| Morecambe | |
|---|---|
| Town | |
 Morecambe seafront in January 2024 | |
  Morecambe Location in the City of Lancaster district Show map of the City of Lancaster district Morecambe Location of town centre in Morecambe Show map of Morecambe Morecambe Location on Morecambe Bay Show map of Morecambe Bay | |
| Population | 34,768 (2011)[1] |
| OS grid reference | SD425634 |
| Civil parish |
|
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | MORECAMBE |
| Postcode district | LA3, LA4 |
| Dialling code | 01524 |
| Police | Lancashire |
| Fire | Lancashire |
| Ambulance | North West |
| UK Parliament | |
| |
Morecambe (/ˈmɔːrkəm/MOR-kəm[2][3]) is aseaside town andcivil parish in theCity of Lancaster district ofLancashire, England, onMorecambe Bay, part of theIrish Sea. In 2011 the parish had a population of 34,768.
 | This sectiondoes notcite anysources. Please helpimprove this section byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged andremoved.(May 2014) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
The first use of the name was byJohn Whitaker in hisHistory of Manchester (1771), when he refers to the "æstury of Moricambe". It next appears four years later inAntiquities of Furness, where the bay is described as "theBay of Morecambe".
That name is derived from the Roman nameMoriancabris Æsturis shown on maps prepared for them byClaudius Ptolemœus (Ptolemy) from his original Greek maps. At this distance in time it is impossible to say if the name was originally derived from an earlier language (e.g.Celtic language) or from Greek. TheLatin version describes the fourth inlet north fromWales on the west coast ofEngland as Moriancabris Æsturis. Translated, this gives a more accurate description than the present name ofMorecambe Bay as the Latin refers to multiple estuaries on a curved sea, not a bay, as then the word sinus or gulf would have been used.
The name appeared in March 1862 on a steam locomotive built for theSouth Durham and Lancashire Union Railway, which could indicate it was already in unofficial use for the area.
It was not until 1889 that the necessary legislation was passed to officially name the area Morecambe, comprising the hamlets ofPoulton,Bare andTorrisholme (atownship for the purposes of theCensus of 1841 but shown as separate townships in the previous Census of 1831). In 1894, theUrban District Council was formed, thus freeing Morecambe completely from its governance by theBorough of Lancaster until 1974 when Lancaster again took charge.
Before the creation of Morecambe, Poulton acquired two suffixes, "le Sands" and briefly "by Sands". The reason for these additions stems from the dearth of names of townships in earlier times with the same name recurring over again. In the days before free movement of people, this was not so important. As travel became easier through first the turnpikes and later the railways, it became necessary to differentiate between the various towns with the same name, hence the additions.
On 3 August 1928, the name changed again when theCorporation of Morecambe amalgamated withHeysham Urban District Council to form theMunicipal Borough of Morecambe and Heysham.
In 1846, theMorecambe Harbour and Railway Company was formed[4] to build a harbour on Morecambe Bay, close to the fishing village ofPoulton-le-Sands, and a connecting railway. By 1850, the railway linked toSkipton,Keighley andBradford in theWest Riding of Yorkshire, and a settlement began to grow around the harbour and railway to service the port and as a seaside resort. The settlement expanded to absorb Poulton and the villages ofBare andTorrisholme. The settlement started to be referred to as "Morecambe", possibly after the harbour and railway. In 1889, the new name was officially adopted.
Morecambe was a thriving seaside resort in the mid-20th century. It was home to the largestPontins resort in the country. Pontins closed in 1993. While the resort ofBlackpool attracted holiday-makers predominantly from the Lancashire mill towns, Morecambe had more visitors fromYorkshire (due to itsrailway connection) andScotland. Mill workers from Bradford and further afield in West Yorkshire would holiday at Morecambe, with some retiring there. This gave Morecambe the nickname "Bradford on Sea".[5][6][7] Between 1956 and 1989, it was the home of theMiss Great Britainbeauty contest.
