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Blackpool is Europe’s most popular seaside holiday destination, and with such a diverse and exciting range of activities, attractions and entertainment, it is easy to see why millions of people visit Blackpool every year. However, this figure has dropped considerably in recent years, from 17 million in 1992 to somewhere in the region of 10 million annual in the 21st century.
Situated on the Lancashire coast, the Fylde was originally an area of oak forests and impassable peat bogs interspersed with small hamlets and settlements. The Romans built a road through Preston, which continued to a port situated close to where Blackpool is today, but the area remained sparsely populated according to an entry in the Domesday Book of 1086. It was not until the 15th century that the name Black Poole first appeared; a name thought to be attributed to the waters of Le Poole (a stream in the Fylde region) becoming blackened by the peat bogs.
In the 1720s, Lancashire’s landed gentry began to visit Blackpool and the village prospered as a bathing resort. In 1735 Blackpool's first guest house was opened by Ethart à Whiteside specifically for visitors to Blackpool. By 1780 the seaside resort had four hotels and four ale-houses; and so the seaside holiday was born.
With the coming of the railways in the mid-19th century, the influx of visitors from Lancashire and Yorkshire’s booming industrial regions increased dramatically and throughout the Victorian period, many of Blackpool's most famous attractions were built. The North, South and Central Piers, the Grand Theatre, the Winter Gardens and of course the magnificent Tower, built in 1894, remain as some of Blackpool’s most striking landmarks. It was also during this period that Blackpool became the first town in the world to feature electric street lighting. In the early 20th century, Blackpool’s growth continued apace. The Pleasure Beach and Stanley Park were constructed in 1905 and 1906 respectively and the now world-renowned Blackpool Illuminations endowed Blackpool with a much longer season than its rivals.
Situated on the Lancashire coast, the Fylde was originally an area of oak forests and impassable peat bogs interspersed with small hamlets and settlements. The Romans built a road through Preston, which continued to a port situated close to where Blackpool is today, but the area remained sparsely populated according to an entry in the Domesday Book of 1086. It was not until the 15th century that the name Black Poole first appeared; a name thought to be attributed to the waters of Le Poole (a stream in the Fylde region) becoming blackened by the peat bogs.
In the 1720s, Lancashire’s landed gentry began to visit Blackpool and the village prospered as a bathing resort. In 1735 Blackpool's first guest house was opened by Ethart à Whiteside specifically for visitors to Blackpool. By 1780 the seaside resort had four hotels and four ale-houses; and so the seaside holiday was born.
With the coming of the railways in the mid-19th century, the influx of visitors from Lancashire and Yorkshire’s booming industrial regions increased dramatically and throughout the Victorian period, many of Blackpool's most famous attractions were built. The North, South and Central Piers, the Grand Theatre, the Winter Gardens and of course the magnificent Tower, built in 1894, remain as some of Blackpool’s most striking landmarks. It was also during this period that Blackpool became the first town in the world to feature electric street lighting. In the early 20th century, Blackpool’s growth continued apace. The Pleasure Beach and Stanley Park were constructed in 1905 and 1906 respectively and the now world-renowned Blackpool Illuminations endowed Blackpool with a much longer season than its rivals.