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Lytham St Annes () is a
seaside town A seaside resort is a town, village, or hotel that serves as a vacation resort and is located on a coast. Sometimes the concept includes an aspect of official accreditation based on the satisfaction of certain requirements, such as in the German ' ...
in the Borough of Fylde in Lancashire, England. It is on the Fylde coast, directly south of
Blackpool Blackpool is a seaside resort in Lancashire, England. Located on the North West England, northwest coast of England, it is the main settlement within the Borough of Blackpool, borough also called Blackpool. The town is by the Irish Sea, betw ...
on the Ribble Estuary. The population at the 2011 census was 42,954. The town is almost contiguous with Blackpool but is separated from it by Blackpool Airport. The town is made up of the four areas of Lytham, Ansdell, Fairhaven and St Annes-on-Sea. Lytham St Annes has four golf courses and links, the most notable being the
Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club in Lytham St Annes, Lancashire, England, is one of the courses in the The Open Championship, Open Championship rotation. The Women's British Open has also been played on the course five times: once prior to being ...
, which regularly hosts the Open Championship. Lytham St Annes is a reasonably affluent area with residents' earnings among the highest in the North of England.


Towns and districts

Lytham St Annes consists of four main areas: Lytham, Saint Anne's-on-the-Sea, Ansdell and Fairhaven.


Lytham

The name Lytham comes from the Old English ''hlithum,'' plural of ''hlith'' meaning (place at) the slopes'.'' The Green, a strip of grass running between the shore and the main coastal road, is a notable Lytham landmark—the restored Windmill and Old Lifeboat House Museum are here. The Green overlooks the estuary of the
River Ribble The River Ribble runs through North Yorkshire and Lancashire in Northern England. It starts close to the Ribblehead Viaduct in North Yorkshire, and is one of the few that start in the Yorkshire Dales and flow westwards towards the Irish Sea (t ...
and the Welsh mountains. The centre of Lytham contains many notable buildings, such as the former Lytham public library,
Lytham railway station Lytham railway station serves the town of Lytham St Annes, Lancashire on the Blackpool South to Preston railway line. Services The conurbation of Lytham St Annes is served by three stations: Lytham, (adjacent to the Royal Lytham & St Annes G ...
, market hall, the Clifton Arms Hotel and Lytham Methodist Church. Lytham is home to a number of bars and pubs, from the wine bars on Henry Street and Dicconson Terrace to real ale pubs such as The Taps and the Craft House (micropub). The Lytham Brewery is a
microbrewery Craft beer is a beer that has been made by craft breweries. They produce smaller amounts of beer, typically less than large breweries, and are often independently owned. Such breweries are generally perceived and marketed as having an emphasis o ...
founded in 2007 and the owners operate a production facility on the outskirts of the town. Until the middle of the 20th century, the Clifton family was the leading family in Lytham and two of the town's main thoroughfares are named in their honour, with the main shopping street being named Clifton Street and one of two roads to Blackpool being Clifton Drive. Their estate on the outskirts of Lytham and Ansdell originally occupied a large area. Lytham Hall, the family seat, remained in the family's ownership until 1963, after which time it was passed on to Guardian Royal Exchange Insurance, and then to Lytham Town Trust in 1997. The grounds of the Hall are open during the week and on Sunday and events are organised, such as open-air plays and car shows. Several of the ornate gates to the estate and much of the distinctive pebble-bricked boundary wall survive. The parish church for Lytham is St Cuthbert's Church, on Church Road. Lytham is the location of the Foulnaze cockle fishery. The fishery has only opened the cockle beds on the Lancashire coast three times in twenty years, most recently in August 2013. Lytham Library closed in September 2016 as part of
Lancashire County Council Lancashire County Council is the upper-tier local authority for the non-metropolitan county of Lancashire, England. It consists of 84 councillors. Since the 2017 election, the council has been under Conservative control. Prior to the 2009 La ...
budget cuts.


