Lytham St Annes to St Annes on Sea, Lancashire, UK – A Nostalgic Coastal Walk - Reliving Childhood Memories
- Julie James
- Sep 7, 2024
- 4 min read
“Take only memories, Leave only footprints” Chief Seattle
There is something truly magical about childhood holidays. The memories of those carefree, sunny days, where time seemed to stretch endlessly often hold a special place in our hearts. These moments are the essence of nostalgia—simple, innocent, and full of joy.
As a child and one of four girls, nothing could quite match the excitement of our upcoming annual holiday. It began long before the actual trip, with the build-up of anticipation. Packing our suitcase felt like preparing for an epic adventure, and we talked endlessly about the plans for our week away to the coast. There was a sense that the holiday was not just about the destination but about the entire experience— shopping for new holiday clothes, the holiday haircut, the travel, the stops along the way......
As a family we spent our annual summer holidays from the late 1960’s in St Annes on Sea, a northern seaside town in the Borough of Flyde in Lancashire, UK and for us, the journey itself was a significant part of the experience. We were only 80 miles away but to us, our two-hour coach ride, was an epic journey where we experienced the highs and lows from travel sickness to the excitement of seeing the iconic white Lytham Windmill which marked our arrival and the start of our holiday.
The twin seaside town of Lytham St Annes and St Annes on Sea has since held a special place in my heart, and I love to return each year and enjoy the saunter from Lytham St Annes to St Annes on Sea along the promenade. This stretch of coastline on Lancashire’s Fylde Coast is a delight, easy walking on a wide flat promenade with lots of opportunity to drop down onto the beach, stop for a coffee or indulge in an ice-cream.
This nostalgic seaside walk starts from the charming town of Lytham. On a sunny day this town is vibrant and buzzing with locals and visitors enjoying the elegant town centre filled with independent bars, cafes, restaurants, and shops. At weekends and summertime, the pretty main square fills up with alfresco diners enjoying chilled brunches, long lazy lunches, and pre-dinner cocktails.
Resisting a table in the sun for now I started the walk from Lytham Green, a wide grassy expanse that runs parallel to the sea, framed by charming Victorian homes and the iconic Lytham Windmill.
Moving onto the wide, flat promenade there are stunning views to the left across the Ribble Estuary, where on a clear day you can catch sight of distant sand dunes and even glimpse the Wirral Peninsula in the far distance. Along the walk, you are accompanied by the iconic seaside sound as seabirds glide overhead and you may spot oystercatchers, knots, sanderlings on the sand flats and gulls swopping down to the water.
To the right and left the scenery transitions between manicured green spaces, wild, grassy sand dunes, and stretches of both modern and traditional housing, a blend of old-world seaside charm and contemporary coastal living.
Following along the path you reach the inner promenade leading to Fairhaven Lake, a large, picturesque salt-water lake nestled between the two towns. The lake and gardens are a fabulous tourist spot and a perfect place for a boat ride, bird watching and other sporting activities.
The lake, bordered by beautiful gardens and pathways, offers a scenic detour if you want to explore more. There are small cafes nearby and plenty of places to sit and enjoy a cup of tea while admiring the activity on the lake or looking out toward the sea.
Fairhaven is also home to the Spitfire Memorial, a striking replica of the famous World War II aircraft that pays homage to the region's connection to aviation history. A walk past this tribute gives the journey some historical depth. This RAF Fighter, Bomber and Coastal Command Memorial and its interactive ‘Roll of Honor’ is quite unique. It is a tribute to those aircrewmen who lost their lives on active service during WW2.
As you continue along the promenade, the gorgeous Promenade Gardens cover a large area of this section of the seafront. Beautiful gardens off the path, where you can venture into the winding footpath, follow the steam, cross the bridges, listen to the waterfall and enjoy the flowers and plants in bloom, nestled in the pretty rockery.
The walk gradually transitions into St Annes-on-Sea, marked by its more traditional seaside atmosphere. St Annes Pier comes into view, jutting out into the Irish Sea, a landmark in this quintessential British seaside town.
It is worth taking a walk along the pier past the cacophony of the flashing slot machines and amusements onto the end of the pier and the more peaceful view of the big sky, wide, endless sandy beach so far-reaching because of the wide tidal range of the Irish Sea.
The pier, built in 1885 was originally 914 feet long, but following a major fire in 1974 and a second fire in 1982 half of the pier was demolished for safety. After the demolition of the seaward end, it was reduced to 600 feet. The remains at the original end of the pier are still in place to view.
St Annes-on-Sea with its long stretch of golden sand, colourful beach huts, seafront gardens, bandstand, pond, and iconic pier, evokes a classic seaside nostalgia. It has stayed this way during the fifty years I have been visiting. Part of its charm is its hold on a traditional simplicity long gone in other seaside towns.
After spending some time in St Annes it is easy to repeat the coastal walk tracing my steps back into Lytham to enjoy the outdoor cafe culture in the lovely afternoon sun.
Together, Lytham St Annes and St Annes on Sea offer the perfect balance of relaxed, cosmopolitan sophistication and traditional seaside fun. The leafy streets, manicured gardens, scenic coastline, and seaside character make it a place where timeless charm and natural beauty come together and its appeal is enough to keep me returning to enjoy this coastal walk, along with all that the elegant town has to offer.
Walked many times, most recently in August 2024 🥾
Length of walk - around 2.8 miles each way
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