Morecambe suffered a decades-long decline after a series of incidents that damaged tourism and the local economy.[8] Twopiers were lost: West End Pier was partly washed away in a storm in November 1977, and the remnants were demolished in 1978;Central Pier, damaged by fire in 1933, was removed in 1992. In 1994, The World ofCrinkley Bottom attraction in Happy Mount Park closed only thirteen weeks after opening. The ensuingBlobbygate scandal, a financial disaster after projected visitor numbers did not materialise, led to a legal battle betweenLancaster City Council and TV starNoel Edmonds, costing North Lancashire taxpayers £2.6 million.[9] The closures of Bubbles, Morecambe's swimming pool, and theFrontierland fairground soon followed. Tourism decline in Morecambe in the late 20th century was unusually spectacular, just as its boom had been earlier in the century. This decline was due to various factors, including competition from nearby Blackpool and other Lancastrian resorts.[10]
Morecambe was selected by theRNLI as the location for its first active life-saving hovercraft. (Griffon 470SAR) H-002 "The Hurley Flyer", which became operational on 23 December 2002, was housed in a temporary garage next to the Yacht Club until a permanent building could be designed and built. Work on the latter began in 2008, and it officially opened on 12 June 2010.[11]
On 5 February 2004, there was a major loss of life in Morecambe Bay when at least 21Chinese immigrant shellfish harvesters were drowned after they became trapped by the incoming tide.[12]
In December 2017 a localgeneral practitioner and community health activist[13][14] claimed that children in Morecambe were suffering from malnourishment and implied that cases ofrickets had been observed as a consequence.[15] The Morecambe Bay Clinical Commissioning Group subsequently sought to correct the GP's claims and clarified theetiology of vitamin D deficiency in the local population, explaining "rickets is a very rare condition and has multiple causes".[16]
Enoch Powell made a speech in Morecambe on 11 October 1968 on the economy, setting out alternative, radical free-market policies that would later be called the Morecambe Budget.[17] Powell used the financial year 1968–69 to show how income tax could be halved from 8s 3d to 4s 3d in the pound (basic rate cut from 41% to 21%)[18][19] and how capital gains tax andSelective Employment Tax could be abolished without reducing expenditure on defence or the social services. These tax cuts required a saving of £2,855 million, and this would be funded by eradicating losses in the nationalised industries and denationalising the profit-making state concerns; ending all housing subsidies except for those who could not afford their own housing; ending all foreign aid; ending all grants and subsidies in agriculture; ending all assistance to development areas; ending all investment grants;[20] abolishing theNational Economic Development Council; and abolishing the Prices and Incomes Board[21] The cuts in taxation would also allow the state to borrow from the public to spend on capital projects such as hospitals and roads and on the firm and humane treatment of criminals.[22]
The town is in theMorecambe and Lunesdale parliamentary constituency; theMember of parliament following the 2024 general election isLizzi Collinge
BeforeBrexit, it was in theNorth West England European Parliamentary Constituency.
Morecambe is governed by three tiers of Local Government:
Morecambe's main central shopping area incorporates two markets—the Festival Market and the Morecambe Sunday Market—and the Reel Cinema complex.
Morecambe Hotel and Tourism Association, which had forty members, has merged with the Bay Tourism Association. At a full meeting of the Morecambe Hotel and Tourism Association on Monday 8 March 2010, it was unanimously resolved that the MHTA would join with Bay Tourism to become one association under the name of the Bay Tourism Association and the MHTA would cease to operate as an association. The BTA works closely with Lancaster Chamber and organises joint promotional ventures with other tourism associations in the region. Recent tourism initiatives have made Morecambe a centre forbird watchers with the Tern Project enhancing the town's heritage linked to the extensive natural landscape of Morecambe Bay and its diverse wildlife.