St Annes

St Anne's-on-the-Sea (also known as St Annes-on-Sea or St Annes) was a 19th-century planned town, officially founded on 31 March 1875 when the cornerstone of the St Anne's Hotel was laid. The town was developed from 1875 after Thomas Fair, agent to the Clifton Estate, sold leases to the St Anne's on the Sea Land and Building Company. Plans for the town were laid out by the Bury firm of architects Maxwell and Tuke who later went on to construct Blackpool Tower.P.Shakeshaft, ''St Anne's on the Sea: A History'', (Carnegie: Lancaster,2008), 141-164 There was an open-air seawater swimming pool from 1916 until the mid-1980s. St Annes is the original home of Premium Bonds and their prize-selecting computer '' ERNIE'', which were on a site between Shepherd Road and Heyhouses Lane. Premium Bonds operated from there for more than 40 years before moving to
Blackpool Blackpool is a seaside resort in Lancashire, England. Located on the North West England, northwest coast of England, it is the main settlement within the Borough of Blackpool, borough also called Blackpool. The town is by the Irish Sea, betw ...
. The shopping area declined towards the end of the 20th century and was redeveloped in an attempt to attract more retailers and shoppers. As part of this project, a restaurant quarter was established, centred around Wood Street. The work included a £2m restoration of Ashton Gardens, a park near the town centre, in 2009. The beach to the north of St Anne's Pier was an internationally renowned sand yachting venue for many years, but this activity has been suspended since 2002 when a visitor to the beach died after being hit by a sand yacht. St Annes Beach hosts a number of
kite flying A kite is a tethered heavier-than-air or lighter-than-air craft with wing surfaces that react against the air to create lift and drag forces. A kite consists of wings, tethers and anchors. Kites often have a bridle and tail to guide the face ...
events each year. In 2006 kite enthusiasts raised concerns about the future of these activities following a decision by Fylde Borough Council in 2006 to ban the flying of kites with two or more lines anywhere in the Fylde. Following representations from kite-fliers and completion of a risk assessment, the council rescinded the ban on condition that kite fliers remain at least 50m from the
sand dune A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, fl ...
s. A memorial statue of a lifeboatman looking out to sea was placed on the promenade at St Anne's after the Mexico Disaster of 1886. The original lifeboat station was established in 1881 but closed in 1925 due to silting of the channel (a secondary channel of the Ribble that ran past the pier). A lifeboat continued to operate from Lytham, but the main channel of the river also became silted up, so the lifeboat was moved to a new all-weather
RNLI The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) is the largest charity that saves lives at sea around the coasts of the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, the Channel Islands, and the Isle of Man, as well as on some inland waterways. It i ...
base a few hundred yards south of St Annes pier which opened in 2000.
St Annes-on-the-Sea Carnegie Library The Carnegie Library is in Lytham St Annes, Lancashire, England. The foundation stone of St. Anne's Library was laid in August 1904 and the building was officially opened on 10 January 1906. The land was given by the St. Anne's on the Sea Land ...
is just outside the town centre in an Edwardian, Carnegie-funded building. There is some confusion, even among residents of the town, about whether the correct name is "St Annes" or "St Anne's". The apostrophe has been dropped from the name by many of the residents of the town and has long been absent in many formal uses, such as local newspaper the '' Lytham St Annes Express'', St Annes Parish Church, and
Lytham St Annes High School LSA High School is a community school maintained by Lancashire County Education Authority. It is an 11–16 Comprehensive. History * 1955 Ansdell County Secondary School Opens. * 1999 School gains Technology College status and becomes kno ...
, although the spelling ''St. Anne's'' is still sometimes used. The area takes its name from St Annes Parish Church. In October 2008, a bronze statue by sculptor
Graham Ibbeson Graham Ibbeson (born 1951) is a British artist and sculptor, known for the realistic figurative sculptures he has created for public commissions in the United Kingdom. Biography Ibbeson was born in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, and from 1972 to 1 ...
of comedian Les Dawson, who lived in the town, was unveiled by Dawson's widow and daughter in the ornamental gardens next to St Annes Pier. Comedian
George Formby, Jr. George Formby, (born George Hoy Booth; 26 May 1904 – 6 March 1961) was an English actor, singer-songwriter and comedian who became known to a worldwide audience through his films of the 1930s and 1940s. On stage, screen and record he s ...
also lived in the town, and there is a plaque outside the house where he lived from 1953 until his death in 1961.


Ansdell

Ansdell is a small village between Lytham and St Annes, on the landward side of the railway line. It has its own railway station (shared with Fairhaven), the Ansdell Institute club and a public library. It is named for
Richard Ansdell Richard Ansdell (11 May 1815 – 20 April 1885) was a British painter of animals and genre scenes. Life Ansdell was born in Liverpool (then in Lancashire), the son of Thomas Griffiths Ansdell, a freeman who worked at the port, and Anne Jacks ...
(1815–1885), an artist who lived in the area and painted numerous oils depicting hunting scenes. Ansdell enjoys the distinction of being the only place in England to be named after an artist. Ansdell hosts the largest school in Lancashire,
Lytham St Annes High School LSA High School is a community school maintained by Lancashire County Education Authority. It is an 11–16 Comprehensive. History * 1955 Ansdell County Secondary School Opens. * 1999 School gains Technology College status and becomes kno ...
, with around 1500 students, a dedicated technology and IT department, and an integrated A-Level College. Ansdell also encompasses the southern end of
Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club in Lytham St Annes, Lancashire, England, is one of the courses in the The Open Championship, Open Championship rotation. The Women's British Open has also been played on the course five times: once prior to being ...
. Ansdell is also the home of Fylde Rugby Club (FRC), established in May 1920, later to be closed during the war effort, and re-opened in 1946. FRC has reared many eminent players, notably
Malcolm Phillips Malcolm Phillips is a former rugby union international player who represented England from 1958 to 1964. He was President of the Rugby Football Union in 2004–05, and also served on the International Rugby Board. Youth and playing career Phil ...
(a former President of the club) and Bill Beaumont.


