‘Morecambe is like other seaside resorts: traditional, old, a bit disappointing’

All summer we will be taking the pulse of our most famous traditional seaside towns, examining the efforts being made to regenerate them, and opining on whether they are still worth visiting. This week, Chris Moss explores Morecambe.

Short of summiting the Old Man of Coniston, the best view of the lakeland fells is from Morecambe – and without so much as breaking sweat. On a clear day, the vista over the bay is life-affirming. The intertidal mudflats and sands stretch for miles, with the fells rising up behind as in an oil painting.

Talk to day trippers and it’s the glorious views they stress, even if they are underwhelmed by the amenities. Talk to residents and they’ll mention the proximity of the Lakes and Lancaster – not quite a “sell” for Morecambe itself, but the uniqueness of the location is indisputable.

Good, fast connections to the M6 via the Bay Gateway dual carriageway make the town an easy drop-in for tourers on their way to the Highlands. I bumped into two Germans travelling south from Scotland; they had visited out of curiosity. The planned Eden Project Morecambe, due to open in 2027, means to take advantage of the passing trade.

Stand at the end of the Stone Jetty – Morecambe’s understated and quite lovely alternative to a pier – and look inland and that view’s not bad either. The promenade is long, split into two neat halves. To the south, the front is almost churchlike, with spires, towers and the bulwark of the Alhambra theatre. To the north the real estate is more eclectic but still easy on the eye. Marine Road Central is full of listed buildings.

At the junction of the two beaches stands the magnificent Midland Hotel, one of the most stylish buildings to grace the English coast. Across the road is the Winter Gardens – sadly vacant since the Seventies, but eyeing a 2027 reopening. A short walk away is the statue of Eric Morecambe, skipping whimsically above well-tended gardens. This has become a magnet. The German couple had no idea who he was but were nonetheless taking photographs with him.

The prom is wide and walkable, with plenty of places to sit down and watch the birds and the Irish Sea, with its ever-changing weather. Kite-flyers, cyclists and joggers share the space with scooter drivers and women and men of middle age and above in walking gear and daypacks. Discreet, a bit old-fashioned, perhaps a tad sleepy, Morecambe most definitely isn’t Blackpool. That is its strength and potential weakness.

What’s it really like?

Morecambe’s challenges are evident without straying far from the lovely bits. Two art deco buildings next to the Winter Gardens look desperately in need of attention. The entrance to the outdoor market looks like a bomb-site. Some areas have been improved with street art but the whole town looks in need of a paint job.

There’s a visible shortage of restaurants, even in the mid-market range. The whole of the seafront should be lined with food and drink outlets, small shops, perhaps a few museums and cultural venues. I saw one block taken up by a bra specialist, a pottery shop and a dancewear shop. There are several places to buy tackle and bait. These are fine as niche stores, but short on general appeal.

The wrecking ball has not been kind to Morecambe and it has chosen the wrong targets. In 1982, a large part of the Winter Gardens complex was demolished; only the theatre remains. The Super Swimming Stadium, a grand Thirties lido, was destroyed in 1975. The town needs new weatherproof leisure, exercise and entertainment spaces.

What’s not to like?

A block in from the seafront, disastrous town planning over many decades by three tiers of councils – Morecambe, Lancaster City and Lancashire – has dumped a huge Morrisons on the site of the former Frontierland theme park. Homebase, Next and B&M are adjacent. An Aldi has an even more prime location, beside the former railway terminus – now a venue for tribute bands. Big, boring boxes, vast car parks and untended, litter-strewn verges are unsightly and a waste of seafront real estate.

The high street – Euston Road – is ugly and depressing. Its Arndale Centre has a Poundland and a Poundstretcher, and little else. The second shopping area, a couple of blocks in from South Beach, has more character but is also looking unkempt.

Getting an evening meal from Monday to Wednesday is tricky. Most places are closed. This makes the town’s sleepiness feel more like senility. Morecambe needs to catch up with modern life.

Do this

Stay at the Midland. It’s operated by a chain and isn’t quite the glamour hub it once was, but the spacious rooms on the front side have spectacular views. The modernist architecture has stood the test of time. Enjoy cocktails and G&Ts at the Rotunda bar.

Pop into the Old Pier Bookshop. It has a mind-boggling stock of titles in every genre and is great for a browse.

