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Morecambe ( ) is a
seaside town A seaside resort is a town, village, or hotel that serves as a vacation resort and is located on a coast. Sometimes the concept includes an aspect of official accreditation based on the satisfaction of certain requirements, such as in the German ' ...
and civil parish in the City of Lancaster district in Lancashire, England. It is in Morecambe Bay on the Irish Sea.


Name

The first use of the name was by John Whitaker in his ''History of Manchester'' (1771), when he refers to the "æstury of Moricambe". It next appears four years later in ''Antiquities of Furness'', where the bay is described as "the Bay of Morecambe". That name is derived from the Roman name ''Moriancabris Æsturis'' shown on maps prepared for them by ''Claudius 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. The Latin version describes the fourth inlet north from Wales on the west coast of England as Moriancabris Æsturis. Translated, this gives a more accurate description than the present name of Morecambe 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 the South 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 of Poulton, Bare and
Torrisholme Torrisholme is a suburb of Morecambe, Lancashire, on the North West coast of England. In the 2001 census, the Torrisholme Ward had a population of 6,758 living in 3,118 households, decreasing marginally to 6,755 at the 2011 Census. Torrisholme ...
(a township for the purposes of the Census of 1841 but shown as separate townships in the previous Census of 1831). In 1894, the Urban District Council was formed, thus freeing Morecambe completely from its governance by the Borough 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 the Corporation of Morecambe amalgamated with
Heysham Heysham ( ) is a coastal town in Lancashire, England, overlooking Morecambe Bay. It is a Heysham Port, ferry port, with services to the Isle of Man and Ireland, and the site of two Heysham nuclear power station, nuclear power stations. Demogra ...
Urban District Council to form the
Municipal Borough of Morecambe and Heysham Morecambe and Heysham was a municipal borough in Lancashire, England. It was formed in 1928 by the merging of Morecambe Municipal Borough and Heysham Urban District, and abolished in 1974 when it was absorbed into the City of Lancaster The ...
.


History

In 1846, the Morecambe Harbour and Railway Company was formed to build a harbour on Morecambe Bay, close to the fishing village of Poulton-le-Sands, and a connecting railway. By 1850, the railway linked to Skipton, Keighley and
Bradford Bradford is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Bradford district in West Yorkshire, England. The city is in the Pennines' eastern foothills on the banks of the Bradford Beck. Bradford had a population of 349,561 at the 2011 ...
in the West 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 of Bare and
Torrisholme Torrisholme is a suburb of Morecambe, Lancashire, on the North West coast of England. In the 2001 census, the Torrisholme Ward had a population of 6,758 living in 3,118 households, decreasing marginally to 6,755 at the 2011 Census. Torrisholme ...
. 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 largest Pontins resort in the country. Pontins closed in 1993. While the resort of
Blackpool Blackpool is a seaside resort in Lancashire, England. Located on the North West England, northwest coast of England, it is the main settlement within the Borough of Blackpool, borough also called Blackpool. The town is by the Irish Sea, betw ...
attracted holiday-makers predominantly from the Lancashire mill towns, Morecambe had more visitors from Yorkshire (due to its railway connection) and Scotland. 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". Between 1956 and 1989, it was the home of the
Miss Great Britain Miss Great Britain is Britain's longest running beauty contest held annually in Britain since 1945. Owner and CEO John Singh made history crowning his first winner and to this date only the first black Miss Great Britain 1996. Singer and dancer A ...
beauty contest. Morecambe suffered a decades-long decline after a series of incidents that damaged tourism and the local economy.Alan Cowell
Postcard From Ailing British Coasts: Wish You Were Here
''The New York Times'', 12 April 2007.
Two piers were lost: West End Pier was partly washed away in a storm in November 1977, and the remnants were demolished in 1978;
Central Pier Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object. Central may also refer to: Directions and generalised locations * Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known as ...
, damaged by fire in 1933, was removed in 1992. In 1994, The World of
Crinkley Bottom Crinkley Bottom, also popularly referred to as Blobbyland, was the operating title for a series of British theme parks operating in the 1990s. They were created by Noel Edmonds based on the fictional village of Crinkley Bottom where the ''Noel's ...
attraction in Happy Mount Park closed only thirteen weeks after opening. The ensuing Blobbygate scandal, a financial disaster after projected visitor numbers did not materialise, led to a legal battle between
Lancaster City Council The City of Lancaster () is a local government district of Lancashire, England, with the status of a city and non-metropolitan district. It is named after its largest settlement, Lancaster, but covers a far larger area, which includes the tow ...
and TV star Noel Edmonds, costing North Lancs taxpayers £2.6 million. The closures of Bubbles, Morecambe's swimming pool, and the Frontierland fairground soon followed. Morecambe was selected by the
RNLI The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) is the largest charity that saves lives at sea around the coasts of the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, the Channel Islands, and the Isle of Man, as well as on some inland waterways. It i ...
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. On 5 February 2004, there was a major loss of life in Morecambe Bay when at least 21 Chinese immigrant shellfish harvesters were drowned after they became trapped by the incoming tide. In December 2017 a local general practitioner and community health activist claimed that children in Morecambe were suffering from malnourishment and implied that cases of rickets had been observed as a consequence. The Morecambe Bay Clinical Commissioning Group subsequently sought to correct the GP's claims and clarified the aetiology of vitamin D deficiency in the local population, explaining "rickets is a very rare condition and has multiple causes".


