Geography Unit 2, Crowded Coasts Case Study 3 - Blackpool, UK

For over 100 years Blackpool was one of Europe's leading coastal resorts, renowned for its tower, lights and sticks of rock.During the eighteenth century, it became fashionable for well to do people to travel to the seaside in the summer. In those days, it was believed that bathing in sea water could cure diseases. Some people came to Blackpool on the Lancashire coast, but the settlement remained a hamlet until the first half of the nineteenth century. The coming of the railway in 1846 made a huge impact on Blackpool. The train cut both the costs and time taken to reach the resort. Huge numbers of working-class visitors began coming to Blackpool every weekend. Another boost came in the 1870s when each of the cotton textile towns of Lancashire began declaring its annual 'wakes week' when all the mills were shut. These holidays were not intended to give the workers a rest, but to allow time for textile machines to be serviced. Nonetheless, thousands of people from these towns were soon pouring into Blackpool during the holiday period. The tower, promenades, piers, amusement arcades, theatres and music halls were built. By the First World War, the number of visitors during the high season had mushroomed to 4 million. During the interwar years (1918-1939) Blackpool's prosperity continued, helped by a law that gave workers holidays with pay. The town's permanent population reached nearly 150 000.After the Second World War, Blackpool's fortunes began to decline. The main reasons were the advent of the package holiday and cheap air transport. The keenest competition came from the coastal resorts of the Mediterranean, which were able to deliver not just sea and sand, but also sun. Blackpool has tried to offset its decline by developing other attractions, such as conference facilities and casinos. However, the town is still struggling to survive.  

Blackpool, UK