North Pier
The Promenade Blackpool FY1 1NE
For pier aficionados, Blackpool's North Pier is best of the town's three piers, the first to be opened here back in 1863 and the one with the most history and heritage. It sticks out almost a quarter of a mile into the sea, which means great views back to town and the prom – it's especially good during the Illuminations. Facilities and attractions are resolutely vintage-heavy – Victorian Tea Rooms (plus, erm, Costa Coffee), conservatory-style Sun Lounge, Venetian Carousel and a collection of classic slots and yesteryear games. The theatre here is for song and dance spectaculars and full-on, family-friendly shows – if you ever wondered where the Stylistics or Bernie Clifton were now plying their trade, wonder no more – while the "legendary" house bar, the Merrie England, is the kind of timewarp watering-hole that Blackpool refuses to let die.
