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I am really lucky to live in Lancashire as I have the whole of the
Fylde coast within 40 minutes of my doorstep. From Preston Docks, up the Ribble River, past the Boatyard at Freckleton which itself is steeped
in history, through Lytham, onwards to St Annes-on-sea, up to Blackpool and out into the Irish
Sea.
One of my favourite places along
the Fylde coast is “Granny’s Bay” (now aptly named for me, as a ‘friend’ mentioned the other
week!). It is a small area of the Ribble Estuary, nestled between Lytham and St Annes at
Ansdell , just behind the famous White Church. As a child it was one of my favourite trips out for
an afternoon as we lived just up the coast. Being a bit frugal, it’s become a favourite place for
me to take my own children and they love it just as much.
Ample free parking is available on the road next
to the bay and there is a Pay and Display car park adjacent to the bay, overlooking Fairhaven Lake. The grassy area at the
bay is fantastic for kite flying (there is almost always a good breeze) and in recent years, picnic benches have been placed
along the grass too. On a good day, the views are fantastic - you can see Southport and the Welsh Mountains .
When the tide comes in, the flatness
of the Fylde coast and the calmness of this bay makes it the ideal place for stone-skimming. You first
have to search for decent “flatties” among the many pebbles at the bay, then you can perfect
your skimming technique and have a bit of a tournament with each other. Last time we went the tide was
out and we collected loads of driftwood for our lizards’ vivaria at home. We even found one
that looked like a Hippogriff (You may have to squint and tilt your head sideways to see what we see)!!
Alongside Granny’s Bay is Fairhaven Lake, a municipal boating lake which has a park, a cafe, tennis courts, crown
green bowling and a well tended path around the whole of the lake. There are loads of
ducks and swans to feed here so take plenty of bread with you. If you think you’re taking enough
bread, double that amount – don’t say I didn’t warn you!
There used to be a “Trim Trail” – a bit like the Krypton Factor’s assault
course – back in the 1980’s but this has now been allowed to dilapidate. However, a children’s
skate/BMX area has been constructed nearby which is free to use. Last time we went, my son took his skateboard
along especially to have a go on one of the ramps.
Check the tide times before you go and decide whether you want to go as the tide is coming in or going out and then you can plan in which order
you do everything. Approximately one mile to the East, along the coast, is Lytham, famous for its Windmill and one mile to the West, along the coast, is St Annes-on-Sea.
Directions:
15 minutes from J2 of M55
25
minutes from J32 of M6 (alternative route via Preston)
By Nickie @ Typecast
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