Setting the Scene at St Anne's Beach

WHATEVER the weather, St Anne’s beach in Lancashire is proving to be a star attraction this year, with the Victorian pier and seafront promenade about to be promoted to the film and TV industry.

Along with neighbouring Lytham, St Anne’s beach has been named August Location of the Month by Northwest Vision and Media, which works on behalf of the TV, film, radio and digital content industries to grow a world-class media economy in England’s Northwest.

“Visiting this traditional coastal village is like taking a step back in time. It’s a quiet corner of Lancashire, but it has so much to offer as a filming location, which is why I’m delighted Vision and Media have recognized its beauty and picturesque scenery and will be working hard to spread the word across the industry,” says Yvonne Burrows, Film Liaison Officer for Lancashire at Vision and Media.

“I’ve always believed the beach would make a wonderful location for a period drama. On sunny days I can’t help but imagine women with parasols and long dresses strolling down the promenade! It would be wonderful to attract that kind of production to really make the most out of this unique location.”

St Anne’s beach is a world away from the bustle of Blackpool beach up the coast. Tranquil and unspoilt, these five miles of sand are accompanied by huge dunes, the promenade and a bandstand, as well as the original Victorian Pier, which has been preserved intact since it was built back in 1885.

This olde worlde charm can also be found in nearby Lytham, where the famous landmark windmill on the green sits alongside Grade One-listed Lytham Hall, one of the finest Georgian houses in the Northwest. Royal Lytham and St Anne’s golf resort is also one of the most renowned courses in the country, and has been in the media spotlight as the venue for the Open Golf Championship for more than 100 years.

But St Anne’s beach itself is no stranger to filming. Last year’s BBC comedy Kombat Opera set scenes on the dunes, starring comedians John Thomson and Jon Culshaw. This groundbreaking series spoofed factual programmes like Wife Swap and The Apprentice. The format proved popular, and was bought by an American TV network soon after it was broadcast in the UK.

Vivien Wood, Tourism Officer for Fylde Borough Council, believes the beach is a hidden treasure. “The sunsets we have here are just beautiful over the Irish Sea, and the surrounding landscape is just breathtaking. We’re eager for the world to see how wonderful this area really is, and how much it has to offer. St Anne’s beach is an ideal location for filming whatever time of day, and whatever the weather.”