West Street in Blackpool Town Centre

West Street is at the heart of Blackpool Town Centre. The short street links to the promenade and is full of interesting finds!

West Street in Blackpool Town Centre

West Street is one of the oldest streets of Blackpool, dating as far back as 1754. In this page we’ll take a look at it as it is today, and some interesting secrets from its past.

We’ve made a couple of videos, each a few years apart, walking from the promenade along West Street and Birley Street. This is the most recent one, filmed in March 2026:

Filmed back in February 2021, the next video is actually from the time of the Covid-19 pandemic. See how the streets were deserted, as everyone is told to stay at home.

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Where is it?

West Street starts at the Promenade next door to Roberts Oyster Bar and cuts through Market Street. It ends at a cross roads at Corporation Street, continuing inland as Birley Street. See the red pin on the map below. Click on the map to explore –

What’s at West Street?

At the Promenade corner of West Street is the iconic Roberts Oyster Bar. The distinctive white building with bold black letters has occupied this plot for decades.

Next to it is The Mitre, Blackpool’s smallest pub!

Opposite, at the corner with Market Street, is one of Blackpool’s several Wetherspoon pubs – the Layton Rakes.

Market Street cuts through West Street here, a busy street which is now part of the town’s bus hub, along with Church Street and Corporation Street. There’s a ‘Bus Gate’ here, which means that ordinary motorists will receive a ticket for driving in the area. Don’t go this way!

Continue heading inland and the back of Blackpool Council’s new section of town hall is at your left. It’s a relatively modern addition to the Victorian stone building accessed from Talbot Square – the door to the extension is at Corporation Street.

Opposite is the entrance to West Street multi-storey car park. It’s a very convenient spot for all the main town centre area, and a really handy Blackpool car park. However, it’s a mid-twentieth century building with some tight turns, so perhaps not suitable for nervous drivers!

West Street then ends at the junction with Corporation Street (where the NatWest Bank is) continuing as Birley Street.

West Street Back in the Day

Did you know? Most of the land that’s now Birley Street and Church Street was a large orchard?

But the orchards of 1825 were to change, with the formation of a new grass path, laid out in 1828, from the promenade to St John’s Church. Covered in gravel it became Birley Street – named after Thomas Birley of Kirkham.

He was one of the trustees of the William Gaulter Charity – which became Lytham Schools Charities in 1773. In 1754, the charity bought land in and around the hamlet of Blackpool for £500. They were big investors of the day, people willing to take a risk with their own money. Just like todays investors risk their own money on projects in Blackpool today.

The Rose and Crown has seen some changes over the years. Originally the Crown Inn, it’s had various names and uses over the years. It was only in 1988 when the name was lengthened to ‘Rose and Crown’. At one time there was even a private cinema upstairs, with seating for 100.

Keep your eyes open when you walk through these old streets of Blackpool. Look up and around to see lots of decorative features. Like this 1897 ornamental date plaque above one of the buildings at Birley Street –

Other streets to explore…

There’s all kinds of interesting things to explore in Blackpool town centre. Visit shops, businesses, attractions, cafes and pubs of today. Keep an eye out for traces of the past as you walk around…

• Birley Street – the next street heading inland
• Look around Cedar Square, the area to the right of St John’s Church
• Explore Church Street – from the sea past The Grand, M&S and the Winter Gardens
• Corporation Street – bisects Birley Street and West Street
• And Market Street also cuts across West Street
• St Johns Square – the area between the church and Winter Gardens front entrance
• Take a look at Talbot Square – opposite North Pier

And there’s much, much more to explore! MANY THANKS to Nick Moore and his fascinating History of Blackpool for historical information used in this page.