LYTHAM, LANCASHIRE
Grid Ref:SD 370 270 at the Windmill
Date: 4 Oct 2010
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| Weather vane on lifeboat house |
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Wrought iron on shop front in Clifton Street |
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| Cross on side of St. Peter's |
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Gable of house in Westby Street |
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| Dome on Police Station in Bannister St. |
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Detail of spire on United Reformed Church |
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| Corner of Ship and Royal, Clifton St. |
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Roof-line in Clifton Street |
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| Lamp outside Railway Station |
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Above gate of Lytham Hall off Balam Road |
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| Oriel Window, Hastings Place |
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Clock on Market Hall, built in 1872 |
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| United Reformed Church, Clifton Drive |
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Fish motif on arms of benches in Market Square |
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| Windmill |
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View to the sea front road from the sands |
Lytham was historically dependent on fishing and shrimping, until the advent of tourism initiated by the widespread belief in the curative properties of sea bathing. In the 19th century wealthy industrialists from the textile towns of Lancashire built villas on the coast.
The Green, a strip of grass running between the shore and the main coastal road, is a notable Lytham landmark—the recently restored Windmill and Old Lifeboat House Museum are located here, and one of the sails of the Windmill was replaced in 2012. The Green overlooks the estuary of the River Ribble and the Welsh mountains. The centre of Lytham contains many notable buildings, such as the former Lytham public library, Lytham railway station, market hall, the Clifton Arms Hotel and Lytham methodist church. Some of Lytham's oldest buildings are located in Henry Street, Dicconson Terrace and Bath Street.
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 very large area. Lytham Hall, the family seat, remained in the family's ownership until 1963, after which time it was passed onto 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 still survive.
1.0 Strict 