The "Morecambe Budget"

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. 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%) and how capital gains tax and
Selective Employment Tax Selective Employment Tax (SET) was a weekly payroll tax in the United Kingdom. It was levied against employers at a flat rate of per man, and per woman. SET was intended to subsidise manufacturing industry from the proceeds of the services ind ...
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; abolishing the
National Economic Development Council National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, ce ...
; and abolishing the Prices and Incomes Board 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.


Governance

The town is in the
Morecambe and Lunesdale Morecambe and Lunesdale is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2010 by David Morris, a Conservative. Constituency profile Since 1979 the constituency has been a bellwether and includes the seas ...
parliamentary constituency; the current Member of parliament is David Morris. Before Brexit, it was in the
North West England North West England is one of nine official regions of England and consists of the ceremonial counties of England, administrative counties of Cheshire, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Merseyside. The North West had a population of ...
European Parliamentary Constituency. Morecambe is governed by three tiers of Local Government: * Morecambe Town Council, * Lancaster City Council (District), *
Lancashire County Council Lancashire County Council is the upper-tier local authority for the non-metropolitan county of Lancashire, England. It consists of 84 councillors. Since the 2017 election, the council has been under Conservative control. Prior to the 2009 La ...
.


Economy

Morecambe's main central shopping area incorporates two markets—the Festival Market and the Morecambe Sunday Market—and the Reel Cinema complex.


Tourism

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 for
bird watchers Birdwatching, or birding, is the observing of birds, either as a recreational activity or as a form of citizen science. A birdwatcher may observe by using their naked eye, by using a visual enhancement device like binoculars or a telescope, by ...
with the Tern Project enhancing the town's heritage linked to the extensive natural landscape of Morecambe Bay and its diverse wildlife.


Eden Project North

In 2018, the Eden Project revealed its design for the Eden Project North on the seafront in Morecambe. There will be biodomes shaped like mussels and a focus on the marine environment. Grimshaw are the architects for the £80 million project, which is a partnership with the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership,
Lancaster University Lancaster University (legally The University of Lancaster) is a public university, public research university in Lancaster, Lancashire, Lancaster, Lancashire, England. The university was established in 1964 by royal charter, as one of several pla ...
, Lancashire County Council and Lancaster City Council.


Education

Morecambe is served by a number of primary, secondary and tertiary educational establishments. These include
Morecambe Bay Academy Morecambe Bay Academy is a Mixed-sex education, coeducational secondary school and sixth form located in Morecambe, Lancashire, England. It was founded as Morecambe Grammar School in 1919, moving to its current site on Dallam Avenue in 1938 on ...
,
Bay Leadership Academy Bay Leadership Academy (formerly Heysham High School/Balmoral Secondary) is a co-educational secondary school and former sixth form in Heysham (near Morecambe) in the English county of Lancashire. The school serves pupils mainly from the Heysha ...
and Lancaster and Morecambe College.


Culture


Performing arts

Morecambe has two large live-music venues: the Platform and More Music. The Platform is a converted Victorian-styled building which used to be the old railway station. It also houses the Morecambe Tourist 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.


