Things are starting to feel like spring.
They day ahead was looking clear and sunny, if still cold. So we decided that a visit to Blackpool was in order. Something a little different.
Looking in my archives, the last time I went along the Blackpool seafront was June 2012. 13-14 years ago. Goodness.
Blackpool is home to a particular kind of British life: the past-its-peak, former goldmine of a holiday destination. There’s still a lot to like and enjoy along Blackpool’s seafront: the arcades, street food, roller coasters, fairground rides, and everything in between. But it’s all a bit cheap and cheerful, naff, and doesn’t take itself too seriously.
Personally, we had a lovely day out. There’s clearly still a lot of help needed in the town once you’re away from the seafront. Let’s hope Blackpool gets the investment it needs.
All photos taken on my iPhone 17 Pro Max. RAWs developed in Lightroom, merged in Photomatix, then edited and finalised in Photoshop.
Blackpool, Lancashire, Spring © 2026 by Ian Cylkowski is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.
We started from near the North Pier, making our merry way south along the seafront. Here, the North Pier, the oldest of Blackpool’s three piers.
I could not resist shooting this composition towards the North Pier with all these sand pools lining the way. The pier was built in the 1860s; not only is it the oldest it’s also the longest of Blackpool’s piers.
Looming over the North Shore of Blackpool is perhaps its most significant symbol: Blackpool Tower. It was built in 1894 taking heavy influence, as you can imagine, from the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
I used the beautifully stylised lamposts as guiding and compositional device, point towards the tower. The ultra-wide lens on the iPhone definitely helps with the perspective.
A relatively recent addition to the Tower Headland area is the Comedy Carpet. Unveiled in 2011, it’s a 2,200m square installation and features 160,000 individually cut letters spelling out famous one liners from comedy legends.
Like in Morecambe, there’s a lot of retained Art Deco architecture along the seafront. Beneath Blackpool Tower is what is now a JD Wetherspoons pub, The Albert & the Lion, a fabulous Art Deco built between 1936 and 1938 originally to house a flagship F.W. Woolworth & Co. store.
The magnificent facade of Coral Island will always make you smile. It was opened in 1978, built on the site of what was once Blackpool Central railway station. It’s Blackpool’s largest free-admission indoor attraction.
Arriving at the Central Pier, what immediately commands your attention is the pier’s Big Wheel. Opened in April 1990, and standing at 108 ft high, it is a homage to its predecessor the “Gigantic Wheel” (or Great Wheel) which stood 220 ft high until being dismantled in 1928.
From the Central Pier you can see all the way down the seafront and beach towards the South Pier and the famous silhouette of the rollercoaster named The Big One.
The colours and shapes of joy and excitement that is the Sandcastle Waterpark. Home of the world’s longest indoor roller-coaster water slide, it was opened in 1986. It’s the UK’s largest indoor waterpark.
Walking alongside the tramlines and taking in the scale of The Big One rollercoaster. It opened in 1994 as the tallest rollercoaster in the world at 213 ft high until the construction of Fujiyama in 1996.
The Casino Building, which serves as the main entrance to Blackpool’s Pleasure Beach area. A 1913 building with an “oriental” theme stood at this site until it was demolished and made way for this Art Deco beauty in 1938. Despite the name, both the previous building and this one have never been used for gambling.
A clear atmosphere allowed for wonderful views from the South Pier all the way to the Central Pier’s Big Wheel and the Blackpool Tower above the North Pier.
Using the iPhone’s 8x zoom for a tighter composition of Blackpool Tower and the Big Wheel, I was fortuitous to also capture a juvenile seagull zooming across the scene!
We decided to explore the South Pier, mostly to see what views we could get at the end. Along the way, plenty of people were enjoying the various thrills and rides available.
From the tip of the South Pier, looking all the way across the beach back to The Big One. Blackpool in all its glory.