In 2018, the Eden Project revealed its design for the Eden Project North (later renamed Eden Project Morecambe)[24] on the seafront in Morecambe. There will be biodomes shaped like mussels and a focus on the marine environment.[25][26]Grimshaw are the architects for the £80 million project,[27] which is a partnership with the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership,Lancaster University, Lancashire County Council and Lancaster City Council.[25][26]
Morecambe is served by a number of primary, secondary and tertiary educational establishments. These includeMorecambe Bay Academy,Bay Leadership Academy, Morecambe Road School andLancaster and Morecambe College.
Morecambe has two large live-music venues: the Platform and More Music. The Platform is a converted Victorian-styled building which used to bethe old railway station. It also houses the MorecambeTourist Information Centre. Morecambe has a number of bands playing in the town's pubs and music venues.
Morecambe is home to community music charity More Music. More Music was established in 1993 and is based in the Hothouse. The Hothouse is now a venue for live gigs.
TheYorkshireplaywright andauthorAlan Bennett has enjoyed a long association with Morecambe and has often referred to the town in his work and writing. One of his early TV plays,Sunset Across the Bay (1975), is about a couple fromLeeds who retire to Morecambe, leaving their old home with the words "Bye bye, mucky Leeds!"[28] He based the play on memories of the manyholidays he spent in Morecambe with his parents. In hisessay "Written on the Body", collected inUntold Stories (2005), he even suggests that his association with the town is pre-natal: "[I]t had been in a boarding house that I wasconceived, sometime over the AugustBank Holiday of 1933 at Morecambe orFiley."[29] In the same collection, Bennett pays tribute to the Morecambe-born actressThora Hird in the essaysLast of the Sun, about the final play he wrote for her, and "Thora Hird 1911–2003", a memoir of the work they had done together since the 1960s. Earlier in the book, he discusses his maternal aunt Kathleen, who married in Morecambe and lived there until her death in 1974.
Morecambe was the birthplace of the artistWilliam Woodhouse (1857–1939), who lived all his life in the town and is buried with his wife and daughter atSt. Peter's Church in the village ofHeysham, a little to the south of Morecambe.
Stanley's Youth and Community Centre is based on Stanley Road in the West End of Morecambe. It offers the opportunity for young people aged 8–18 to play music, cook or just use the facilities to catch up with friends. There are also community sessions including community meal, women's group and 'Get Connected' information service.
The Exchange, which was set up in 2015 and is based on West Street in the West End of Morecambe, is a Community ArtsCIC, offering free creative workshops to local residents. Promoting creativity as a means of well-being, it serves as a non-profit welcome space for all ages and abilities. In addition to workshops, The Exchange sells the artwork of local residents and hosts events such as the popular Soup Night.
Morecambe BayPotted shrimps are a well known local delicacy throughout the country and were a favourite dish ofQueen Elizabeth II. Boiled in butter with a variety of spices until they are tender, when cooked they are sealed into pots.[30]
Baylight is an annual event established in 2023, with a trail of illuminated artworks on the Promenade for two nights in February and an associated parade.[31][32][33] The 2025 event was supported by financial contributions from both Lancaster City Council and Lancashire County Council.[34] It was estimated that the 2024 event brought 28,000 visitors to Morecambe, who spend £460,000 in the town.[34]
OverlookingMorecambe Bay is aStatue of Eric Morecambe byGraham Ibbeson. The bronze sculpture commemoratingEric Morecambe, (1926–1984) who was born in the town, was unveiled byQueen Elizabeth II in July 1999.[35] One of Morecambe's landmark buildings is the partially renovated Victoria Pavilion orMorecambe Winter Gardens which once housed a swimming pool, a theatre, a restaurant, and a ballroom.