Morecambe and Alan Bennett

The Yorkshire
playwright A playwright or dramatist is a person who writes plays. Etymology The word "play" is from Middle English pleye, from Old English plæġ, pleġa, plæġa ("play, exercise; sport, game; drama, applause"). The word "wright" is an archaic English ...
and author Alan 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 from Leeds who retire to Morecambe, leaving their old home with the words "Bye bye, mucky Leeds!" He based the play on memories of the many
holiday A holiday is a day set aside by custom or by law on which normal activities, especially business or work including school, are suspended or reduced. Generally, holidays are intended to allow individuals to celebrate or commemorate an event or tra ...
s he spent in Morecambe with his parents. In his essay "Written on the Body", collected in ''Untold Stories'' (2005), he even suggests that his association with the town is pre-natal: " had been in a boarding house that I was conceived, sometime over the August
Bank Holiday A bank holiday is a national public holiday in the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland and the Crown Dependencies. The term refers to all public holidays in the United Kingdom, be they set out in statute, declared by royal proclamation or held ...
of 1933 at Morecambe or Filey." In the same collection, Bennett pays tribute to the Morecambe-born actress Thora Hird in the essays ''Last 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.


Art

Morecambe was the birthplace of the artist William Woodhouse (1857–1939), who lived all his life in the town and is buried with his wife and daughter at St. Peter's Church in the village of
Heysham Heysham ( ) is a coastal town in Lancashire, England, overlooking Morecambe Bay. It is a Heysham Port, ferry port, with services to the Isle of Man and Ireland, and the site of two Heysham nuclear power station, nuclear power stations. Demogra ...
, a little to the south of Morecambe.


Youth and Community

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 Arts
CIC CIC may refer to: Organizations Canada * Cadet Instructors Cadre, a part of the Canadian Armed Forces * Canadian Infantry Corps, renamed in 1947 to Royal Canadian Infantry Corps * Canadian International Council * Canadian Islamic Congress * Chemi ...
, 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.


Cuisine

Morecambe Bay potted
shrimp Shrimp are crustaceans (a form of shellfish) with elongated bodies and a primarily swimming mode of locomotion – most commonly Caridea and Dendrobranchiata of the decapod order, although some crustaceans outside of this order are refer ...
s are a famous local delicacy.


Landmarks

One of Morecambe's most famous landmarks is a
statue A statue is a free-standing sculpture in which the realistic, full-length figures of persons or animals are carved or cast in a durable material such as wood, metal or stone. Typical statues are life-sized or close to life-size; a sculpture t ...
commemorating one of its most famous sons, Eric Morecambe. It was created by sculptor
Graham Ibbeson Graham Ibbeson (born 1951) is a British artist and sculptor, known for the realistic figurative sculptures he has created for public commissions in the United Kingdom. Biography Ibbeson was born in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, and from 1972 to 1 ...
. One of Morecambe's landmark buildings is the partially renovated Victoria Pavilion or Morecambe Winter Gardens. This was once a venue for swimming baths, a grand theatre, a restaurant and a ballroom. Morecambe's current library opened in 1967; it was designed by the office of the architect Roger Booth. It replaced the Victoria Street library, which opened in 1928. There had been earlier proposals to build a library in Morecambe with Carnegie funding, but arguments about the rates involved stalled the project. The library is mentioned by Pevsner 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. Morecambe once boasted two fairgrounds: 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 became Frontierland 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. This was demolished mid 2017. In July 2008, the local council ordered a clean-up of the Polo Tower, and scaffolding was erected around the structure to carry out a survey. It was demolished in sections, in July 2017. Near the promenade is the Morecambe and Heysham War Memorial which commemorates the men of Morecambe who lost their lives in the two world wars and the Korean War.Morecambe and Heysham War Memorial.
United Kingdom National Inventory of War Memorials. UKNIWM Ref: 3332. Retrieved 16 August 2012.
The memorial differs from most as it lists the First World War as 1914 to 1919 rather than 1914 to 1918. In March 2019 a
Time and Tide Bell Time and Tide Bell is an art project made up of bells, designed by UK sculptor Marcus Vergette and Australian bell designer Neil McLachlan, installed at coastal locations in the UK. The first one was placed at Appledore, Torridge, Appledore, De ...
designed by
Marcus Vergette Marcus Vergette MRSS (born 1961) is an American sculptor based in the UK, much of whose recent work involves bells. He is also a double bass player and composer. Early life and education Vergette was born in Carbondale, Illinois. He studied at ...
was installed beside the
Stone Jetty The Stone Jetty is a jetty in Morecambe, Lancashire, England. It was built by the North Western Railway in 1853 as a wharf and rail terminal for both passenger and cargo transport. The former station building with adjoining lighthouse stand on th ...
, as part of a national public art project.