Fairhaven

Fairhaven is the district between Lytham and St Annes on the coastal side of the railway. It has been suggested it is named after Thomas Fair, the
land agent Land agent may be used in at least three different contexts. Traditionally, a land agent was a managerial employee who conducted the business affairs of a large estate (house), landed estate for a member of the landed gentry, supervising the farmi ...
for the Clifton estate. It is believed by other researchers that Thomas Riley named his Master Plan for Fairhaven after the Bible passage Acts 27 verse 8 referring to Paul's journey to Rome; many of the road names are connected to Paul and his journey. Its main claim to fame is an artificial lake, known as Fairhaven Lake. In 1923 the new borough of Lytham St Annes was formed and subsequently purchased the lake with money quietly donated by Lord Ashton. In recognition of this, after extensive landscaping designed by T H Mawson, the lake was formally re-opened in 1926 and named Ashton Marine Park. After continuing confusion with Ashton Park in St Annes, in 1974 the name reverted to Fairhaven Lake. It is an important wildfowl habitat. Its other famous landmark is the Fairhaven United Reformed Church, which is of unusual design, being built in Byzantine style and faced with glazed white tiles, and commonly known as the White Church. Fairhaven contains the former
King Edward VII and Queen Mary School King Edward VII and Queen Mary School (KEQMS) was an HMC independent co-educational school in Lytham St Annes, Lancashire, England, formed in 2000 by the merger of King Edward VII School, Lytham and Queen Mary School. It merged with Arnold ...
, which has now merged with Arnold School of Blackpool to become
AKS Lytham AKS Lytham (AKS), or ArnoldKEQMS, is an independent, co-educational day school located on the Fylde, Lancashire, England. It was formed from the merger of King Edward VII and Queen Mary School (KEQMS) in Lytham St. Annes and Arnold School in Bl ...
. The sands and tidal mudflats of the area (the mouth of the
River Ribble The River Ribble runs through North Yorkshire and Lancashire in Northern England. It starts close to the Ribblehead Viaduct in North Yorkshire, and is one of the few that start in the Yorkshire Dales and flow westwards towards the Irish Sea (t ...
) are an important feeding area for wintering waders. The
RSPB The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is a Charitable_organization#United_Kingdom, charitable organisation registered in Charity Commission for England and Wales, England and Wales and in Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator, ...
operate a visitor centre from Fairhaven Lake to provide information and guided walks. The lake has been flooded by the sea in the distant past but is now protected by a substantial sea defence wall. Fairhaven occupies an area of former sand dunes previously known as Starr Hills, which extended as far as St Annes town centre along the southern side of the railway. The name Starr Hills is still used for a residential home named after the eponymous residence constructed in the 1860s for Richard Ansdell, which was transformed into a hospital during World War I, before assuming its present use. The Fairhaven Estate was first laid out in 1892. Beginning in 1895, the estate was divided into parcels of land which could be purchased or leased for residential development.


