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A Brief History of Blackpool
The Fylde was an area of forests and bogs
dating back to Roman times. We were known as the water dwellers. The Romans built a
road which went through Preston, and then continued west to a port situated north of
Fleetwood.
The ancient parish of Bispham was recorded in the Doomsday Book. In 1416 a district in the
Fylde, including an area known as "Le Poole" the "pool", was a stream
which drained the area known as Marton Mere into the sea near Manchester Square. The
stream went through peat bog land, which turned the water to a black colour, hence the
name Black Poole. |
BLACKPOOL
IN THE 17TH CENTURY |
| In 1602 people began to build cobble and clay
huts near to the area of the "Pool". In the Bispham parish register, the names
of " de Poole" and "de blackpoole" were mentioned, and the name of
"Black Poole", was shortened to the present day name of "Blackpool" |
BLACKPOOL
IN THE 18TH CENTURY |
| The landed gentry began to visit Blackpool in
the 1720`s. In 1735 Blackpool's first guest house was created by Ethart a` Whiteside,
specifically for visitors to Blackpool. In 1780 the seaside resort now had 4 hotels
and four ale houses in Blackpool, and 2 more in the district of Layton. |
BLACKPOOL
IN THE 19TH CENTURY |
With the coming of the working class people
of Northern England, Blackpool soon began to develop into a major seaside resort. The
development was so dramatic that Blackpool's population rose from 473 in 1750 to 47,348 by
the turn of the century
"Cometh the man, cometh the Railway". It was introduced in 1840, and in
1846 the railway stretched to Talbot Road. It allowed travellers from the mill towns of
Lancashire and Yorkshire to have cheap excursion trips. And how they came in their
thousands to Blackpool, the top entertainment centre of the North.
The North Pier was built in 1863: Central Pier 1868: South Pier 1894: The Tower
1894: The Grand Theatre: and the Big Wheel at the Wintergardens in 1896.
In 1879 Blackpool was the very FIRST place in the world to introduce the new concept of
electric street lighting, which was empowered by the electric arc street lighting system.
The first Mayor of Blackpool, Dr. William Henry Cocker, was elected when the new
town was made a Borough on the 21st January 1876.
The famous Blackpool Illuminations were created in 1912.With the Illuminations Blackpool
now had a longer season than any of it's rival towns. The Pleasure Beach was built in
1905, and Stanley Park in 1906. I hope you found this information of some interest |
BLACKPOOL
IN THE 20TH CENTURY |
| From a small fishing village in the 1820s,
Blackpool has grown to the sprawling, bustling,vibrant town it is today. As Europe's top
seaside resort with over 16.5 million visitors per year,it is known throughout the world,
for its 7 miles of Illuminated Promenade, The Tower, Funfair, 3 Piers,Grand Theatre,
Wintergardens complex, World Ballroom Dancing Championships,World Fireworks
Championships,Shopping Centre, Sealife Centre, Markets, hundreds of hotels, from the small
guesthouse, to the 5 star hotel, self catering apartments, many Pubs, night-clubs, working
men's clubs, cafes and restaurants from Table D'hôte to A La Carte. |
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