Rossall Beach Promenade | Graham’s Guides

Graham’s Walks	📌
Distance	5.2 miles
Difficulty	Easy
OS Maps Route	🗺️
GPX	📁

Here in the UK we like a seaside promenade on a sunny day, taking in the blue skies and sea.

However, the British weather is never guaranteed, which means we are conditioned to be just as happy walking along a windy promenade on a cloudy day with the white capped waves careering into the sands. It was precisely these conditions that greeted me as I parked in the promenade car park at Rossall Beach on a recent Sunday afternoon.

There are several places to walk along the Fylde coast each with their own charms. The charm of Rossall Beach is that it’s a quiet sandy beach where you get great views across to Morecambe Bay to the Lake District and even as far as the Isle of Man. If you want fish-and-chip shops, ice-cream parlours and amusement arcades you need to be a few miles further south. Rossall Beach is more rural, although also, almost suburban.

From the Rossall Beach promenade car park I head north along the beach taking in the changing skies and relishing in the occasional burst of sunshine sparkling off the Irish Sea. I’m conscious that the wind is on my back and that, at some point, I am going to need to turn around and walk directly into it. The tide is on its way out and there’s ample firm sand to walk on. It’s a shorts and jumpers day.

I’ve set myself the target of getting to the Rossall Point Observation Tower, to give it it’s Sunday name, about 2.5 miles (about 4 km) away. This rather strange structure has various uses including a public observatory. There are also public toilets here.

Part way along I pass Rossall School a place of education since 1844. The buildings are from a different time to everything that surrounds them making it look strangely out of place even though it was here first.

The weather continues to change as I enjoy the scenery, there are a few other people around, but this isn’t a day where the beach is full. I don’t think I’ve ever seen the beach flooded with people here, that’s part of the joy of the place it’s easy to get to but it also feels isolated.

Having reached the tower it’s time to head back facing into the strengthening wind. It looks like the weather may turn to rain so I choose the promenade for my return. There has been lots of work on the sea defenses in recent years including the integration of paths, boulder groins, various seating options and art installations. There’s also areas set aside for nature on the onshore side of the defences forming the Larkholme Grasslands. I particularly like the Sea Swallow sculptures forming part of the Mythic Coast project.

This is a great place for a sunset, not that there is going to be one on this particular day the cloud is thickening fast.

I’m passed by various joggers and cyclists many of whom have the look of people rapidly heading for a safe haven. One young man passes me in short-shorts and a vest top, muscles pumped. He’s in fully Rocky mode punching away at some invisible opponent. He stops not far in-front of me and proceeds to go through a routine of upper-cuts, hooks and jabs, then continues his run. He’s carrying a portable speaker that’s proving musical accompaniment.

Having returned to the car park I look at the houses with views of the sea, that also overlooking the expanse of cars. There are always at least one of them for sale and it’s become obligatory to look them up on Rightmove. Views of the Irish Sea come at a premium.

There are a few variations you can make to this walk.

If you start the walk a bit further south at Jubilee Gardens you can visit the Sea Ogre and take pictures of Mary’s Shell. If you are a Star Wars fan you can stand in part of the set at FBKafe which featured in the Andor spin-off.

At the far end of the walk you can choose to walk a bit further and take in the events at the boating lake.

Part way back from the observation tower, you can choose to head inland and make your way via the Larkholme Grasslands. This can make for a less windy return.

You can, also, make the walk to the Observation Tower much shorter by starting at the Rossall Point car park heading south.

Header Image: This is the view of the observation tower from the beach.