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Lancashire's
Fylde Coast Seaside Resorts
Out and about for the day in the
Northwest of England
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Morecambe
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.
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.
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Morecambe's
new stone jetty
Notable bird
sculptures
Overlooking
Morecambe Bay to
Cumbria and Grange-over-Sands
Happy Mount
Park
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Book
a Hotel in or near Morecambe (LateRooms) >>
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.
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: 01524-582816 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.
Book
a Hotel in or near Morecambe (LateRooms) >>
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