History

The area is known to have been populated during the Bronze Age, and scattered hamlets have existed there ever since, including a village called Kilgrimol or Kilgrimhow, which is believed to have been founded in around 900 AD by Vikings expelled from Dublin. The area including the Fylde was known in
Anglo-Saxon The Anglo-Saxons were a Cultural identity, cultural group who inhabited England in the Early Middle Ages. They traced their origins to settlers who came to Britain from mainland Europe in the 5th century. However, the ethnogenesis of the Anglo- ...
and medieval times as Amounderness. Lytham is mentioned in the Domesday Book as Lidun. In 1199 Richard Fitzroger gave his Lytham estates (then known as Lethun) to the Benedictine monks of Durham. The monks established a priory (although it was really too small to be called that as it comprised three or four monks only) on the site of the present Lytham Hall. The priory existed until 1539; in 1540 the monastery at Durham was dissolved and the Crown became Lord of the Manor. The manor of Lytham passed through several owners until in 1606 it was sold to Cuthbert Clifton for £4,300. Clifton enlarged the manor house and made it the family seat. The house was replaced in 1757 with the present Lytham Hall, designed by architect
John Carr John Carr may refer to: Politicians *John Carr (Indiana politician) (1793–1845), American politician from Indiana *John Carr (Australian politician, born 1819) (1819–1913), member of the South Australian House of Assembly, 1865–1884 * John H ...
of York. At this time St Annes did not exist, but Lytham was large enough to be called a town, with its own promenade and a reputation as a resort. Northwards along the coast from Lytham, within the Clifton estates, were mostly sand dunes. The only habitations were the tiny hamlet of Heyhouses and the rural Trawl Boat Inn (a name resurrected in recent times for a public house in Wood Street in St Annes, opened by Wetherspoons). In 1873 the Cliftons built a
Chapel of Ease A chapel of ease (or chapel-of-ease) is a church architecture, church building other than the parish church, built within the bounds of a parish for the attendance of those who cannot reach the parish church conveniently. Often a chapel of ea ...
dedicated to St Anne in this area, to encourage better religious observance, as most inhabitants found the long journey to St Cuthbert's in Lytham too onerous. This became the parish church of St. Anne's. At the time it was built the church had no tower. On 14 October 1874 the St Anne's-on-the-Sea Land and Building Company Ltd was registered, mainly at the instigation of Elijah Hargreaves, a wealthy Lancashire mill owner from Rawtenstall whose intention was to develop the area as a resort. The land of St Annes was leased from the Clifton estate for 999 years, although the lease still gave the Cliftons the right to kill
game A game is a structured form of play (activity), play, usually undertaken for enjoyment, entertainment or fun, and sometimes used as an educational tool. Many games are also considered to be work (such as professional players of spectator s ...
on the land for this period. Building rapidly commenced with the St Anne's Hotel (built in 1875, since demolished), the Hydro Terrace, which later became St Annes Square, and the railway station being among the first buildings. A separate company was formed to finance the construction of the pier, which was opened on 15 June 1885. At that time the main channel of the
River Ribble The River Ribble runs through North Yorkshire and Lancashire in Northern England. It starts close to the Ribblehead Viaduct in North Yorkshire, and is one of the few that start in the Yorkshire Dales and flow westwards towards the Irish Sea (t ...
ran by the end of the pier, and boats would bring people in from Lytham and Southport. The Ribble Navigation Act of 1883, which came into force in 1889, was intended to stabilise the often silted River Ribble to allow a steady trade into
Preston Preston is a place name, surname and given name that may refer to: Places England *Preston, Lancashire, an urban settlement **The City of Preston, Lancashire, a borough and non-metropolitan district which contains the settlement **County Boro ...
docks. However, this work moved the main channel much further out and left St Annes Pier on flat sandbanks, where no ships could dock. In June 1910 the Floral Hall was opened at the end of the pier. It was a popular attraction and stars including
Gracie Fields Dame Gracie Fields (born Grace Stansfield; 9 January 189827 September 1979) was an English actress, singer, comedian and star of cinema and music hall who was one of the top ten film stars in Britain during the 1930s and was considered the h ...
, Leslie Henson and Claude Hulbert performed there. Lytham and St Annes were consolidated in 1922. In 1974 a major fire seriously damaged the hall. It was restored to some extent, it ended up being used as a skatepark (skateboards) before another fire in July 1982 destroyed it. About half the pier was then demolished to make the beach safe to use. The Lytham St Annes Civic Society operates a local
blue plaque A blue plaque is a permanent sign installed in a public place in the United Kingdom and elsewhere to commemorate a link between that location and a famous person, event, or former building on the site, serving as a historical marker. The term i ...
scheme. These commemorate historic buildings and residents, including
Sir John Alcock Captain Sir John William Alcock (5 November 189218 December 1919) was a British Royal Navy and later Royal Air Force officer who, with navigator Lieutenant Arthur Whitten Brown, piloted the first non-stop transatlantic flight from St. John's ...
and George Formby. The 2012 Olympic torch relay passed through St Annes, Fairhaven and then Lytham before continuing onto nearby Warton and Freckleton.


Governance

St Anne's-on-the-Sea Urban District Council, who was based at
St Anne's Public Offices St Annes's Public Offices is a municipal building in Clifton Drive, St Anne's-on-the-Sea, Lancashire, England. The building, which was the headquarters of St Anne's-on-the-Sea Urban District Council, is Grade II listed. History A local board of ...
in Clifton Drive, merged with Lytham Urban District Council to form Lythan St Annes Municipal Borough in 1922. Since the re-organisation of local government in 1972, the town has been administered by Fylde District Council which is based at
Lytham St Annes Town Hall Lytham St Annes Town Hall is a municipal building on the South Promenade in Lytham St Annes, Lancashire, England. The structure, which is used as the headquarters of Fylde Borough Council, is a locally listed building. History The building was ...
on the South Promenade.


Transport


Disability access

Lytham town centre has limited disabled parking. There are other car parks outside the immediate town centre however these may be too far away for those with restricted mobility.


Railway

Lytham station, St Annes-on-the-Sea station and Ansdell & Fairhaven station all lie on the single-track Blackpool South to
Preston Preston is a place name, surname and given name that may refer to: Places England *Preston, Lancashire, an urban settlement **The City of Preston, Lancashire, a borough and non-metropolitan district which contains the settlement **County Boro ...
branch of the Blackpool Branch Lines. Prior to the closure of Blackpool Central in 1964 the Coast Road, as it was known, was the mainline into Blackpool, although the Lytham St. Annes stations were bypassed by the direct line from Kirkham to Blackpool South. It has been reported that Central station in Blackpool could handle with ease one million people, in and out, in one day. Today the line is truncated at South station and the branch is operated euphemistically as "one engine in steam" but in fact is just a long siding from Kirkham. Trains run between
Colne railway station Colne railway station serves the town of Colne, in Lancashire, England, which is situated close to Pendle Hill. The station, which is managed by Northern, is the eastern terminus of the East Lancashire Line. Trains from Blackpool South run thro ...
and Blackpool South railway station on this line through Lytham St. Anne's. Previously there were stations in Station Road, Lytham (1846–1874) and at near the Old Links Golf Course, St Annes (1913–1949).


