Morecambe, Lancashire, UK. Family friendly seaside town which is great for a staycation.
http://www.visitlancashire.com/explore/morecambe There are Art Deco buildings including the iconic ‘Midland Hotel’ (http://englishlakes.co.uk/hotels/lancashire-hotels/the-midland-hotel-morecambe/) featured in Poirot, lovely beaches, loads of cafes, fabulous child friendly ‘Happy Mount Park,’ is wheelchair friendly (reviewed by travel bloggers http://www.thebimblers.com/top-5-reasons-to-visit-morecambe/) and famous for Bucciani and Lewis’s Ice-cream. The ‘Platform’ entertainment venue (http://www.lancaster.gov.uk/platform/) and visitor centre (@moremorecambe) are well-used and there is an indoor market next to the bowling alley (http://www.super-bowl.co.uk/) and the Reel Cinema (https://www.reelcinemas.co.uk/).
There are Bird-related art installations along the promenade and Stone Jetty known as the ‘Tern Project’ which is a great free activity http://www.lancaster.gov.uk/parks-and-open-spaces/morecambe-promenade/tern-project/ where there is a download with a map of the childrens activities.
An existing shopping centre with Next, DW Fitness, Homebase/Argos and Morrisons etc., is near the promenade and planning has been approved for another centre adjacent to the ‘Polo Tower.’ There is the Art Nouveau theatre ‘Winter Gardens’ which has events (http://www.thewintergardensmorecambe.co.uk/home/) There are many festivals and events on the promenade and in the Platform, Winter Gardens and Midland Hotel throughout the year including Seaside Festival, Kite Festival, Steampunk and others.
There are miles of cycling along the wide promenade from Heysham to Hest Bank and the promenade cycling route links in to traffic-free routes to Lancaster, the Lune Valley and Glasson Dock.
http://www.visitlancashire.com/dbimgs/Cycling%20for%20All.pdf
The ‘Way of the Roses’ cycle route starts here and ends in Bridlington http://wayoftheroses.info/ Morecambe is on the route of the new award-winning ‘Bay Cycle Way’ http://www.morecambebay.org.uk/bay-cycle-way
Dogs on the Beaches – There are 6 main beach areas 1 Half Moon Bay Heysham 2 Heysham to Sandylands 3 Morecambe North 4 Morecambe South 5 Bare Village 6 Hest Bank Shore. Dogs are banned from Morecambe’s North and South beaches between 1 May and 30 September each year. More information here.
http://www.lancaster.gov.uk/environmental-health/dogwardens/dogs-morecambe-s-beaches/
The Eric Morecambe statue is a big attraction and it is rare not to see people taking selfies or pictures of their family with Eric – with the panoramic back-drop of the fabulous Morecambe Bay, http://www.morecambebay.com/
One area of Morecambe is Bare Village. Bare Village is a friendly local community area adjacent to Morecambe Golf Course. There is a summer ‘Bare Festival’ and also ‘Christmas on the Crescent’ which takes place on Princes Crescent, Bare. http://barevillage.co.uk/ Other historic areas are ‘Poulton-le-sands’ – see how many murals you can spot. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poulton-le-Sands and Heysham Village with St Peters Church and St Patrick’s Chapel https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heysham
Lancaster Canal is not far away and can be accessed at the end of the promenade at Hest Bank which then gives level cycling to Carnforth to the North and Lancaster to the South. There is canal boat hire locally http://www.lancastercanalboathire.com/ and there is only one small swing bridge to operate locally with no locks unless heading to Glasson Dock.
There are usually lots of photographers, bird-watchers and people fishing along the 5 miles of promenade. There is a local sailing club, the Bay Sea School and a few fishing boats who are out on the sea regularly. Finally the M6-Morecambe-Heysham Link road – a major investment for the area – is nearly completed and is due to be landscaped and finished by summer 2016. http://heyshamlink.lancashire.gov.uk/
Other links:-
Swimming Pool
Sports Centre, Cycling race track and Swimming Pool http://www.lancaster.gov.uk/salt-ayre-sports-centre/
Local RSPB reserve https://www.rspb.org.uk/discoverandenjoynature/seenature/reserves/guide/l/leightonmoss/
Sailing training http://www.bayseaschool.com/
Happy Mount Park
http://www.happymountpark.co.uk/
http://www.lancaster.gov.uk/parks-and-open-spaces/happy-mount-park/
Festival Indoor Market
http://www.lancaster.gov.uk/community-and-living/markets/festival-market/
Morecambe Railway Station
http://www.communityraillancashire.co.uk/lines/bentham-line/
http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations_destinations/MCM.aspx
Local Facebook group ‘Morecambe and Heysham Past and Present’ with a lot of local and historic information
https://www.facebook.com/groups/morecambeheysham/
The Morecambe Bay Partnership who are passionate about communities, heritage and nature. http://www.morecambebay.org.uk/
Morecambe Golf Course (very scenic) http://www.morecambebaygolffestival.co.uk/
National Trust Heysham (including St Patricks’s Chapel) http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/heysham-coast
Heysham Nature Reserve (is in 2 sections and one section allows dogs) http://www.lancswt.org.uk/reserves/heysham-nature-reserve
Heysham Moss nature reserve
http://www.lancswt.org.uk/reserves/heysham-moss
Middleton Nature Reserve
http://www.lancswt.org.uk/reserves/middleton
Sunderland Point with ‘Samboos Grave’ THIS IS TIDAL – Check Tide Times http://www.sunderlandpoint.org/
Cycle hire is available locally and there is a ‘Bike and Go’ at Morecambe Station. http://www.bikeandgo.co.uk/locations/north-west-and-merseyside/morecambe/
Gyms
DW Fitness
https://www.dwfitnessclubs.com/club/morecambe
www.myvvv.co.uk/
Public Toilets
http://www.lancaster.gov.uk/public-toilets/
Lancaster Tourism – With news of access to Lancaster Castle and Williamson Park and Butterfly House. http://www.visitlancashire.com/explore/lancaster
This is my own blog and research and I have no connection with any company or organisation. @ChrisJCoates