Blackpool

This coastal settlement stretches for roughly 7 miles (11 kilometers) along the Irish Sea, with three piers extending into the water and entertainment buildings lining the promenade. Victorian structures sit alongside modern leisure facilities, while the tower rises above the low rooflines and remains visible from all points along the beach.

A small coastal hamlet changed into a crowded resort after the railway arrived in 1846, bringing factory workers from Lancashire and Yorkshire during their annual breaks. Growing visitor numbers encouraged construction of the piers and tower in the following decades, as the settlement increasingly catered to mass leisure activities.

Families and friends gather along the promenade where street performers and musicians play to shifting crowds between amusement arcades. Local pubs and fish and chip shops stay busy outside the main season, with residents meeting over football scores and weather talk while gulls circle empty tables.

A tram line connects the entire seafront from Starr Gate in the south to Fleetwood in the north, stopping at all key points along the promenade. Walking between piers and beach sections is straightforward, though wind and rain are common even in summer and weatherproof clothing is advisable.

A display of millions of electric lamps stretches across 6 miles (10 kilometers) of promenade between September and January, drawing crowds who walk or drive past the installations after dark. Some of the light arrangements date back to the early decades of the 20th century and are still assembled and switched on each year.