The Italian gardens
An Italian marble fountain, stone lions and strict symmetry that recall a Tuscan villa far more than the Lancashire coast.
Terry Robinson — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Michael Beckwith — CC BY 2.0 · Barbara Carr — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Ian Greig — CC BY-SA 2.0
A couple of kilometres inland from the arcades and the Tower, Blackpool turns into something else entirely: 104 hectares of lawn and woodland laid out by the landscape architect Thomas Mawson and opened on 2 October 1926, which makes this the park's centenary year. Its centrepiece is a set of formal Italian gardens with an Italian marble fountain and Medici lions, overlooked by an Art Deco cafe whose steps drop straight down to the boating lake. That layout is why the park is listed Grade II* on the national register of historic parks and gardens. What you actually do here is simple and restful: a loop of the lake, a motorboat or pedalo in season, a sit at the 1929 bandstand, built so the water would carry the sound, then the rose gardens, the Remembrance Garden and the Cocker Memorial Clock Tower standing at the main crossroads. There is a generous playground aimed at ages two to eight, the adjoining model village opens from late March to early November at roughly £11 for an adult, and Blackpool Zoo is the next-door neighbour. Be honest about what it is: a very handsome municipal park, not a sight worth its own journey. With one day in Blackpool, the seafront, the Tower and the Pleasure Beach have the better claim on your time. With young children, or if the zoo or the model village is already on your list, an hour or two here is the calm counterweight to a loud day. Restoration of the older structures — the fountain, the colonnades, the clock tower — has been running in phases for years, so do not be surprised by scaffolding on one landmark or another. Entry is free and the park opens dawn to dusk all year, with a horn sounded a quarter of an hour before closing. Parking is free at the West Park Drive entrance, the number 21 bus stops at the gate, and it is about fifteen minutes from the Tower. Paths are flat and pushchair-friendly. Boats and the cafe are seasonal and weather-dependent, and in winter it is dark by around four, so arriving after three is pointless. Food options inside are thin; a picnic by the lake is the better plan.
An Italian marble fountain, stone lions and strict symmetry that recall a Tuscan villa far more than the Lancashire coast.
Steps run from an elegant Art Deco frontage down to a lake where motorboats and pedalos are hired out in season.
A playground for small children, a model village and Blackpool Zoo all sit within a few minutes of each other.
West Park Drive, Blackpool FY3 9HU
Blackpool ZooBlackpool's Asian elephants walk where aircraft once taxied: the zoo opened in 114 minutes walk4.7
Winter Gardens, BlackpoolBehind a plain frontage on Church Street, two streets back from the Tower, sits 18 minutes walk4.4
Showtown BlackpoolA town that built its entire fortune on spectacle and laughter had no museum at 21 minutes walk4.6
Madame Tussauds BlackpoolWax figures have stood on this stretch of Blackpool's Promenade since 1929, but 21 minutes walk4.5
Blackpool TowerWhen this steel tower opened in May 1894 it was the tallest man-made structure a22 minutes walk4.6No. On a single day, give your time to the seafront, the Tower and the Pleasure Beach. The park earns an hour or two only if you have small children or are already heading to the neighbouring zoo or model village.
No. Boat hire is seasonal and stops in bad weather, and the cafe keeps shorter winter hours. The park itself opens daily, but between November and January the light is gone by about four, so come before midday or leave it for summer.