Local issues


Lowther Pavilion Lytham

In 2008 local residents became aware that Fylde Borough Council was struggling financially, and in particular was becoming unable to subsidise local amenities. The closure of St. Annes swimming pool demonstrated how serious the situation was. It was felt that a group needed to take immediate action if they wished to reduce the subsidy from the council and ensure that Lowther Pavilion, the only purpose-built theatre in the area, remained open. In November 2008 Friends of Lowther Pavilion was formed, with the stated purposes of reducing the subsidy required from the council; securing the future of Lowther Pavilion, raising money for improvements, and ultimately generate profits; involving the local community in the running of the theatre and making it part of the town; and becoming the basis of a networking forum for the participating groups.


Closure of public facilities

In 2008 Fylde Borough Council announced that the borough's two public swimming pools, in Kirkham and St Annes, would be closed. Public campaigns were started to oppose both closures, and they reopened in 2010 under management by Fylde Coast YMCA, with financial support from the council.


Property developments

the most controversial political issue in Lytham St Annes concerned
property development Real estate development, or property development, is a business process, encompassing activities that range from the renovation and re-lease of existing buildings to the purchase of raw land and the sale of developed land or parcels to others. R ...
. No more
greenfield site Greenfield land is a British English term referring to undeveloped land in an urban or rural area In general, a rural area or a countryside is a geographic area that is located outside towns and cities. Typical rural areas have a low po ...
s were available and developers were seeking to replace existing buildings or to build on open spaces such as Ashton Gardens in St Annes. Many historic buildings had been demolished and replaced with larger modern constructions of standard design as can be found in many other places. For example, the art deco former headquarters of the
Football League The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, the league is the oldest such competition in the world. It was the top-level football league in Engla ...
was demolished and replaced with a block of flats. In 2005 a property development company submitted a proposal for a 2,800 apartment development called Lytham Quays to be built on industrial brownfield sites in the east of Lytham. The developer, Kensington Developments, claimed in a 2008 article in the ''Daily Telegraph'' that "In truth, the majority of people were for it".


Wildlife

The Ribble Estuary and sands of St Annes and Lytham are an
Important Bird Area An Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) is an area identified using an internationally agreed set of criteria as being globally important for the conservation of bird populations. IBA was developed and sites are identified by BirdLife Int ...
, mainly as a feeding ground for waders during winter and spring. There are flocks of thousands of red knot,
dunlin The dunlin (''Calidris alpina'') is a small wader, formerly sometimes separated with the other "stints" in the genus ''Erolia''. The English name is a dialect form of "dunling", first recorded in 1531–1532. It derives from ''dun'', "dull brown ...
, sanderling, bar-tailed godwit and other waders; over 100,000 birds winter there. Flocks of
pink-footed geese The pink-footed goose (''Anser brachyrhynchus'') is a goose which breeds in eastern Greenland, Iceland and Svalbard. It is migratory, wintering in northwest Europe, especially Ireland, Great Britain, the Netherlands, and western Denmark. The na ...
are commonly seen in winter as they fly over St Annes between their feeding grounds around Southport and Over Wyre. Many pintail and other ducks feed and rest in the estuary. There are 80 hectares of
sand dune A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, fl ...
habitat on the coast of Lytham St Annes which is home to a wide variety of rare and interesting plants and wildlife communities. The Lytham St Annes Nature Reserve has around 250 different plant species include internationally rare plants not found outside the UK.
Common lizard The viviparous lizard, or common lizard, (''Zootoca vivipara'', formerly ''Lacerta vivipara''), is a Eurasian lizard. It lives farther north than any other species of non-marine reptile, and is named for the fact that it is viviparous, meaning it ...
s are found across the dune system and it is an important habitat for various breeding birds including European stonechat, skylark, linnet and reed bunting. The
grayling Grayling or Greyling may refer to: Animals Fish * Grayling, generically, any fish of the genus ''Thymallus'' in the family Salmonidae ** European grayling (''Thymallus thymallus''), the European species of the genus ''Thymallus'' ** Arctic grayli ...
butterfly, which is a coastal specialist, is also found on the dunes. Witchwood is a narrow strip of woodland that runs alongside the railway line, from Blackpool Road to Ballam Road. It was part of the original Lytham Hall parkland. The Lytham St. Annes Civic Society created the woodland walk by joining this area with land leased from
British Rail British Railways (BR), which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was a state-owned company that operated most of the overground rail transport in Great Britain from 1948 to 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the Big Four British rai ...
, setting up a limited company to own and manage the wood. Society members cleared the undergrowth, removed rubbish and introduced a path running the length of the wood. The land is protected by a
tree preservation order A tree preservation order (TPO) is a part of town and country planning in the United Kingdom. A TPO is made by a local planning authority (usually a local council) to protect specific trees or a particular area, group or woodland from deliberate d ...
and part of it is a
Site of Special Scientific Interest A Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Great Britain or an Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI) in the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom and Isle of ...
. Acting on advice from the Forestry Commission, invasive sycamore and elm are being replaced by indigenous English species such as oak, beech, ash, horse chestnut, birch and rowan. The walk, which was officially opened in 1974 by the
Duke of Edinburgh Duke of Edinburgh, named after the city of Edinburgh in Scotland, was a substantive title that has been created three times since 1726 for members of the British royal family. It does not include any territorial landholdings and does not produc ...
, is a haven for wildlife and an important habitat for insects and birds.


