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Morecambe
on Lancashire's Fylde Coast
Located on the
north coast of Lancashire, just over an hour's drive from Manchester
via the M6 motorway, signposted after Blackpool and before the English
Lake District. After a multi-million pound regeneration programme
in the late 1980s, Morecambe has become a new seaside venue for
millions of visitors each year. Its policy of making an extensive
use of public art in the form of modern commissioned promenade sculptures
has raised the resort to a full international status.
Morecambe. Aerial
Photo Courtesy of www.webbaviation.co.uk © 2008
As a major migratory
stopover for many species of birds, Morecambe has reflected this
in its many bird sculptures, having won the international TERN award
- and the bird theme is evident everywhere you walk around Morecambe
- there are bird games, including Magpie Hopscotch, which all the
family can join in. Indeed, the whole of the central promenade is
in the process of redevelopment and will incorporate a whole range
of new seafront landmarks.
There
is an annual Festival of Light & Water, which attracts thousands
of evening visitors, much as do the Blackpool illuminations. This
involves colourful dancing waters, with hundreds of jets rising
and falling in time to fully orchestrated music.
Morecambe
Bay also offers many facilities for the shopper, with its large
covered and air conditioned Arndale Shopping Centre, its twice weekly
open and covered indoor market, as well as many small delightful
shops of a more traditional style in Morecambe's West End.
Morecambe's new
stone jetty; Notable bird sculptures: Overlooking
Morecambe Bay to Cumbria and Grange-over-Sands
Nearby are the
delightfully picturesque villages of Bare, Torrisholme and Heysham,
and within reach is the historic city of Lancaster. Local buses
and trains all go to these venues. Lancaster has a Leisure Park
with notable antique shops and a popular factory shop, as well as
the elegant St Nicholas Arcade. For the sporting enthusiast there
are innumerable all-weather facilities, including boating and sailing,
windsurfing and water skiing, as well as the Morecambe Seaside Heritage
Trail for walkers.
Many large
hotels are located centrally, from modest "Approved" up
to the most lavish and expensive English Tourist Board 5 Stars.
Also many guest houses at modest prices with nightly or weekly rates,
as well as self-catering accommodation and caravan parks. Contact
Tourist Information Centre (below) to book by phone, or to ask for
the free Morecambe Bay Brochure which has details of all accommodation.
Morecambe
Festival Market
The new Festival
Market replaces the former outdoor market at Poulton and Morecambe,
and is open every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, plus all
Bank Holidays, from 9.00am-5.00pm in the season, 9.30am-4.30pm out
of season. There
are 95 internal stalls selling a range of goods including clothes,
DVDs and fabric, plus a café. Access
is one-level throughout and there is ample adjacent car parking.
The Festival Market can be transformed into a venue for concerts,
festivals and other events. There is also an outdoor market which
takes place on Saturday and Sunday.
Activity Breaks
in Morecambe
Themed breaks
are available in Birdwatching on Morecambe Bay, Golf, Coarse &
Game Fishing and Cycling. For more information tel: 01524-582808
or email:
tourism@lancaster.gov.uk
to request your activity breaks leaflet, which includes further
details of the activities on offer and detailed accommodation listings.
(Please mention this website when enquiring)
Morecambe
Tourist Information
Tourist Information
Centre, Station Buildings, Central Promenade Morecambe LA4 4DB.
Tel: 01524-582808. See also www.visitmorecambe.co.uk and www.morecambe.co.uk.
Happy
Mount Park
Across the road
from Morecambe bay is Happy Mount Park, one of the resort's most popular
recreation and leisure areas. There are extensive floral arrays and
ornamental gardens which in peak season are a profusion of colour
and perfumes, where one may simply sit and watch the world pass by.
Originally created in the 1920s the park has been revived and has
activities for all ages including play areas, swingboats, miniature
railway, bowling green, miniature golf, putting green, crazy golf,
paddling pool, trampolines, roundabout, multi-purpose sports surface,
Japanese garden, cafe, ice cream kiosk and picnic area. During the
summer there are band concerts given by many of the area's finest
musicians. The Park paddling pool, is, regretably, about to be demolished.
For more information call Leisure Services on 01524 582845.
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