Old Photos of Cleveleys

Have a look back through the years of our seaside resort with these old photos of Cleveleys. They’re from a variety of sources, if you have any that you would like to include, please email them to us. Full credit always given.

Round the World Travel to Identify this Old Photo…

On 1 June 2021, we received an email here at Visit Cleveleys. It was from Robert Wolf, a librarian at Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey.

Robert explained: “I work in a library in the USA and was cleaning out a shelf of books when I found what looks to be an old wedding party photo or something like that. The back of the photo has a stamp for the Thornton Cleveleys Gazette and Herald. It looks like it’s from the turn of the century maybe? It’s hard to say. I tried to track down an owner from our possible library patrons but was never able to find anyone. I thought I’d reach out to you to see if you or someone you knew would be interested in it. I’ve been keeping it in a drawer for years and I think it’s time it found a home where it belongs. If you know of anyone who would be interested I would gladly send it along. Otherwise I can keep it and confuse generations of my family to come when they run across it!”

Of course we were intrigued! After replying, a few days later an envelope arrived at VFC HQ containing the said photo. And we knew the good people of the Thornton Cleveleys Past Facebook group would be the people to ask.

Happy memories

A couple of people suggested what we’d initially thought – that it might be to celebrate some kind of Royal event. One suggestion was that 1952/53 was when HM the Queen came to the throne and then the Coronation, her wedding was 1947, could this photo have been re-enacting that? Someone else asked if it was the marriage of George VI to Elizabeth. The future Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother.

However Diane Norman dates it to circa 1951 because she has a dated photo of the 1951 Babs Dawson Gala float, with two of the girls in the photo. Numerous other people also pinned it to a Babs Dawson production. She had a dance school and put a show on every year at the Queens Theatre in Cleveleys, along with an annual pantomime.

You even managed to identify some of the children in the photo. Including Christine Forbes, Wendy Pannett, Christine Hewitt, Carol Crook and Gillian Bailey. Lots of happy memories!

Old Photos of Cleveleys Seafront and Beach

Here are some views you’ll probably remember, of the seafront at Cleveleys just before rebuilding.

Old Photos of Cleveleys around Jubilee Leisure Park

The grassy area to the front right of this shot is where the Harvester pub is now. The central patch of concrete is where the skateboard ramps are. To the left of the shot are the old tennis courts – now the car park. I always thought that the Obelisk had been there a long time – but it’s not on this photo.

This next photo is also from before the building of the stepped sea defences. You can just see Jubilee Gardens in the top left corner. The long, straight road in centre of shot is Beach Road. The three storey town houses on either side of Beach Road remain unchanged, but the sea front looks totally different now.

Left of shot is the old car and coach park – can you see the yellow and blue Beach Huts? That’s where the Pizza Hut is now. That and the two buildings of Jubilee Leisure Park take up the former car park and grass wasteland adjoining it to the left.

Sadly, we don’t have lots of photos of the old promenade before its rebuilding. But this is one from our vaults of Cleveleys beach huts. Aren’t they pretty!

The photo below is North and Rossall Promenade. It’s not that old, but included for completeness! The road running off at an angle on the right is Thornton Gate.

Our Old Seafront Photos

We’ve been here since 1999. I wish I’d had presence of mind to take lots of photos of Cleveleys as it was back then. These few are the ones that we did take.

This is the sea wall opposite Jubilee Gardens – you can just see The Venue at the left of the column. There were bays set into the sea wall with benches, where the local art club used to hold displays in the summer.

The next photo is about at the same spot, this time looking South. The footpath here was quite low and so each time there was a strong wind or a high tide the prom would be covered in stones and shingle from the beach. It’s about where the seafront cafe is now.

The next photo is taken roughly opposite the skate park. At the right of the photo is one of a series of sunken gardens.

Earlier photos from previous decades (see below) show these planted out and well tended. At some time along the years, tarmac replaced the gardens. Years of weather and sea damage left the walls dilapidated.

The next photo was taken at the end of Victoria Road West, where the curved plaza area is now. You can just see the top of the big wheel at the original Kiddies Corner – now relocated a little further north but still on the seafront.

