Early History of Blackpool

The Early Fylde The earliest evidence of man in the Fylde, a plain situated between the Wyre and Ribble extending from the Irish Sea eastwards to the foothills of the Pennines and once an area of oak forests and impassable bogs, was provided by the discovery in 1970 of the Highfurlong Elk on a site opposite the Blackpool Sixth Form College. The complete history is available as a PDF file by clicking HERE.

Explaining the Fylde And Its Names

Anchorsholme
The name Anchorsholme is thought to derive from the Old Scandinavian word 'holmr' meaning a piece of dry ground in a marsh forming an island, with the 'Anchors' meaning a location where one would fasten up a boat. Suggesting that the whole name could mean 'An island of dry land were boats are anchored'. The complete history is available as a PDF file by clicking HERE.

North Pier

Designed by Eugenius Birch and commissioned by the Blackpool Pier Company, work commenced on the first of Blackpool's piers in 1862. The Pier was opened on 21st May 1863 by Mr. F. Preston, Chairman of the Pier Company, amid much pomp and ceremony. In effect it formed a seaward extension of the Talbot Road, which had recently become host to the town's first railway station. The complete history is available as a PDF file by clicking HERE.

Central Pier

As Blackpool's popularity grew it soon became clear that additional facilities would be required for the increasing number of visitors. The Blackpool South Jetty Company was formed in 1864, and a design from J. I. Mawson was accepted for the new Central Pier (originally referred to as the South Pier until the construction of a third pier some years later). The complete history is available as a PDF file by clicking HERE.

South Pier

As the 19th century drew to a close the popularity of Blackpool as a holiday resort knew no bounds, and by 1890 the sparse south shore was next in line for development. Work began on Blackpool's third pier in 1892 to the design of T. P. Worthington, using the Worthington Screwpile System. The complete history is available as a PDF file by clicking HERE.