Poulton-le-Fylde is a historic market town on the Fylde Coast, ten minutes from Blackpool and an hour from the Lake District. It has been a market town since at least the 1400s and was once the commercial centre of the entire Fylde peninsula — bigger and more important than Blackpool, which was little more than a fishing hamlet until the railway arrived in the 1840s.
Today it is a pleasant, compact town with a good range of independent shops, pubs, restaurants and cafes, all within a ten-minute walk of Highcross Corner. Here is our guide to what you can see and do.
The Market Square and Historic Centre
The pedestrianised Market Square is the heart of the town. It still has the original market cross (dating from the 1600s), a set of stocks, a whipping post and a fish slab — reminders of Poulton’s centuries as a trading centre for the Fylde. The square is surrounded by independent shops, cafes and pubs, and has a relaxed, friendly atmosphere.
Monday is market day. The weekly outdoor market fills the square and the streets around the Teanlowe Centre with stalls selling fresh fish, fruit and vegetables, clothing, homewares, jewellery and local produce. It runs from 9am to 4.30pm every Monday except bank holidays. It is a proper, old-fashioned general market — not a craft fair — and is well worth a visit if your stay coincides with a Monday.
St Chad’s Church
St Chad’s has stood at the centre of Poulton since the eleventh century. The current building dates mostly from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, with older fragments, and the churchyard has beautiful mature trees. It is open to visitors during the day. In spring (usually March), the churchyard is carpeted with thousands of purple and orange crocuses — a beautiful sight and a popular reason to visit in its own right.
We have a separate guide to St Chad’s Church with more detail on its history.
Skippool Creek
A ten-minute walk from Highcross Corner along Breck Road brings you to Skippool Creek, where small boats sit on the mud at low tide. The name comes from the Old Norse skip (ship) and Old English pool (slow-moving stream), and for centuries this was a major trading port — goods arrived here from Ireland, the Baltic, North America and Russia before being sold at Poulton market. Its importance declined when Fleetwood’s deep-water port opened in the 1840s, but the creek remains an atmospheric and peaceful spot, popular with walkers and birdwatchers.
From Skippool you can walk north along the Wyre Way to Stanah and the Wyre Estuary Country Park, or do a circular route through fields to Singleton and back via the golf course.
Shopping
Poulton has a good mix of independent shops and familiar high-street names. The Teanlowe Centre is a small indoor shopping mall next to Booth’s supermarket (Booth’s is a Lancashire institution — think a northern Waitrose). Around the square and along Ball Street, Hardhorn Road and Queensway you will find independent boutiques, gift shops, a bookshop, hairdressers, charity shops and a post office.
It is not a destination shopping town, but it has everything you need for a comfortable stay and is a pleasant place to browse.
Parks
Vicarage Park is a short walk from the town centre and has benches, flower beds and a peaceful atmosphere. Adjacent Jean Stansfield Memorial Park has a children’s playground, a skate park, a bowling green and a hard-standing games area. Both are good for families with children needing to burn off energy.
The Railway Station
Poulton-le-Fylde has its own railway station on Breck Road, ten minutes’ walk from Highcross Corner. Trains run regularly to Blackpool North (10 minutes), Preston (25 minutes) and onwards to Manchester and London. If you want to explore without the car, the station makes it easy to get to Preston, Lancaster or even the Lake District by rail.
Events
The two big annual events are:
Poulton Gala — held on the first Saturday of June. A traditional community festival centred on St Chad’s Church and the market square, with processions, stalls, entertainment and a general carnival atmosphere.
Poulton Christmas Festival — the annual Christmas lights switch-on, usually in late November or early December. The market square fills with stalls, there is live music and entertainment, and the town looks particularly attractive lit up for the season.
There are also regular beer and cider festivals, live music at the weekends in several of the pubs, and occasional events at Jean Stansfield Park and Vicarage Park Community Centre.
Day Trips from Poulton
Poulton is very well placed as a base. Here is what you can reach within a short drive:
Blackpool (10–15 minutes) — the Pleasure Beach, the Tower, the Illuminations (September–January), the promenade, the piers. Love it or avoid it, it is a ten-minute drive away and the children will probably insist.
Lytham St Annes (20 minutes) — a gentler, more elegant seaside town. The windmill on Lytham Green, the Victorian pier at St Annes, independent shops and cafes, and one of the best dog-friendly beaches on the coast.
Fleetwood (15 minutes) — the market (Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday), the tram terminus, the ferry to Knott End, the seafront and the fishing heritage. A proper Lancashire town with real character.
Cleveleys (10 minutes) — the seafront promenade, independent shops, cafes. Quieter than Blackpool, livelier than Knott End.
Lancaster (30 minutes) — the castle, the Ashton Memorial, the university, the canal. A fine city with a lot of history and good restaurants.
The Ribble Valley (40 minutes) — Clitheroe, the Forest of Bowland, country pubs, walking. Lancashire’s quiet, beautiful interior.
The Lake District (1 hour to Windermere) — entirely feasible as a day trip. We have a separate guide to visiting the Lake District from Poulton.
Walking from Highcross Corner
You do not need a car to enjoy Poulton. From Highcross Corner you can walk to:
- The town centre — 10 minutes along Hardhorn Road
- The railway station — 10 minutes along Breck Road
- Skippool Creek — 10 minutes along Breck Road
- Booth’s supermarket — 10 minutes (via town centre)
- Vicarage Park — 12 minutes
For longer walks, our dog-friendly beaches guide and the Skippool Creek / Wyre Way section above give several options.
Highcross Corner is a 5-bedroom self-catering house in Poulton-le-Fylde, sleeping up to 10 guests. Ten minutes’ walk from the town centre, the station and the shops. Check availability and book your stay →