.jpg)
Replacing the 1928 Victoria Street library, a new library designed by the architect firm of Roger Booth was opened in 1967. Earlier proposals to build a library in Morecambe with Carnegie funding had stalled due to arguments about the rates involved. The library is mentioned byPevsner and is one of the few noteworthy buildings, other than churches, that are not connected to the seaside trade. The building is formed by hexagons, with a hyperbolic parabolic roof, creating a distinctive skyline and interior.[36]
Two fairgrounds existed in the town: a small one to the north of the railway station, which closed down in the 1980s, and a larger one to the south of the station, which ultimately becameFrontierland and closed in 1999. The last remaining landmark on the site was the Polo Tower, left standing only because of the contract for the phone mast on top.[37] In July 2008, the local council ordered a clean-up of the Polo Tower, and it was demolished in July 2017.
Near the promenade is theMorecambe and Heysham War Memorial commemorating the men of Morecambe who lost their lives in the twoworld wars and theKorean War.[38] The memorial differs from most as it lists the First World War as 1914 to 1919 rather than 1914 to 1918.
In March 2019 aTime and Tide Bell designed byMarcus Vergette was installed beside theStone Jetty as part of a national public art project.[39][40]
TheMidland Hotel is anart deco hotel on the seafront. It contains interior design and art pieces by artistEric Gill. In 2009 it underwent a £7m restoration, headed by Manchester companyUrban Splash. The hotel re-opened for business in June 2008.[41] In March 2011 thefreehold of the building was sold by Urban Splash to Lancashire-based 'The Lancaster Foundation'.
.jpg)
On 20 May 2007Morecambe F.C. (known as 'the Shrimps') won theConference National playoffs to earn promotion to theFootball League for the first time in their history. As of2021–22, they played inLeague One. They had a successful first season in the Football League and in the2009–10 season they reached the play-offs, only to lose 7–2, on aggregate, to eventual winnersDagenham & Redbridge.At the end of the 2009–10 season the team moved from itsChristie Park ground to a brand new home, theGlobe Arena. The old ground and stadium were demolished to make way for aSainsbury's supermarket. On 31 May 2021, Morecambe F.C. won the League Twoplay-off final atWembley Stadium, beatingNewport County 1-0 after extra time to win promotion to League One for the first time in their history.
When therugby footballschism occurred in 1895,the now defunct team ofMorecambe RFC joined the Northern Rugby Football Union (nowRugby Football League) in its second season. Morecambe played for eight of the ten seasons from the1896–97 season through to the end of1905–06 season. Morecambe finished 14th of 14 in its first three seasons of the Lancashire Senior Competition, withdrew for the1899–1900 and1900–01 seasons, finished 11th of 13 in the Lancashire Senior Competition, then finished 17th of 18, 16th of 17, 13th of 14 in Division-2, and finally 30th of 31 in the recombined league, after which Morecambe withdrew from the Northern Rugby Football Union.
The town still hosts arugby league team, with Heysham Atoms playing from their Trimpell Sports and Social Club base. The Atoms finished joint top of division three in the North West Counties in 2012.
World Heavyweight Boxing ChampionTyson Fury lives in Morecambe and owns a gym in the town. Morecambe is also home to Commonwealth Featherweight Champion,Isaac Lowe, who beatMarco McCullough in the 8th round with in one minute and 56 seconds on the Frampton Vs Quigg Under-card.[42]
A 5 kmparkrun event takes place every Saturday morning on the Promenade.[43] The first event was held in April 2019.[44]
Destinations from Morecambe | |
|---|---|
The present-dayMorecambe station opened in 1994, replacing an older station once known asMorecambe Promenade, built by theMidland Railway on itsNorth Western Line fromSkipton in Yorkshire. A former station atMorecambe Euston Road, built by the rivalLondon & North Western Railway, was closed in 1963. Regular rail services are provided to and fromLancaster, with some trains running direct fromPreston andLeeds. Trains also run toHeysham, where they connect with theferry service to theIsle of Man. A further railway station atBare Lane serves the suburb ofBare. As of 2021Northern Trains were given a contract by theDepartment for Transport to run services for three years, with an optional extension of a further two years.[45] The contract was updated in 2022, to run until 1 March 2025.[46]
Bus services in the area are operated mainly byStagecoach Cumbria & North Lancashire & other local companies. Direct services link the town withWindermere andBowness-on-Windermere viaCarnforth,Milnthorpe andKendal (755), Lancaster with connections toKeswick viaCarnforth,Milnthorpe,Kendal,Windermere,Ambleside andGrasmere (555),Carnforth (5, 55, 755), and, all viaGarstang,Preston (40/41), Blackpool (42). Regular services up to every 15 minutes (numbers 41/100) operate along the promenade to Heysham and toLancaster University, a bus route also runs from the bus station viaHeysham and then fast toLancaster (number 2X), while service 1 and 1A operate up to every 10 minutes from Euston Road to both Heysham and Lancaster University.[47] Services 6 and 6A operate via Westgate (where most caravan holiday parks are) to theAsda supermarket and Salt Ayre Leisure Centre. Service 5 operates toOverton andCarnforth. Most services (2X/4/6/6A/40/41/42/100/555/755) operate using Low Floor Easy Access Vehicles suitable for wheelchair users and prams/pushchairs.
