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The best Lancashire beaches to escape from Manchester’s mad weekend
This weekend has seen the hottest day of 2023 so far, with the mercury topping out over 30C.
It’s also a really busy weekend in Greater Manchester, with Parklife, Soccer Aid, and big-name gigs coming to the city-region. Invariably, it means it’s really busy.
So if you’re wanting to make the most of the sun but steer clear of the Greater Manchester crowds, a trip to a Lancashire seaside town might be your best bet. That’s why, with the help of our sister newspaper Lancs Live, we have picked out five spots worth heading to this weekend.
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Bolton-le-Sands
Bolton-le-Sands brushes the Kent Estuary and boasts a tapestry of terrain from mud flats and sand to rocks, grass verges, pebbles and shells. You can get to it via The Shore Road, with secluded Red Bank Farm and campsite sitting at the end of it like a pot of gold.
It is a truly beautiful and peaceful spot, and the expansive beach may be rugged but that helps to set it apart from the rest. Revel in the panoramic views across to Cumbria and make sure you pop into the village and enjoy a pint at one of the pubs. It feels remote but is actually easily accessible from the A6 and the M6.
And although it will be busier in the warmer months, it is still a relatively overlooked beach and with a good amount of free parking it is worthy of your consideration as an alternative to big guns such as Blackpool and Fleetwood.
Fairhaven
Nestled between Lytham and St Annes is Ansdell village and Fairhaven. The latter features its own lake and small beach.
Sounds fabulous, right? Well they’re unfairly overlooked in favour of the bright lights of Blackpool or colourful hut-laden tourist haven St Annes.
Walk along the sandy beach at Granny’s Bay and head to Fairhaven Lake, which is also home to the RSPB certified Visitor Centre.
Half Moon Bay
This rocky beach cove can be found at the base of colourful and characteristic Heysham in Morecambe Bay. There’s a free car a park and the Half Moon Bay cafe is right opposite it, where you can stop for an ice cream and cold drink to cool down on a sun-soaked day.
The views are unrivalled here, with the Lakeland Fells bobbing on the horizon and the emblematic chimneys of Heysham Power Station in the distance – an interesting landscape contrast. In high tide, the beach is miniscule and intimate, but stills offers the chance for rock pooling, clambering over the rugged terrain, building sandcastles and paddling in the sea.
It is also a shell-seekers paradise, while sea glass collectors may also be able to add to their collection with rainbow-coloured items hidden in the sea grass and between rocks. Heysham itself features clifftop Viking ruins and a plethora of nooks and crannies to explore.
Hest Bank
This rocky beach cove can be found at the base of colourful and characteristic Heysham in Morecambe Bay. There’s a free car a park and the Half Moon Bay cafe is right opposite it, where you can stop for an ice cream and cold drink to cool down on a sun-soaked day.
The views are unrivalled here, with the Lakeland Fells bobbing on the horizon and the emblematic chimneys of Heysham Power Station in the distance – an interesting landscape contrast. In high tide, the beach is miniscule and intimate, but stills offers the chance for rock pooling, clambering over the rugged terrain, building sandcastles and paddling in the sea.
It is also a shell-seekers paradise, while sea glass collectors may also be able to add to their collection with rainbow-coloured items hidden in the sea grass and between rocks. Heysham itself features clifftop Viking ruins and a plethora of nooks and crannies to explore.
The landscape is an oil-painter’s dream. Pop into the waterside Shore Cafe for a drink and light lunch or The Crossing micropub, which serves craft beers, locally-distilled gins and guest ales.
Hest Bank is also a metaphorical crossroads for hikers, dog walkers, holidaymakers, explorers, people en route to the lake District or travelling back ‘down south.’ Oh, and the sunsets are stunning.
Arnside and Silverdale
We’re a little envious of Arnside and Silverdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty because it is home to not one, but two amazing tucked away beaches you may not even know exist.
As close to the Cumbria border as you can get, and the area is clearly well suited for tourists, with caravan parks, holiday lets and campsites close by.
However, super Silverdale has retained its authenticity and charm despite a gradual trickle of people opting to retire – and holiday there. The sweeping beach is glorious and is a mudflat-sand fusion, with various rock pools.
High above is the the National Trust-run The Lots grassland and witness the bay in panorama. It also leads to the shore and Cove and the adjacent filed is home to green winged orchids.
Arnside, on the estuary where the River Kent enters Morecambe Bay (Image: James Maloney/Lancs Live)
As for Arnside, this art deco ‘mini Brighton’ village is like stepping onto a film set and even has its own pier. The beach is thinner and more stretched out than Silverdale’s but still perfectly formed.
While the little prom has everything you need from a seaside resort, including cafes, bars, boutiques and gift shops. Venture up from the prom to the delightful Arnside Beach Hut, hidden away up a cute but slightly steep lane.
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