Blackpool is a seaside resort town in Lancashire, England. It was the combination of the Irish Sea and the railway that first made Blackpool such a popular seaside resort with visitors first ariving in the 18th century to take advantage of the healthy attributes of the sea. It soon became a fashionable resort and the rich, when they were not bathing or indulging in the national craze of drinking the sea-water, rode in carriages along the promenade, then only a 200 yard stretch of grass. In 1846 the railway came to Blackpool, offering cheap excursion trains from industrial Lancashire and Yorkshire. The resort was hardly prepared for the thousands of visitors that started to pour in from the densely populated areas of Manchester and Leeds, but it quickly set about making adequate provisions. The Promenade was opened in 1856 and in 1863 the cast iron North Pier was opened, an exclusive promenade for quality visitors. In 1867 the Prince of Wales Arcade opened, now the site of Blackpool Tower. Open-air dancing for the working classes was introduced on the Central Pier and in 1872 the outdoor Pleasure Gardens were opened at Raikes Hall. Visitors continued to flock into Blackpool, and in 1885 the world's first electric street tramway opened to transport people along the sea front. Today
Blackpool is still principally a seaside resort, its main attraction being the Pleasure Beach, a huge fun park with the world's highest, fastest rollercoaster ride and the famous annual Blackpool Illuminations. Live shows and casinos illuminate the town at night, and amusement arcades line the pavements of the Golden Mile next to stalls selling sticks of rock and candy floss. Research Blackpool
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Abbreviations
Gazetteer
Research Blackpool
