Lancashire coast

[Beachwisher]

I’m looking for info/recommendations for coastal areas on the Lancashire coast. Must have pleasant beach/prom, interesting shops, cafes, etc, and railway station close by. I don’t know the area at all. Schools not needed. All insight and suggestions welcome so I can focus on particular places and perhaps avoid others! Thank you.

Preston is *easy not east. (Although technically also true.)

Lytham / St Annes / Ansdell all a pain in the neck to get to from Manchester - train is rubbish and driving is painful, the M55 has to be the dullest route - other than Blackpool (with all the negativity that rightly surrounds it), it just feels miles from anywhere. Lytham itself is nice, I still can't get over the high profile bands / artists it draws for the Lytham Festival, and if you're content to potter / don't need employment and want to be on the coast in Lancashire, its a good shout. However, if you want to travel anywhere other than the Fylde coast, its not the answer.

Findyourneutralspace · Today 15:40
What about Thornton-Cleveleys? It’s not an area I know well, just that it’s by the sea.

Positives: It's the one bit of the Lancashire coast that has sand AND sea (unlike Morecambe/Southport/Formby) - tides come right up to the prom, so its popular with sea bathers. Miles of newly re-built beautiful promenade to walk/cycle.
Crime free, clean, reasonable shops.

Negative: NO TRAIN STATION (15 min drive to Poulton station for DIRECT trains to M/c - though don't know what parking is like there). Predominantly elderly population (has the biggest percentage of bungalows in the housing stock, of anywhere in the UK)>

C4tastrophe · Today 15:32
Who knows what Fleetwood is like?

Utterly depressing. A town without even a Costa or Starbucks, should tell you all you need to know.

There's an entire stretch of coast between Morecambe (Lancaster station), Carnforth, Silverdale, Arnside to Grange over Sands which is on the direct train service to Manchester on the Barrow<>Manchester train service, plus lots of other destinations from Lancaster which is on the West Coast Main Line. All those towns have shorelines/beaches ideal for dog walking, etc., plus surrounded by countryside too. Also very handy for the M6 motorway if you're a driver (moreso Morecambe through to Carnforth).

Lytham etc absolutely PITA to get to Manchester. Don't bother!

Agree that weirdly you'll be better up towards the barrow to Manchester line for train links.

Silverdale is lovely

I was looking into Morecambe and Grange over Sands earlier and got spooked at the thought of quicksand which is one of my worst nightmares!

Im going against PP - I don't find Lytham a pain to get to Manchester at all! It's about 50 minutes on the motorway, from Lytham to the Trafford centre. Train wise, it's about 25 mins to Preston station, or 15 minutes to Kirkham station and a train from there. I don't find either of those options a particular struggle tbh!

Yeah I mentioned upthread that Northern rail aren't great but it's not THAT bad! Maybe if you are doing the journey daily and for work but for general trips out it's fine (and normally fine if you can drive to use the Blackpool North like instead).

Also have to disagree the drive is bad, just tonight I have driven to see my Dsis in Sale, I left Blackpool at 5pm and arrived at 5 past 6. The journey can be bad in rush hour but is generally fine during the day/weekends apart from one small bit as you get off the M61.

Northern Rail in and out of Southport are very unreliable. At least we have Merseyrail as well as an option for escaping!

Personally i would take a few days and drive the coast.
I feel the Formby / Southport area is good as it has quiet places but Liverpool isn't far away for special shopping, nights out etc

I have family in/near the Lytham area and they rave about their GP and indeed their dentist service! Think it is brilliant. They love living there. Easy to fly from Liverpool or Manchester. Constantly getting the trains from kirkham or Preston. Decent bus services. Lots of Aldi and Lidls. And also oossibly the poshest Booths in the world - it makes Wholefoods look like a Trotters Trading. Indy shops as well. Decent culture locally with festivals and little cinemas. Rugby at Fylde. New beach walks with the new flood defences along the coast that also mean you can cycle on the flat for miles with fantastic sea views. They adore it

Thanks again to all of you for taking the time to reply with so much useful info. Lots to go on for research ahead of a proper visit!

Lytham lovely but a lot of the houses for sale are leasehold. If I didn’t have to worry about schools I’d buy a gorgeous big period property in Fleetwood on the prom. Morecombe also interesting.

I thought these were 999 year lease, peppercorn rates like £12 per year?

There is a Starbucks in Blackpool centre, that’s hardly a sign of prosperity is it ? Coffee is also shite at Starbucks. The centre of Fleetwood is rough yes, but along the promenade is lovely as is the sandy coast line and I’d much rather support the small independent cafes there than a blooming costas.. I’m in Poulton le Fylde because of schools but am so envious of those who get to wake up with that gorgeous coastal along Fleetwood promenade.

When I initially moved up here it was one of the reasons I opted for Poulton over Lytham as if I’m investing £££ in a family home, I prefer the longtime security of a freehold (and family also closer + all local schools outstanding).

999 years is quite a long time.

Though to add, I’d avoid any ‘modern’ leasehold and those ones on new estates.

i find all of that coast a bit odd. I think it’s because it’s very flat and the sea goes out for miles. All parts have their own charms I guess. If you want crashing waves you won’t get that kind of seaside but you’ll get fresh air and open space.

I second Silverdale. I also think Formby is pretty nice. Footballers live there. There’s a Waitrose!

Lytham festival attracts some very big names, huge beach but Blackpool has better rail links.

@Railwayroad there are crashing waves in Crosby. They also have the Iron Men so very weird PP said there was nothing distinct about Crosby.
Personally I quite like Southport and Lytham.

I don’t know the Southport area but I do know north Lancs.

Lytham is lovely and your dog would love St Anne’s sand dunes but the train to Manchester is an issue.

Fleetwood is mainly run down but does have some nice parts. No interesting shops but in answer to the PP who said it doesn’t have a Costa or Starbucks, it does in Freeport shopping outlet (which is a depressing place to be fair). Thornton-Cleveleys is a bit nicer but neither has a train station as far as I know.

Morecambe is also run down but does have some nicer parts and you can get the train to Lancaster than Manchester. Absolutely no nice shops though, the town centre is so depressing even Home Bargains has moved out of the Arndale Centre.

Poulton-Le-Fylde is lovely and has a train station but isn’t on the coast, you’d have to drive a short way to Cleveleys, Fleetwood or Knott End.

All of the Fylde and Wyre villages are really nice but again, no stations, shops and probably too rural for what you want.

@C4tastrophe Yes leases are v long and rates are peanuts so it's not something that really crosses most peoples minds I don't think, maybe because I've grown up here I've never seen it as an issue.

Southport is nice but you have to get to Ormskirk for the motorway. Train is good for Liverpool, you have to change at Salford crescent for Manchester.