Cabin Lift on Prom

Built in 1930, the Cabin Lift was designed by John Charles Robinson, Blackpool’s Borough Surveyor, to transport passengers between the upper promenade tram stop and the lower promenade walkway, artificial cliffs, and the former boating pool. Originally, the lift system featured two lifts and included a bridge connecting the upper promenade waiting shelter to the lift shaft. However, the front section of the building that housed the waiting area has since been demolished, and access to the south lift has been walled off.

The existing north lift was installed in 1990, replacing the original lift. In the 1970s, the ladies’ and gentlemen’s toilets built into the cliff below the upper promenade were refitted, but they are now boarded up and inaccessible. The former doors into the lift tower from the artificial cliffs have been bricked up, and the lower promenade entrance to a tunnel running beneath the cliffs to the lift tower has been modified with smaller, modern doors. The tunnel itself has been subdivided at an unknown time, with a dividing wall creating separate sections; currently, only the northern part of the tunnel provides access to the lift.

Although the lift is no longer operational, its former base has been transformed into an exciting Go-Karting circuit. Located just 0.9 miles north of Blackpool Tower and directly opposite the well-known Uncle Tom’s Cabin (now Ma Kelly’s) on the North Promenade, this bowl-shaped karting arena features a challenging 750-meter track. It boasts the region’s largest and fastest kart circuit, with a track width of 9 meters that allows for safe overtaking and a smooth racing experience. Unlike typical single-engined karts, the fleet of twin-engined karts at this track offers twice the power, reaching speeds of over 60 mph.