Culture


Art and architecture

The following organisations are currently active: * Lytham St Annes Art Society (founded 1912) * Lytham St Annes Civic Society (founded c. 1955) * Lytham Heritage Group * Friends of the
Lytham St Annes Art Collection The Lytham St Annes Art Collection is a public art collection of over 240 artworks in Lytham St Annes, Lancashire. Fylde Borough Council are the custodians of the paintings, sculptures, prints and artefacts that are mostly held within the Lytham ...
* Friends of Lytham Hall * Fylde Arts Association * Fylde Decorative and Fine Arts Society (Fylde DFAS) A series of public artworks were commissioned as improvement works to The Square for Saint-Annes-on-the-Sea including a mosaic by artist
Gary Drostle Gary Drostle (born 1961) is a British artist specialising in public art, sculpture and mosaic as well as mural painting and drawing. He was also President of the British Association for Modern Mosaic, a lecturer at The Chicago Mosaic School. an ...
in 2005.


Music and entertainment

Notable musicians, actors and, entertainers who were born or live(d) in Lytham St Annes include entertainer George Formby, comedians Les Dawson, Bobby Ball and Roy Walker, comedian and broadcaster
Jenny Eclair Jenny Eclair (born Jenny Clare Hargreaves; 16 March 1960) is an English comedian, novelist, and actress, best known for her roles in ''Grumpy Old Women'' between 2004 and 2007 and in '' Loose Women'' in 2011 and 2012. Early life Eclair was born ...
, actors Stephen Tompkinson, Jonas Armstrong,
Ian Anderson Ian Scott Anderson (born 10 August 1947) is a British musician, singer and songwriter best known for his work as the lead vocalist, flautist, acoustic guitarist and leader of the British rock band Jethro Tull. He is a multi-instrumentalist w ...
, Dean Lennox Kelly and Craig Kelly, composer Peter Dickinson, guitarist
Mario Parga Guitarist Mario Parga, born in Lytham, Lancashire, England on , came into the spotlight during the late 1980s when he began appearing in numerous guitar and rock magazines such as Guitar Player, Metal Hammer, Kerrang, Metal Forces and played a l ...
, drummer with
Alien Sex Fiend Alien Sex Fiend are an English gothic rock band, formed in London, England in 1982. The current lineup of the band consists of Nik Fiend and Mrs Fiend. Five of the group's albums and 12 of their singles reached top 20 positions in the UK indie ...
and UFX/Uncle Fester Ratfink (Andrew Wilson), variety hall entertainer
Betty Jumel Betty Jumel (5 May 190114 October 1990) was a British variety hall entertainer and actress. Early life Betty Jumel was born Amy Ada Beatrice Grimshaw in Fairhaven, Lytham St Annes, Lancashire in 1901. She was only 10 years old when she made he ...
, singer-songwriter Marli Harwood and Gigwise.com founder
Andy Day Andy Day (born 15 May 1981) is an English actor, comedian, singer, dancer, songwriter and television presenter. He is best known for his work on the BBC's CBeebies channel. He is also a patron of Anti-Bullying Week. He was first on Friendly T ...
. In 1999 Susan Swindells (now Susan Wood) created the idea for the Lytham Proms Festival for the local community to raise funds for charity and boost Fylde Coast tourism. It came to fruition with funding from her employer, BAE Systems.


Festivals


Beer Festival

Lytham Beer Festival has been held annually in September since 2007, although this was moved to October in 2012. It is organised by the Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre branch of CAMRA and offers a choice of around 90 real ales as well as a selection of
cider Cider ( ) is an alcoholic beverage made from the fermented juice of apples. Cider is widely available in the United Kingdom (particularly in the West Country) and the Republic of Ireland. The UK has the world's highest per capita consumption, ...
s and foreign bottled beers.