Midland Hotel

The Midland Hotel is an art deco hotel on the seafront. It contains interior design and art pieces by artist Eric Gill. In 2009 it underwent a £7m restoration, headed by Manchester company Urban Splash. The hotel re-opened for business in June 2008. In March 2011 Urban Splash sold the freehold of the building to Lancashire-based 'The Lancaster Foundation'.


Media

Local weekly newspapers include ''The Visitor'' published on Tuesdays and the ''Morecambe Guardian'', a local edition of the ''Lancaster Guardian'' published on Fridays. A monthly publication entitled ''Local Choice'' is delivered by Royal Mail to every household in the district.


Sport


Football

Morecambe F.C. Morecambe Football Club is a professional football club in Morecambe, Lancashire, England. The team competes in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. Nicknamed the "Shrimps" due to the coastal town's local specialit ...
(known as 'the Shrimps') are the leading local football club and on 20 May 2007 won the
Conference National The National League, known as the Vanarama National League for sponsorship reasons, is the highest level of the National League System and fifth-highest of the overall English football league system. It is the highest league that is semi-profes ...
playoffs to earn promotion to the
Football League The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, the league is the oldest such competition in the world. It was the top-level football league in Engla ...
for the first time in their history. As of 2021–22, they play in League One. They had a successful first season in the Football League, surprising a few teams, and in the 2009–10 season they reached the play-offs, only to lose 7–2, on aggregate, to eventual winners
Dagenham & Redbridge Dagenham & Redbridge Football Club is a professional association football club based in Dagenham, Greater London, England. The team competes in the National League, the fifth tier of the English football league system. Often known simply as Dag ...
. At the end of the 2009–10 season the team moved from its Christie Park ground to a brand new home, the Globe Arena. The old ground was demolished to make way for a Sainsbury's supermarket. On 31 May 2021, Morecambe won the League Two
play-off Final The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eithe ...
at Wembley, beating Newport County 1-0 after extra time to win promotion to League One for the first time in their history.


Rugby league

When the rugby football
schism A schism ( , , or, less commonly, ) is a division between people, usually belonging to an organization, movement, or religious denomination. The word is most frequently applied to a split in what had previously been a single religious body, suc ...
occurred in 1895, the now defunct
Morecambe RFC Morecambe Rugby Football Club was a semi-professional rugby league club. The club was based in Morecambe, a resort town now within the City of Lancaster in Lancashire, England. The club played semi-professional rugby league for a total of 8 sea ...
joined the Northern Rugby Football Union (now Rugby Football League) in its second season. Morecambe played for eight of the ten seasons from the 1896–97 season through to the end of
1905–06 Nineteen or 19 may refer to: * 19 (number), the natural number following 18 and preceding 20 * one of the years 19 BC, AD 19, 1919, 2019 Films * ''19'' (film), a 2001 Japanese film * ''Nineteen'' (film), a 1987 science fiction film Music ...
season. Morecambe finished 14th of 14 in its first three seasons of the Lancashire Senior Competition, withdrew for the 1899–1900 and 1900–01 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 a rugby 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.


Boxing

Morecambe has a Commonwealth Featherweight Champion,
Isaac Lowe Isaac Lowe is an English professional boxer. In 2018 he won the WBC International featherweight title when he defeated Lucan Rafael Baez by way of knockout. Lowe defeated Marco McCullough for the Commonwealth featherweight title. He won the Engl ...
, who beat
Marco McCullough Marco McCullough (born 22 November 1989) is a Northern Irish former super-featherweight boxer. His career ran a total of 9 years, from 2011 to 2019 after his debut on June 25 of 2011. In 2013, he defeated Willie Casey for the Boxing Union of Irel ...
in the 8th round with in one minute and 56 seconds on the Frampton Vs Quigg Under-card World Heavyweight Champion Tyson Fury lives nearby and is often seen in and around Morecambe.


Running

A 5 km parkrun event takes place every Saturday morning on the Promenade. The first event was held in April 2019.


Transport


Rail

Morecambe station has a regular rail service from , with some trains running direct from and . Trains also run to
Heysham Heysham ( ) is a coastal town in Lancashire, England, overlooking Morecambe Bay. It is a Heysham Port, ferry port, with services to the Isle of Man and Ireland, and the site of two Heysham nuclear power station, nuclear power stations. Demogra ...
, where they connect with the
ferry A ferry is a ship, watercraft or amphibious vehicle used to carry passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A passenger ferry with many stops, such as in Venice, Italy, is sometimes called a water bus or water taxi ...
service to the Isle of Man. There is another railway station at Bare Lane, serving the suburb of Bare. Services are operated by
Northern Northern may refer to the following: Geography * North, a point in direction * Northern Europe, the northern part or region of Europe * Northern Highland, a region of Wisconsin, United States * Northern Province, Sri Lanka * Northern Range, a ra ...
. The present-day Morecambe station opened in 1994, replacing an older station once known as , built by the Midland Railway on its North Western Line from Skipton in Yorkshire. There was also a station called , built by the rival London & North Western Railway, which closed in 1963.


