Lytham, Lancashire - Olde English elegance

by Veronica

If you want a taste of a classy town with an old English atmosphere then Lytham, Lancashire is the place to go. I had a lovely day there on Saturday.

Lytham is a classy, wealthy, elegant town on Lancashire's Fylde coast which looks out over the Irish Sea. It is linked to nearby town St Anne's on Sea and the towns are jointly known as Lytham St Anne's.

Lytham hosts an international golf tournament, a music festival and a World War 2 weekend every year and these bring countless visitors into town.

The whole place has a quality feel with its bijou shops, quirky pavement cafes to promote a café society and expensive restaurants. It is considered to be one of the wealthiest places in the North of England.

The windmill

the famous windmill
the famous windmill

The windmill, Lytham

Perhaps the best known feature of Lytham is the Windmill on the River promenade leading out to the sea. Mills have been a big feature of the Lancashire coast, very sensibly harnessing the dreadful winds off the Irish Sea. The  mill above was built by a local  landowner in 1805 on land known as Lytham Marsh although the machinery is actually older and brought from other mills locally. The land is now known as Lytham Green.

The windmill is now a museum. The sails occasionally blow off in high winds.

Fairhaven Lake

Fairhaven in Lytham is best known for its large artificial lake which stands next to the sea and also its rolling sand dunes all across the coast line. It is very popular with visitors.

Fairhaven Lake near the sea
Fairhaven Lake near the sea

The Beaches

Wild life and Raised Beach

Although there are miles of beach, these beaches aren't sunbathing beaches. St Anne's beach is best for beach visitors although the sea hardly ever comes in because geologically speaking, St Anne's beach is a Raised Beach and so the sea only ever manages to come in at very very high tide.

Lytham beach though is home to countless wildlife including several sea birds.

Vehicles are not allowed on the beaches and are barred by stone barriers as seen below.

A Raised Beach is in an inclined surface under the sea which has been lifted up out of the sea by geological activity.

miles of beaches
miles of beaches
traffic barriers near the sea
traffic barriers near the sea

Lowther Gardens

garden clock Lowther Gardens
garden clock Lowther Gardens
garden exhibit
garden exhibit

Lowther gardens

Lowther Gardens has a popular pavilion theatre showing a huge variety of entertainments. The gardens do open air shows when the weather permits.

The clock near the Rose Gardens pictured above is skilfully made of various beach stones.There are a variety of exhibits around the gardens.

quirky architecture
quirky architecture
very old buildings
very old buildings

Architecture

In a town such as this, the old architecture plays a big part in forming the appeal. Evidence of several historical periods still exists in the local town. But  -  it's very expensive.

Lytham is a lively, beautiful and classy place. It's a great weekend visit.

Updated: 06/20/2017, Veronica
 
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DerdriuMarriner on 10/09/2024

Thank you for your comment below in answer to my previous observation and question.

The Lowther-Garden clock appears, to my way of thinking, competitive as a tourist-attracting structure competitive with the windmill -- has fishes between each number.

Does each fish display artistic fancy or perhaps the area in-demand fish species?

Veronica on 10/08/2024

Yes indeed . The sails can be dangerous in those Irish Sea winds.

They are always repaired and restored as the windmill is a tourist attraction.

DerdriuMarriner on 10/08/2024

The last paragraph to the first subheading, The windmill, Lytham, advises us that "The windmill is now a museum. The sails occasionally blow off in high winds."

Does that occasional blowing-away threaten people, structures, wildlife?
Might the sails be retrieved and repaired or left where they land?

Veronica on 07/01/2017

Frank

I haven't seen any swimmers at Lytham, paddlers yes , swimmers no.

Veronica on 07/01/2017

No, it isn't warm enough to swim but people at Lytham do paddle their feet on occasion. At St Anne's which is a raised each then no, the tide hardly ever comes in.

To be honest you wouldn't have much sea swimming around UK coasts. It's not warm enough and the waters are ...seriously, ha seriously cold.

frankbeswick on 07/01/2017

People do bathe in the sea there, but rarely in Winter.

blackspanielgallery on 07/01/2017

Is it ever warm enough to go into the water?

Veronica on 06/21/2017

Dusty- Agreed ma'ame ! You are so right.

This lovely site is like having a personal guide all over the world. I check in every day to see what is new.

dustytoes on 06/21/2017

Regarding shells, here in Florida the west coast is also the place to find shells. I guess everything moves that way around the world, so that is where the shells pile up! I'm guessing at this. I know nothing really :)
Veronica, thanks for sharing your day out and about. We are lucky to have a site like this to share such things. I truly enjoy visiting all over the world.

Veronica on 06/21/2017

Frank that's interesting about the land tilt post ice age .

Regarding shells - the east coast of England is very poor for shells and as you say most shells are found on the west coast beaches.


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