Lytham Festival

Lytham Green sees an annual five-day musical festival branded as the
Lytham Festival The Lytham Festival (formerly and colloquially Lytham Proms) is an annual five-day music festival held in Lytham St Annes, Lancashire. The festival takes place adjacent to Lytham Windmill on Lytham Green, a strip of grass between the town's ...
and operated by Cuffe & Taylor, part of
Live Nation UK Live Nation UK is the United Kingdom subsidiary of Live Nation Entertainment. They are best known for promoting concerts, operating venues and running festivals. As Clear Channel UK, Live Nation UK acquired the Mean Fiddler organisation and owns ...
. Live performances on the promenade first began under the name "Lytham Proms" in 1999. In 2009, Daniel Cuffe and Peter Taylor took over operation of festivals on the green with a one-night concert by English soprano singer Lesley Garrett. The festival has since seen a variety of leading bands and musicians including The Human League,
Madness Madness or The Madness may refer to: Emotion and mental health * Anger, an intense emotional response to a perceived provocation, hurt or threat * Insanity, a spectrum of behaviors characterized by certain abnormal mental or behavioral patterns * ...
, Nile Rodgers & Chic, The Human League,
Kylie Minogue Kylie Ann Minogue (; born 28 May 1968) is an Australian singer, songwriter and actress. She is the highest-selling female Australian artist of all time, having sold over 80 million records worldwide. She has been recognised for reinve ...
,
Rod Stewart Sir Roderick David Stewart (born 10 January 1945) is a British rock and pop singer and songwriter. Born and raised in London, he is of Scottish and English ancestry. With his distinctive raspy singing voice, Stewart is among the best-selling ...
,
Diana Ross Diana Ross (born March 26, 1944) is an American singer and actress. She rose to fame as the lead singer of the vocal group the Supremes, who became Motown's most successful act during the 1960s and one of the world's best-selling girl groups o ...
,
Duran Duran Duran Duran () are an English Rock music, rock band formed in Birmingham in 1978 by singer and bassist Stephen Duffy, keyboardist Nick Rhodes and guitarist/bassist John Taylor (bass guitarist), John Taylor. With the addition of drummer Roger ...
and Tears for Fears.


Sport


Golf

The
Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club in Lytham St Annes, Lancashire, England, is one of the courses in the The Open Championship, Open Championship rotation. The Women's British Open has also been played on the course five times: once prior to being ...
was founded in March 1886 and moved to its present site in 1926. Many world tournaments have been, and are, played there, including the
Ryder Cup The Ryder Cup is a biennial men's golf competition between teams from Europe and the United States. The competition is contested every two years with the venue alternating between courses in the United States and Europe. The Ryder Cup is named af ...
, the Open Championship and the
Dunlop Masters The Betfred British Masters is a professional golf tournament. It was founded in 1946 as the Dunlop Masters and was held every year up to 2008, except for 1984. Dunlop's sponsorship ended in 1982, and the name sponsor changed frequently therea ...
. Lytham Green Drive Golf Club was founded in 1913 and has hosted qualifying matches for Open Championship. The clubhouse is on Ballam Road. There are two other golf clubs in the area, which have all hosted qualifying for The Open Championship. They are Fairhaven Golf Club and perhaps the most well known, St Annes Old Links Golf Club, which has also hosted many other top events in the golfing calendar. The Old Links course runs northwards from Highbury Road on the landward side of the railway line.


Rugby

Fylde Rugby Club, who compete in English National League one, play at the
Woodlands Memorial Ground Woodlands Memorial Ground is a rugby stadium in Lytham St Annes, Lancashire, England. It is the home of Fylde Rugby Club and was the home of the Blackpool Panthers between 2006 and 2010. The Northern Rail Nines group matches, quarter and semi ...
, which is shared with Blackpool Rugby League Club, who compete in National League Two. Amongst their notable former players are two British and Irish Lions, Brian Ashton and Bill Beaumont.


Football

The headquarters of the English Football League were in the former Sandown Hotel in Clifton Drive in St Annes between 1959 and 2017.


Cricket and hockey

St Annes Cricket Club are based at Vernon Road, St Annes. England and Lancashire
cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striki ...
er Andrew Flintoff played for St Annes, starting as a 12-year-old in 1989. Lytham Cricket and Sports Club is based in Church Road, Lytham. It is the home of
Lytham St Annes Hockey Club Lytham St Annes Hockey Club is based at Lytham Cricket and Sports Club on Church Rd, Lytham, Lancashire, England. It comprises 4 men's and 3 ladies' sides with the men's 1st XI competing in the North Hockey League Division 2 West and the ladie ...
.


Health care

Primary care is the responsibility of NHS North Lancashire Primary Care Trust. There have been a number of recent reorganisations and building for general practice in the area. General practice in Lytham is based at a health centre opened in 2009 called the Lytham Primary Care Centre. This building is on the site of the original Lytham Hospital. Two practices are housed in this building: Holland House Surgery and Fernbank Surgery. Secondary care is mainly provided by the Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, whose nearest hospital is
Blackpool Victoria Hospital Blackpool Victoria Hospital, known locally as The Vic, is the main hospital for Blackpool and the Fylde Coast in Lancashire, England. It is managed by the Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. History The hospital was originally ...
.


Religion


Lytham

* Lytham Methodist Church, Park Street; opened in September 1868 * St Cuthbert's (Church of England), Church Road; built in 1834. * St John the Divine Church (Church of England), East Beach; built 1848–49 by Edwin Hugh Shellard. * St Peter's Roman Catholic Church, Clifton Street; built 1838, the tower was added in 1878. * Lytham Christian Centre, Preston Road. * Lytham United Reformed Church, Bannister Street; founded 1863.