Bus

Bus services in the area are operated mainly by Stagecoach Cumbria & North Lancashire & other local companies. Direct services link the town with Windermere and
Bowness-on-Windermere Bowness-on-Windermere is a town in the South Lakeland district of Cumbria, England. It lies next to Windermere lake and the town of Windermere to the north east with which it forms the civil parish of Windermere and Bowness. The town was histor ...
via Carnforth, Milnthorpe and
Kendal Kendal, once Kirkby in Kendal or Kirkby Kendal, is a market town and civil parish in the South Lakeland district of Cumbria, England, south-east of Windermere and north of Lancaster. Historically in Westmorland, it lies within the dale of th ...
(755), Lancaster with connections to Keswick via Carnforth, Milnthorpe,
Kendal Kendal, once Kirkby in Kendal or Kirkby Kendal, is a market town and civil parish in the South Lakeland district of Cumbria, England, south-east of Windermere and north of Lancaster. Historically in Westmorland, it lies within the dale of th ...
, Windermere, Ambleside and Grasmere (
555 Year 555 (DLV) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. The denomination 555 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the pr ...
), Carnforth (5, 55, 755), and, all via
Garstang Garstang is an ancient market town and civil parish within the Wyre borough of Lancashire, England. It is north of the city of Preston and the same distance south of Lancaster. In 2011, the parish had a total resident population of 4,268 ...
,
Preston Preston is a place name, surname and given name that may refer to: Places England *Preston, Lancashire, an urban settlement **The City of Preston, Lancashire, a borough and non-metropolitan district which contains the settlement **County Boro ...
(40/41), Blackpool (42). Regular services up to every 15 minutes (numbers 41/100) operate along the promenade to Heysham and to
Lancaster University Lancaster University (legally The University of Lancaster) is a public university, public research university in Lancaster, Lancashire, Lancaster, Lancashire, England. The university was established in 1964 by royal charter, as one of several pla ...
, a bus route also runs from the bus station via
Heysham Heysham ( ) is a coastal town in Lancashire, England, overlooking Morecambe Bay. It is a Heysham Port, ferry port, with services to the Isle of Man and Ireland, and the site of two Heysham nuclear power station, nuclear power stations. Demogra ...
and then fast to Lancaster (number 2X), while service 1 and 1A operate up to every 10 minutes from Euston Road to both Heysham and Lancaster University. Services 6 and 6A operate via Westgate (where most caravan holiday parks are) to the Asda supermarket and Salt Ayre Leisure Centre. Service 5 operates to Overton and Carnforth. 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.


Morecambe in popular culture

* Morecambe and the neighbouring village of
Heysham Heysham ( ) is a coastal town in Lancashire, England, overlooking Morecambe Bay. It is a Heysham Port, ferry port, with services to the Isle of Man and Ireland, and the site of two Heysham nuclear power station, nuclear power stations. Demogra ...
are the setting of the
Cthulhu Mythos The Cthulhu Mythos is a mythopoeia and a shared fictional universe, originating in the works of American horror writer H. P. Lovecraft. The term was coined by August Derleth August William Derleth (February 24, 1909 – July 4, 1971) was an ...
novel ''The Weird Shadow over Morecambe'', published by the writer Edmund Glasby in 2014. The title of the book is a reference to H.P. Lovecraft's story " The Shadow over Innsmouth", which is also set in a seaside town. * Morecambe was mentioned in an episode of the prison-set television comedy ''
Porridge Porridge is a food made by heating or boiling ground, crushed or chopped starchy plants, typically grain, in milk or water. It is often cooked or served with added flavourings such as sugar, honey, (dried) fruit or syrup to make a sweet cereal, ...
'' first broadcast in 1973: "...  Fletchers's old woman said she wasn't returning, cos she was going to live with that Maltese ponce in Morecambe.". * The 1960 film ''
The Entertainer An entertainer is a person who entertains (singer, actor, comedian, etc.) The Entertainer may refer to: Music Songs * "The Entertainer" (rag), a 1902 classic piano rag written by Scott Joplin *"The Entertainer", rearrangement of the Joplin rag by ...
'', starring
Laurence Olivier Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier (; 22 May 1907 – 11 July 1989) was an English actor and director who, along with his contemporaries Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud, was one of a trio of male actors who dominated the Theatre of the U ...
and Joan Plowright, was filmed on location in the town. Morecambe-born actress Thora Hird co-starred. * ''Sunset across the Bay'' is a play by Alan Bennett written in 1975 for the BBC Play for Today strand, set and filmed in Morecambe. * Morecambe is extensively written about in Bill Bryson's "Notes From A Small Island". (1995). * The ITV series, '' The Bay'', is set and filmed in Morecambe. Series 1 was first aired in March 2019 and Series 2 was first aired in January 2021. Series 3, filmed in and around Morecambe, was first aired in January 2022. *Morecambe is the setting for the first half of Sarah Hall's book, The Electric Michelangelo. * Morecambe features in ''The Acoustics of Morecambe Bay'', a music theatre piece by
Peter McGarr Peter McGarr (born 28 May 1953) is an English classical composer and teacher, working in the English experimental tradition and inspired by Northern English landscape and culture. Biography McGarr was born in Openshaw, Manchester, and attended ...
which evokes the sound contrast between bay and town.


