Tag: Blue Plaques

The Grundy Art Gallery

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Grundy Art Gallery first opened its doors to the public in 1911, quickly becoming a cornerstone of Blackpool’s cultural scene. The gallery was made possible through a generous donation from brothers John and Sir Cuthbert Grundy, both talented artists, who gifted over 20 paintings alongside a financial contribution. Their generosity laid the groundwork for what would become one of Blackpool’s most significant artistic landmarks. The concept for the gallery originated in 1908 when Blackpool Council, inspired by the Grundy brothers’ bequest, commissioned the building as a permanent venue for displaying visual art. This forward-thinking decision underscored the town’s growing commitment… Read more »

Little Marton Mill

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Little Marton Mill is a prominent Grade II listed landmark located in Marton, Blackpool. This 19th-century English tower windmill, constructed in 1838 by John Hays, played a vital role in the local agricultural economy, primarily serving as a corn-grinding mill. For nearly a century, it was an essential part of the community, but it stopped working in September 1928. Blackpool Born Cornelius Bagot restored it, and in 1937 gave it to the Allen Clarke Memorial Fund as a memorial to the local teacher, writer and windmill enthusiast Allen Clarke. The mill’s historical and architectural significance was formally recognised when it… Read more »

Blackpool Central Library

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Central Library is a notable public library located in a historic building that also houses the Grundy Art Gallery. The building is Grade II listed, recognizing its historical significance. The site was chosen in 1908 on Queen Street, with funding from artists Cuthbert and John Grundy from Bury. Construction began in 1909 and was completed in 1911, with the design by the Scottish firm Cullen, Lochhead and Brown. After a major renovation costing £3 million, the library reopened on 26 September 2011, just in time to celebrate its 100th anniversary a month later. The building features an Edwardian Baroque style… Read more »

Blowing Sands Cottage

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The actual year that the Blowing Sands was built is unknown, but it’s shown here as 1750 as the cottage is strictly referred to as an ’18th century’ build. It is known as Blackpool’s oldest historic ‘sloping cottage’, which is still standing at 166 Common Edge Road, but it’s been on the market for a while since this post was written. This grade II listed cottage has been described by historians as one of the few remaining cottages from Blackpool’s agricultural past. The building was originally built as two cottages with a workshop added in the 19th century. It has gable… Read more »

The Odeon Becomes Funny Girls

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The Odeon The current location of Funny Girls used to be Blackpool’s Odeon Cinema, which opened on the 6th of May 1939 with the film ‘Three Smart Girls Grow Up’. The Cinema was the largest of all the Oscar Deutsch built Odeon Theatres at the time and could accommodate over 3,000 people on its two levels, stalls and one circle. There was also a large cafe on the first floor, which would later be converted into a bar. Although the main entrance to the Theatre was on Dickson Road there was also an entrance to the front stalls on Springfield… Read more »

The Mitre – Blackpool’s Smallest Pub

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The Mitre is the smallest pub in Blackpool, but renowned to have the biggest atmosphere. It is an original traditional pub in the centre of Blackpool with a great selection of draught beers, real ale, wines and spirits. Historic England documents indicate that the pub was built about 1773, and remodelled internally in the early 20th century. The pub’s website reports the original build year as 1546 with building expansion occurring in 1782, and remodelled in the early 1930s.

Blackpool Cricket Club Opens

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Blackpool Cricket Club has a long and storied history, dating back to its origins in 1890. The club was initially based in various locations within the town before it found a permanent home at Stanley Park. The land, a sprawling 256-acre site, was gifted to Blackpool Corporation in 1924, as part of a grand vision for the development and expansion of the town’s public amenities. This ambitious project led to the creation of Stanley Park as a key community space, with facilities for leisure and sports. As part of the broader development, a cricket pitch was laid in 1925, alongside… Read more »

Blackpool Zoo Opens

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Blackpool Zoo officially opened its doors on July 6, 1972, marking the beginning of what would become one of the town’s most beloved attractions. The zoo was developed on the site of the former Stanley Park Aerodrome, an historic airfield that had fallen out of use. Amelia Earhart was one of its many famous visitors. You can see her name mentioned on the blue plaque below. Its transformation into a zoo was part of Blackpool’s broader efforts to expand its appeal beyond the famous seaside attractions and provide visitors with a unique, family-friendly experience. From its inception, Blackpool Zoo was… Read more »

The Solaris Centre

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Originally built in 1938 as a Winter Garden, the Solaris Centre had deteriorated over the years, becoming a decaying eyesore along the promenade. Thankfully, instead of opting for demolition, Blackpool Council chose to restore the building and commissioned Mellor Architects to revitalise it. The vision was to transform the Solaris into a regional hub for environmental action, where each organisation or company occupying one of its many units would contribute to environmental sustainability in some way, earning the privilege of calling the Solaris their home. For more information about Mellor Architects and their role in this project, click the link… Read more »

Lucy Morton, Britain’s first Women’s Olympic Swimming Champion

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Lucy Morton was born in 1898 in New Tatton, Cheshire, but her family relocated to Blackpool when she was a child. At the age of ten, she joined the local amateur swimming club. Blackpool Council supported her training by opening the local swimming baths early in the mornings and late in the evenings, long before the Olympic-sized Derby Baths opened in 1939. Lucy achieved considerable success, winning an Olympic gold medal in the 200m breaststroke at the 1924 Paris Summer Games. Her accomplishments began even earlier, as she held world swimming records in 1914, 1916, and 1920. From 1919 to… Read more »