This built-in bench ran the full length of this bit of promenade. From the main road, you’d see the tops of dozens of heads, all enjoying the view in the fine weather!

Rebuilding Cleveleys Seafront

Cleveleys got its new sea defences in the 2000’s. The £25 million construction project transformed the promenade and it’s been a magnet for visitors. It was a huge job, over several years, so we’ve covered it in a separate page.

See photos of the sea wall construction works in 2007, here.

Not Quite Cleveleys…

Still on the seafront, Princes Way is the promenade heading south from Cleveleys. It’s actually in Blackpool but it feels like Cleveleys so we’ve included it here!

The sea wall and promenade has also recently been rebuilt here, so these are only just old photos of Cleveleys. But how quickly you forget what it looked like before!

There’s another full article about rebuilding this part of Anchorsholme promenade here, and more old photos.

Cleveleys Seafront in Black and White

We’re going back a lot further now – do you remember any of these views and places?

Next up is North Promenade and Jubilee Gardens. From the bottom left corner, Thornton Gate runs at an angle to meet Carr Gate. Carr Gate joins the promenade at The Venue. To the right of The Venue is Jubilee Gardens.

• Was the parking area at the right of Jubilee Gardens a caravan site in times gone past?
• From the development in this area, could you date this photograph?

Going back to the distant past now, the next photo is South Promenade, Cleveleys in 1937, from Tuck Postcards.

• We think the buildings in the foreground are the same hotels and apartments that stand on the corner of Victoria Road West and South Promenade today. Do you agree?

Here’s the promenade and seafront gardens in their heyday. It’s undated but from their clothes looks like it could be the 1940’s. The more recent photos further up the page show just how much the landscaping had deteriorated.

Old Photos of Cleveleys Beach

Many people who grew up in the area fondly remember the Bathing Station on Cleveleys beach. You could just see remnants of it before the new sea wall works.

There’s lots of photos, memories and a full page dedicated to the Bathing Station at this link.

Rossall Beach

The next photo shows Rossall Beach at North Promenade, Cleveleys, in 1937, also from Tuck Postcards.

It’s the view north, looking from The Venue – the rough land in the foreground is now their car park. The detached house seen in the shot is still there today, and called ‘Cherbourg’. It’s known locally as the ‘Cat House’, after the old lady who once lived there, with lots of cats.

Notice that there isn’t a sea wall. This part was built in 1947 – see photos of it’s construction here.

Old Photos of Cleveleys Town Centre

Look at Victoria Road Cleveleys in 1914 in this view from Tuck Postcards.

Here you can see Victoria Road lined with private houses, each with front gardens. The shop frontages still belong to the individual shops, dating back to when they were gardens. That’s why there are always issues when organising events and such like, because of private land ownership.

Another one from the from Tuck Postcards collection, this time Victoria Road Cleveleys in 1937. You can see that the town centre is starting to develop in this photo. There are even street lights! You can read more about the growth of Cleveleys here

Two of the art-deco buildings at the left of this shot are still there today. One is Vincent’s Cafe – just at the right of Home Bargains.

This video features a photo, kindly sent to us by a reader. Do you remember any of these old shops? Why don’t you leave a comment below?

Enjoyed this video? Why don’t you subscribe to our Visit Fylde Coast YouTube channel – make sure you don’t miss out!

Do you recognise this spot? It’s the centre of Cleveleys – Cleveleys Square – looking at the NatWest Bank, when the tramway passed through flower beds. Long before the roads were awash with vehicles, and this became the busy junction that it is today.

Here are some vintage views of Victoria Road West. I think we’ve got these in the right date order, with the oldest first? How many of these shops do you remember?

Victoria Market

This plot was more or less rebuilt and is now the dual entrance M&Co store. There’s a full article about the market here and lots more photos.

Explore More

Take a look around the History section, and the Photo Galleries.

There’s all kinds of interesting local information, photos and video in both of them. New articles are being added all the time.

Join us on Pinterest

We love to look at your old photos of Cleveleys and we’re growing a collection on our Pinterest Board ‘Old Cleveleys’. Take a look!

Are you a member of the Thornton Cleveleys Past Facebook Group? It’s a mine of fascinating information and if you’re not in it you should be!