SeeCategory:People from Morecambe
| Climate data for Morecambe No. 2[a], elevation: 3 m (10 ft), 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1924–present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 13.9 (57.0) | 16.6 (61.9) | 22.2 (72.0) | 23.9 (75.0) | 27.7 (81.9) | 31.7 (89.1) | 36.3 (97.3) | 32.7 (90.9) | 28.7 (83.7) | 26.3 (79.3) | 17.9 (64.2) | 15.2 (59.4) | 36.3 (97.3) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 7.2 (45.0) | 7.6 (45.7) | 9.5 (49.1) | 12.4 (54.3) | 15.7 (60.3) | 18.0 (64.4) | 19.7 (67.5) | 19.3 (66.7) | 17.3 (63.1) | 13.9 (57.0) | 10.2 (50.4) | 7.8 (46.0) | 13.2 (55.8) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 5.0 (41.0) | 5.1 (41.2) | 6.7 (44.1) | 9.1 (48.4) | 12.1 (53.8) | 14.8 (58.6) | 16.6 (61.9) | 16.3 (61.3) | 14.2 (57.6) | 11.0 (51.8) | 7.8 (46.0) | 5.3 (41.5) | 10.3 (50.5) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 2.8 (37.0) | 2.7 (36.9) | 3.8 (38.8) | 5.8 (42.4) | 8.6 (47.5) | 11.6 (52.9) | 13.5 (56.3) | 13.3 (55.9) | 11.1 (52.0) | 8.2 (46.8) | 5.3 (41.5) | 2.9 (37.2) | 7.5 (45.5) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −13.3 (8.1) | −8.3 (17.1) | −7.8 (18.0) | −4.3 (24.3) | −0.6 (30.9) | 2.5 (36.5) | 4.4 (39.9) | 4.9 (40.8) | 0.6 (33.1) | −4.4 (24.1) | −6.5 (20.3) | −9.4 (15.1) | −13.3 (8.1) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 98.0 (3.86) | 84.2 (3.31) | 69.5 (2.74) | 52.0 (2.05) | 60.5 (2.38) | 68.5 (2.70) | 84.8 (3.34) | 98.2 (3.87) | 101.0 (3.98) | 112.4 (4.43) | 113.3 (4.46) | 118.1 (4.65) | 1,060.3 (41.74) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 1.0 mm) | 15.4 | 12.2 | 12.4 | 10.1 | 10.4 | 10.3 | 12.0 | 13.3 | 12.1 | 14.6 | 16.3 | 16.0 | 154.9 |
| Mean monthlysunshine hours | 50.6 | 81.0 | 123.3 | 172.8 | 216.8 | 200.5 | 176.4 | 182.9 | 144.4 | 101.8 | 63.2 | 45.0 | 1,558.6 |
| Source 1:Met Office[54] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: Starlings Roost Weather[55][56] | |||||||||||||
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Geographic | |
