Tag: Blue Plaques

Alicia School of Dancing in St Annes

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Alicia’s School of Dancing operated from the 1920s to the 1960s from a studio behind this house at 123 St Andrews Road South in St Annes. It was a dance school offering classes in various styles, including ballet, tap, and modern. The school was active during that period, with students taking lessons and participating in showcases. While the full history beyond this period is not detailed, it represents a part of the local dance scene in St. Annes at that time. It was a place where students could develop their dance skills and participate in stage performances. The school’s presence… Read more »

Lytham Institute & Lytham Library

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Lytham library was built originally as a Mechanics Institute. It included a small library of books and a reading room and opened on 30 August 1878. The building was extended in 1898 to celebrate Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee, including a new reading room, gymnasium and classrooms. The extension was opened by the Duke of Norfolk. In 1922 the library became part of the Municipal Borough of Lytham St Annes with the amalgamation of St Anne’s on the Sea and Lytham Urban District Councils. In 1974 the administration of the library was taken over by Lancashire County Council. In Buildings of… Read more »

Lytham St Annes Borough Council – Town Hall

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Fylde Borough Council was established on April 1, 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972, as a result of the merging of three former local authorities: Lytham St Annes Borough Council, Kirkham Urban District Council, and Fylde Rural District Council. The council’s main administrative building is the former Southdown Hydro Hotel, which was purchased in 1925 to serve as the town hall after the merger of Lytham and St Annes The district was named Fylde after the coastal plan. It was awarded borough status from its creation, allowing the chair of the council to take the title of mayor. The… Read more »

Mr. Hincksman’s Chapel / Bath Street Methodist Church

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Mr. Hincksman’s Chapel, later known as Bath Street Methodist Church, was a Wesleyan chapel built in Lytham in 1846, funded largely by Thomas Crouch Hincksman, a Preston cotton spinner. The origins of Methodism in Lytham started from a cottage in Bath Street, which was a licensed preaching house. In 1846 a chapel which could accommodate 200 worshippers was built in Bath Street by T.C. Hincksman but by 1868 this was not large enough to hold all the summer visitors and it was replaced in 1868 by much large premises on Park Street. It was subsequently used as the first Lytham… Read more »

Tramway Shelter 1923 in Lytham St Annes

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Tramway shelter 23 in Lytham St Annes, originally built in 1923 by John Heap & Sons, is a notable relic from the former tramway that once connected Lytham and Blackpool via St. Annes. It served as a passenger shelter for both trams and later, buses, until road changes in the mid-1990s rendered it disused. The shelter was restored in 2009 by Fylde Borough Council and Lytham Civic Society and remains a local landmark, though no longer used for public transport. The shelter was built in 1923 by John Heap & Sons at the request of the Lytham St. Annes Borough… Read more »

The Taps in Lytham, Once the Clifton Arms Vaults

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The Taps pub in Lytham has a history dating back to 1839, originally serving as ostler’s cottages where horses were changed for nearby hotels. It’s now one of Lytham’s oldest and most well-known pubs, known for its selection of real ales and traditional atmosphere. The building was originally used as cottages for ostlers, who were responsible for changing horses for travellers using nearby inns. Over time, it evolved into a pub and became known for its well-kept real ales. The Taps has become a central part of the Lytham community, with sports teams, fundraising events, and a strong connection to… Read more »

Lytham Railway Station

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Lytham railway station has a history marked by multiple expansions and changes, reflecting the growth of both the town and the railway network. Originally, a terminus for the Preston & Wyre Railway branch line from Kirkham, it opened in 1846 on Station Road. This original station was later replaced by a new terminus on Ballam Road in 1863 for the Blackpool & Lytham Railway. Finally, a connecting line was built in 1874, transforming the station into a through station and leading to the closure of the original Station Road location for passenger service, though it continued as a goods yard… Read more »

The Railway Hotel & the Hansom Cab

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The Railway Hotel in Lytham is a well-known historic pub that has stood for over 175 years, witnessing the transformation of the town from a quiet coastal settlement into a bustling seaside resort. Purpose-built in 1847, it was constructed adjacent to Lytham’s first railway station—known as Lytham Station (Station Road)—which had opened the previous year, on 16 February 1846. The original station was designed in a grand classical style, built from Longridge stone, featuring a striking façade and an octagonal booking office topped with a domed roof. The Railway Hotel was intended to serve travellers arriving by train, offering refreshments… Read more »

Lytham Market Hall

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In 1848, the Lytham Improvement Commissioners, the local government of the day, commissioned the building of Lytham Market Hall at a cost of over £1,000, designed by Charles Reed of Liverpool, to replace the open-air market. It was originally designed as a single-story structure with an Italianate style. A clock tower, donated by Lady Eleanor Cecily Clifton, was added to the building in 1868. A further tower was added on the west side in 1877. In 1883 a drinking fountain was placed  in the Market Square in memory of her husband, John Talbot Clifton, who died in 1882. In the… Read more »

The Lytham Assembly Rooms

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The Lytham Assembly Rooms, originally built in 1862, served as a social hub for the growing seaside town of Lytham, offering both salt water bathing and indoor entertainment. Initially, the building housed baths, a theatre, and assembly rooms, but the business struggled and the Clifton Estate eventually acquired it. The Assembly Rooms have since been adapted and refurbished to meet changing needs, including use as Lytham UDC offices and a soup kitchen during severe weather. 1840 – Baths existed on Central Beach in the 1840s but closed about 1853. 1860 – Contract granted to Charles Holt of Bolton for construction… Read more »