St Annes

* Church Road Methodist Church, Church Road. * St Anne's Church,
Church of England parish church A parish church in the Church of England is the church which acts as the religious centre for the people within each Church of England parish (the smallest and most basic Church of England administrative unit; since the 19th century sometimes ca ...
, Oxford Road – built in 1873 by
Paley and Austin Sharpe, Paley and Austin are the surnames of architects who practised in Lancaster, Lancashire, England, between 1835 and 1946, working either alone or in partnership. The full names of the principals in their practice, which went under vario ...
. The tower was added in 1887. * St Annes Baptist Church, St.Andrews Road South – opened on Christmas Day 1886. * St Annes on Sea United Reformed Church, Clifton Drive – built by W.J. Porritt from 1880 onwards. * St Annes Hebrew Congregation, Orchard Road. * Our Lady Star of the Sea Church, Roman Catholic church, St Annes Road East, built in 1890 by
Pugin & Pugin Pugin & Pugin ( fl. 1851– c. 1958) was a London-based family firm of church architects, founded in the Westminster office of Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin (1812–1852). The firm was succeeded by his sons Cuthbert Welby Pugin (1840–1928) a ...
. * St Thomas' Church, St Thomas Road – built in 1899 by Austin and Paley. * Fylde Christian Service Church, St.Andrews Road South – based in the former St Annes Baptist chapel. * St Margaret of Antioch, St.Leonards Road West – founded in 1925. * St Alban RC Church, Kilnhouse Lane – founded in 1964. *St. Gregory's Eastern Orthodox Chapel, Orchard Road – established in 2017.


Ansdell and Fairhaven

* The Well Church, Ansdell Road North; founded 1908. * Ansdell Unitarian & Free Christian Church, Channing Road; opened 1930, new hall added 1968. * St Joseph's RC Church, Woodlands Road; opened 20 September 1914; built 1909 by Pugin & Pugin. * Fairhaven United Reformed Church, Clifton Drive South; opened 17 October 1912; built by Briggs, Wolstenholme & Thornley; known locally as the "White Church". * St Paul's CofE Church, Clifton Drive; built 1902 by Medland Taylor. * Fairhaven
Methodist Church Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related Christian denomination, denominations of Protestantism, Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John W ...
, Clifton Drive; founded 1909.


Twin towns/Sister cities

Lytham St Annes is twinned with: *
Werne Werne an der Lippe (; Westphalian: ''Wäen'') is a town in the Federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia in the Unna district in Germany. It is located on the southern edge of the Münsterland region near the Ruhrgebiet. The population of Werne ...
, Germany *
Caudry Caudry () is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. Its inhabitants are called theCaudrésiens. The town is mostly known as the Capital City of French Lace (along with Calais). Caudry station has rail connections to Douai, Cambr ...
, France


See also

*
Listed buildings in Lytham Lytham is a conurbation in the Borough of Fylde, Lancashire, England that includes the town of Lytham and the districts of Ansdell and Fairhaven. It contains 91 buildings that are recorded in the National Heritage List for England as desi ...
*
Listed buildings in Saint Anne's on the Sea Saint Anne's on the Sea is a town in the Borough of Fylde, Lancashire, England. It contains 23 listed buildings that are recorded in the National Heritage List for England The National Heritage List for England (NHLE) is England's official ...
*
John Talbot Clifton John Talbot Clifton (1 December 1868 – 23 March 1928), known as Talbot Clifton, was an English landowner and traveller. He was born the son of Thomas Henry Clifton of Lytham Hall, Lancashire and his wife Madeline Agnew and was educated at Eton ...
(1819–1882) of Lytham Hall – MP for North Lancashire *
John Talbot Clifton John Talbot Clifton (1 December 1868 – 23 March 1928), known as Talbot Clifton, was an English landowner and traveller. He was born the son of Thomas Henry Clifton of Lytham Hall, Lancashire and his wife Madeline Agnew and was educated at Eton ...
(1868–1928) of Lytham Hall – traveller *
Violet Clifton Violet Mary Clifton (née Beauclerk) (2 November 1883 (Rome) – 20 November 1961) was an English writer, and a descendant of Charles Beauclerk, 1st Duke of St Albans, the illegitimate son of king Charles II and Nell Gwyn. She married English la ...
(1883–1961) of Lytham Hall – traveller and writer. *
Larry L'Estrange Larry L'Estrange MBE (12 November 1934 – 29 March 2007) was a British paratrooper and rugby player. The son of a British diplomat, L'Estrange was born in Lytham St Annes in 1934 and was educated at Blackrock College, Dublin; the University ...
(1934–2007), born in Lytham – Irish rugby player and British soldier.


Notes


References

* Harrison, Gabriel (1971) ''Rage of Sand: the story of the men who built their own seaside town'', London : Benn, * Pevsner, Nikolaus (1969) ''The Buildings of England – North Lancashire'', Penguin, .


External links

* http://www.lythamstannes.news Lytham St Anne's News * https://www.visitlytham.info Local information * https://www.visitStAnnes.info Local information {{authority control Seaside resorts in Lancashire Towns in Lancashire Geography of the Borough of Fylde Beaches of Lancashire 1875 establishments in England