Lytham St Annes Beach

  • Lytham St Annes Beach - Lancashire
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  • Lytham St Annes Beach - Lancashire
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  • Lytham St Annes Beach - Lancashire
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  • Lytham St Annes Beach - Lancashire
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  • Located between the mud flats of the Ribble Estuary and the bright lights of Blackpool is the pleasant, if not a little posh, seaside town of Lytham. Despite being less than 5 miles down the coast from Blackpool, Lytham St Annes feels like a world apart.

    What the two towns do share in common is a their classic seaside resort credentials. You’ll find swathes of sand, Victorian piers, donkey rides and ice cream vans galore at both, but (thankfully) this is largely where the similarity ends.

    The beach itself at St Annes is a huge expanse of golden sand. The sort that is perfect for running around on and building sandcastles. It’s also a great spot for a paddle, however there are no lifeguards on duty and swimming isn’t recommended towards the estuary.

    Behind the beach is a large grassy area featuring attractive gardens, a boating lake and Lytham’s iconic green windmill.

    The pier at St Annes dates back to 1885 and measures around 600 ft (180 m) in length. It was intended to attract a slightly classier visitor than Blackpool’s working-class day-trippers. Over the years the pier has suffered like many of Britain’s piers. Whilst a considerable section has been destroyed the now separate landing jetty remains to give an idea of the piers original length.

    Head southwards and the beach becomes a haven for wildlife. Backed by sand dunes this area attracts huge numbers of wildfowl and waders. At Fairhaven Lake there’s an RSPB Discovery Centre providing plenty of information about the local wildlife.

    Type of beach

    Sandy

    Lifeguard service

    No

    Dogs friendly beach?

    Dogs allowed

    Dogs are allowed on the beach all year except for the central section between the lifeboat station and pier. Here there is a seasonal ban between Good Friday and 30th September.

    Lancashire dog friendly beaches »

    Activities

    • Donkey rides
    • Kite surfing
    • Wind surfing

    Facilities

    • Cafe/restaurant
    • Toilets
    • Disabled facilities
    • First aid point
    • Shop
    • Pub nearby
    • Deck chair hire
    • Beach hut hire
    • Picnic area
    • Slipway
    • Promenade
    • Pier

    Nearest town

    Blackpool

    Postcode

    FY8 1SJ

    OS grid ref.

    SD 3176 2871

    Parking

    Pay car parks and roadside parking available. there are disabled spaces.

    Water quality

    Water quality star rating

    Submit a correction

    Lytham St Annes Beach Reviews

    Perfect

    Beachgoer
    Sep 18th 2021

    Miles of clean sand and water quality high. Recommended.

    Lovely place

    Lizzi
    Aug 14th 2022

    Not sure how people can review as sand dirty and sea with sewage …. All the seas have sewage in them lol just like rivers and lakes.
    Every time I have been the beaches have been beautiful and clean xx
    ❤️❤️

    Sewage in the sea

    Brian Newman
    Jul 10th 2022

    The beach is clean of litter.Sadly the discharge of raw sewage after rainfall leads to high coliform levels.
    This is a health risk
    Paddling in the sea should be discouraged .

    Great Beach!

    Joanne
    Jul 17th 2024

    This is a great beach for doggy walking, where they can run freely for miles & go for a paddle in the sea. There is a dog friendly cafe at the far side & walk all the way into Blackpool South shore if your feeling energetic.

    Jul 28th 2021

    Sand and water both filthy