Notable people

''See '' * Emma Atkins - actress * Dave Chisnall Professional darts player lives in Morecambe. * Tyson Fury - boxer (World Heavyweight Champion 2015–16, 2020-) lives in Morecambe. *
Paul Hayes Paul Edward Hayes (born 20 September 1983) is an English former professional footballer who works as director of football for Isthmian League Premier Division side Bowers & Pitsea. As a player he was a forward who made more than 500 appearance ...
- antiques expert, TV personality *
Wayne Hemingway Wayne Andrew Hemingway (born 19 January 1961) is an English designer and co-founder of Red or Dead. He is also on the Design Council Trustee Board and having been with the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) for a d ...
- designer, founder of Red or Dead and Northern Soul DJ *
Graham Hicks Graham Hicks (born 15 November 1985 in Morecambe, Lancashire) is an English strongman and powerlifter. He won the 2019 Britain's Strongest Man competition and placed second in 2014 and 2018. He is also a two time Europe's Strongest Man bronze ...
- strongman *
Dame Thora Hird Dame Thora Hird (28 May 1911 – 15 March 2003) was an English actress and comedian, presenter and writer. In a career spanning over 70 years, she appeared in more than 100 film and television roles, becoming a household name and a Briti ...
- actress *
Isaac Lowe Isaac Lowe is an English professional boxer. In 2018 he won the WBC International featherweight title when he defeated Lucan Rafael Baez by way of knockout. Lowe defeated Marco McCullough for the Commonwealth featherweight title. He won the Engl ...
- Commonwealth boxing champion * John McGuinness - motorcycle racer *
Albert Modley Albert Frederick Modley (3 March 1901 – 23 February 1979) was an English variety entertainer and comedian. Biography He was born in Liverpool, but moved to Ilkley in Yorkshire with his family as a child. His father, known as 'Professor Modley ...
- Yorkshire comedian * Eric Morecambe
OBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...
- comedian, who took his stage name from the town's name *
Radford family The Radford family are a British family who first appeared on the 2012 Channel 4 documentary television programme ''15 Kids and Counting''. Subsequent annual updates focused on the last year in the Radford household. The last programme, ''22 Kid ...
- UK's largest family, consisting of Sue and Noel Radford, who as of June 2022 have 22 children and 12 grandchildren *
Peter J. Ratcliffe Sir Peter John Ratcliffe, FRS, FMedSci (born 14 May 1954) is a British Nobel Laureate physician-scientist who is trained as a nephrologist. He was a practising clinician at the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford and Nuffield Professor of Clinical ...
- Nobel prize-winning biologist


Climate


See also

* Listed buildings in Morecambe


References


Further reading

* * * * * * * * * *


External links


Morecambe Visitor Information

Bay Tourism Association

Morecambe Newspaper
Morecambe's weekly newspaper and local resources.
Lancaster and Morecambe Citizen newspaper
News and sport updated daily
Morecambe Library
{{Authority control Geography of the City of Lancaster Towns in Lancashire Seaside resorts in Lancashire Morecambe Bay Beaches of Lancashire Civil parishes in Lancashire Populated coastal places in Lancashire