnight and of course trains back home.