Walk up the front to Hest Bank and continue along the Lancaster Canal to Bolton-le-Sands. Return by bus or continue to Carnforth and hop on the train – or have an extra cup of tea and pretend you’re Trevor Howard or Celia Johnson.

On weekends through summer, King’s Guide Michael Wilson leads walks over the bay to Lancashire North of the Sands, from Arnside to Grange. All the walks are in groups, supporting assorted charities, and are open to all.

Get a photo with Eric. He has really become an icon here. His famous glasses feature in street art and there’s an Eric’s Café and a Brew Me Sunshine coffee shop.

Eat this

The tables at the Midland’s restaurant have the best views, and the reasonably priced menu covers steaks, venison medallions, Thai curry and fish of the day; the wine list is very good and the staff friendly.

The Morecambe Bay Chowder Company made a name for itself with a mobile unit. Now, it’s serving delicious seafood chowders at the newly revamped Bath Tap pub on Fridays and Saturdays.

The Brasserie (open Thursday-Sunday) is a no-nonsense authentic Greek restaurant, much loved by locals.

Have a cone at Brucciani’s. The family has been making ice cream since 1893 and has been in Morecambe since 1939. The interior of the listed building has retained some art deco features.

But don’t do this

The Eric Bartholomew – the local Wetherspoons – is an early drinkers’ hang-out on crumby Euston Road. Give it a miss and head for a proper pub.

From a local

Tony Vettese, 66, owns the Old Pier Bookshop. “Morecambe is definitely on the up,” he says. “I’m getting more customers every year. I get students and people who work at [Lancaster] university but it’s not all about education or class. A large range of people come here because of the view.

“The food and drink offer is fine. The only thing the town may fall down on is public loos and car parks. I’m all for pedestrianisation but people still need to park. We also need more hotels and we’re going to need lots more when the Eden Project opens.”

Fishmonger Angela Edmondson, 48, says: “We do specialised food so we get customers. But most small shops have no chance against the supermarkets. We’ve lots of Aldis and Lidls but not enough independent shops. Morecambe also needs more things for families and kids, like places to swim.

“But you can’t beat the view. From my house I can see if my dad’s out fishing. I can see him and wave to him.”

From a tourist

Helen White, 69, and her daughter Sophie White, 40, were visiting from Roundhay, Leeds. “It’s freezing here,” says Helen. “We’re staying in Grange and it has a microclimate and is much warmer. But the beach there has quicksand and we came to Morecambe so that our grandson could play on the sandy beach. We had a really nice lunch in Lewis’s café.”

Janet Turvey, 73, was born in Morecambe but now lives in New Zealand. She was visiting with her sister, Pat Powell, also in her 70s. “The front is a bit tacky but it always was,” says Janet. “Some of the hotels are looking a bit tacky, too. My memory is of the swimming pool [the Super Swimming Stadium], which was the largest in the country, and of course it’s not there any more. That, and the rock pools where you could swim on the beach.”

“I’ve not been here for 30-odd years,” says Pat. “I’d say it’s very slowly on the up.”

Colin and Val Barton, both 61, from Cronton, Merseyside, were less impressed. “It’s like other seaside resorts: traditional, old, a bit disappointing,” says Val. “They’re all declining. We used to go to Southport and it’s the same.”

The couple have been to Cyprus, California and Lanzarote in the last 12 months. “We had our 60th birthdays to celebrate,” says Colin. “The English seaside isn’t cheap. If you’re from a council estate and an ordinary worker you haven’t got the budget to go to Padstow, but you can go to Majorca.”

Nikola, 27, from near Gdańsk, moved to Morecambe after studying psychology at Lancaster University. “The seafront is nice,” she says. “For shops I go to Lancaster. Where I live is calm and safe: I live near a police station. I’ve never been made to feel unwelcome here.”

Get there

Take the train. Morecambe is served by fairly frequent (if not very reliable) Northern trains (every 30-60 minutes) to/from Lancaster – which is on the West Coast Main Line – and occasional trains from Leeds on the scenic Bentham Line. There are also regular buses to Lancaster and Preston.

If you drive, the roads through and around the northern edge of the Forest of Bowland are pleasant. The M6 is not so much fun, but the traffic thins north of Blackpool.