Some highlights from around Fylde
There’s so much to explore and discover around Fylde, whether in leafy Lytham, rural Fylde or St Annes on the Sea, from the wonderful choices of award winning places eat or places to visit and things to see and do, plus fantastic events all year round. Here, we have selected some highlights to whet your appetite about our fantastic corner of glorious Lancashire!
Lytham Hall
Set in seventy eight acres of wooded parkland, this grade one Georgian listed building is the historic home to the Clifton family. Built between 1757 and 1764, the stunning house is set over three floors and there are outbuildings, including a popular dog friendly tea room, the Leafy Lytham Garden Hub run by Greg Anderton and Antiques store. Open all year round (except Boxing Day) and offering free entry to the grounds, Lytham Hall is a fantastic backdrop to many functions and year round events. In the summer there’s outdoor theatre on the extensive lawns too. House tours are available by prior arrangement. For more information call 01253 736652 or refer to the Lytham Hall website.
Access Guide HERE
St Annes Beach Huts
The multi award St Anne’s Beach Huts can be found on the Promenade overlooking the huge expanse of sandy beach close to the Victorian pier in St Anne’s. The beach huts are well equipped for a family day at the seaside and feature a kitchenette, fresh water, seating and storage, plus toilet provision at the nearby Beach Hut booking office. Popular with extended family groups for get togethers and celebrations, the Beach Huts have become a firm favourite with ‘Hutters’ on the St Anne’s Promenade. More information about the St Anne’s Beach Huts, check out their website
Lytham Windmill
Lytham Windmill can be found on Lytham Green. It was originally designed to grind wheat or oats to make flour or bran. Laid out over five floors there’s plenty of interesting displays portraying the history of mills and milling in the area, plus the ‘Great Lifeboat Disaster’ and the ‘Heritage of Lytham St Annes and the Fylde Area’. There’s free entry and donations are welcome, plus a seasonal Tourist Information Desk. At night the windmill is lit up, often in vibrant colours in line with a national celebration or event. For more information about the windmill, check out the Lytham Windmill website.
Lytham Festival
The Lytham Festival, the North Wests biggest music event is a five day music festival taking place each summer in the heart of town. A purpose built arena on Lytham Green houses the main stage and has capacity for up to 20,000 visitors. Over the years, the event has attracted headliners such as Bryan Adams, Madness, Tom Jones, Michael Ball OBE, Status Quo, Nile Rodgers and Chic, Sir Rod Stewart, Lewis Capaldi, Diana Ross, Snow Patrol, Alison Moyet, Simply Red, the Strokes, Duran Duran, Noel Gallagher, Faithless and Kylie to name but a few. In 2023, the Lytham Festival welcomed Lionel Richie (pictured), Blondie, Sting, George Ezra, Gabrielle, Def Leppard, Motley Crue, Jamiroquai, The Kaiser Chiefs and many more! 2024 will see Madness, Hozier, James, The Courteeners, Rick Astley, Johnny Marr and many, many more on the Festival arena stage on Lytham Green.
Tickets are available from the Lytham Festival website
Ribby Hall Village
Ribby Hall Village is Lancashire’s only five star holiday village and is located close to the village of Wrea Green and just a five minute drive from M55 junction 3. It features a luxurious award winning spa hotel with a wide range of treatments and an outdoor hot tub – and that’s just for starters! There’s well appointed cottages throughout the grounds which are very popular with families, a recently refurbished sports complex, a selection of indoor pools, entertainment complex, plenty of restaurants with a wide range of choices, and activities such as canoeing, golf and Segway touring around the grounds, not forgetting the WILD Discovery zoo. You may well see a family of ducks coming up to you to say hello! For more information about Ribby Hall Village, just call 0800 085 1717 or visit the Ribby Hall Village website
St Annes Beach
The extensive sandy beach in St Annes on the Sea has a backdrop of the Victorian Pier. Just to the north of the pier, there’s an extensive dune network and plenty of space to have some quiet time. There’s modern luxurious multi award winning beach huts, 18 hole mini links golf course and eighteen hole putting green. There’s a mini train for our young visitors in the summer as well as trampolines, playground and more. During summer there’s donkey rides, bouncy castle and more, two water play areas (free of charge), including SPLASH!, the bandstand, the well presented Green Flag graded Promenade Gardens. The St Anne’s International Kite Festival takes place on the beach adjacent to the pier and dates vary according to the tidal conditions.
Lytham 1940s Weekend
The event celebrated its eleventh year in 2022. The Lytham 1940s Weekend which is a free to visit event attracts up to forty thousand visitors over the weekend, where Lytham gets into the wartime spirit with sand bags, bunting, street entertainment and much more besides. There’s a popular programme of entertainment throughout the weekend, featuring forties singers and the chance to learn to dance, plus Winston Churchill’s rousing wartime speeches. There’s a thrilling Spitfire flying display, plenty of military vehicles and static aircraft, as well as life on the Home Front, vintage stalls and so much more. This free event takes place on Lytham Green and there’s adjacent car parking (charge applies). The event will next take place on August 19th and 20th 2023.
For more information, click HERE
Cartford Inn
The Cartford Inn is a five star multi award winning establishment under the family ownership of Patrick and Julie Baume. With views over the River Wyre and across the countryside towards the Bowland Fells, there’s fantastic locally sourced Lancashire fayre served up in the historic Cartford Inn in Little Eccleston, which is currently in the Top 50 Gastro Pubs in the UK. There’s also fifteen luxurious bedrooms, including a penthouse suite and also two luxurious studio cabins set within the grounds. Try TOTI – Taste of the Inn if you want to pop into the delicatessen and take something special home, including the fantastic chocolate brownies which come highly recommended!! For more information about the Cartford Inn, contact 01995 670166 or just visit the Cartford Inn website.
In 2020, the Cartford Inn was voted the Telegraph Pub of the Year
In 2021, the Cartford Inn was voted the Times Foodie Hotel of the Year
Lowther Pavilion
The Lowther Pavilion is set within its own grounds in Lytham and is a venue offering live performance, concerts, touring shows and comedy to name but a few. The seating capacity is 450 and a standing capacity of 800, the venue has in recent times welcomed Belinda Carlisle, Rick Wakeman, Alexander O Neal, Robert Plant, John Bishop. There’s a packed schedule all year round including a cinema programme and the annual pantomime (oh yes there is!). Log on to the Lowther website to find out what’s coming up – there’s always something new! The Pavilion also has a very popular cafe which is dog friendly and the Lowther Gardens are well worth exploring with its beautiful floral displays and beds and there’s the summer outdoor theatre programme too. In the summer of 2022, a statue of popular comedian and former Lytham resident, the late Bobby Ball was unveiled and can be found adjacent to the theatre entrance. Webcam views of the gardens on THIS LINK
Glasform
Located near Singleton village, just off the A585, master glass blower John Ditchfield creates beautiful pieces of glass art at his Glasform studio. With over forty years experience, John has a great reputation and his works have been sold all over the world and he has exhibited all over the UK and in Europe. You are welcome to call in and watch John at work and glass blowing sessions can be pre booked if you want to try and have a go yourself. There’s an on site shop if you wish to browse through the work and bespoke pieces can be commissioned. There’s free on site parking and Glasform is open Mondays to Fridays, with some Saturdays too – check the Glasform website for further details. Sat nav postcode FY6 8NE. Access Guide HERE
