Blackpool walk

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Rail Trail - 10 © Crown copyright 2017 OS 100055187

Blackpool walk 1) Exit  Blackpool North station and turn right, following the building around to the back, to follow Springfield Road as it turns left. After the traffic lights, continue to follow the road when it turns slightly right and then meets up with the A584 Promenade. 2. In front is the imposing front of the Grand Metropole Hotel – opened in 1785 and the only hotel to sit directly on the shoreline. Carefully cross over the road and the tram tracks and then turn right to walks around the back of the hotel. From here, you get a fantastic view of the North Pier.

Discover the “Golden Mile” – Blackpool’s beating heart of entertainment along the coast of the Irish Sea.

Route details D istance – 3 miles / 4.8 km Minimum time – 1 hour G rade – Easy – town traffic on roads and along the coast M ap – OS Landranger 112 / Explorer 293 D og Friendliness –7.3Must be kept ICONS  on leads Nearest station – Blackpool North Transport

Train

Underground

Light Railway

Car

Taxi

Bus / Coach

Bicycle

Tram

Motor Bike

Airport

Seaport

National Rail

Transport for London

First Class

The walk follows the shoreline for a long time, so if you like, you could walk along Blackpool’s famous beach for a while. // NORTHERN BRAND GUIDELINES V1.01

3. W  alk past the impressive War Memorial and North Pier tram stop to the entrance of the North Pier. Opened in 1863, the North Pier is the oldest and the longest of the three piers in Blackpool. It’s a Grade II listed building, being the oldest surviving pier constructed by the famous designer Eugenius Birch.

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4. B  lackpool’s big tower is next, after walking past the tourist information centre. Built in 1894, the tower was inspired by the Eiffel Tower in Paris, which is some 166 metres higher, and the whole building is a Grade I listed building. In the tower’s shadow is the Comedy Carpet –

one of Britain’s largest public artworks – and features jokes and punchlines embedded into the pavement. Entertainment being part of the DNA of Blackpool. 5. After walking past the RNLI Lifeboat Station, the entrance to Central Pier is next. The pier is central as it is located between the other two… but also it was near to Blackpool Central railway station - which closed in 1964. Fun is always the mission on the Central Pier, and it is the location for a 33 metre high Ferris wheel. 6. Quite soon after Central Pier, the Promenade starts to change form amusement arcades of the north end, to the hotel-centric buildings of the south end. It’s not long before you’ll see a series of modern artworks called The Great Promenade Show. Watch out for the Blackpool High Tide Organ for some unusual sea-based music.

7. N  ext is the South Pier – which was originally called Victoria Pier when it was opened in 1893 – some 30 years after the other two. It’s the shortest of the three and has a theme park on its length, which replaced the original theatre. However, the South Pier had a pretty big competitor just down the road – the famous Blackpool Pleasure Beach… which has been thrilling visitors since 1896. 8. When you get to the South Beach Car Park, cross over the road and walk in the shadow of the rollercoaster’s track, and turn left down Cliffton Road to walk past the Pleasure Beach entrance and The Blue Hotel. 9. At the crossroads, turn left along Burlington Road West, to follow around the Blue Hotel, and then cross over the road to walk down Carlyle Avenue to reach Blackpool Pleasure Beach railway station for your journey home.

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