Have a look around the seaside high streets of St Annes Town Centre, with Visit St Annes.
It’s quite a compact shopping area, centred around the main road of St Annes Road West. The high street is at right angles to the A584 Clifton Drive, the main through-road between Blackpool and Lytham.
The seafront and beach is close to the town centre shopping area, as is the beautiful Ashton Gardens.
Take a look around…
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St Annes Town Centre: an attractive place to shop
The wide, open high street of St Annes Road West is an attractive main street with a good mix of shops. It’s a lovely place to visit, lined on both sides with gardens and wide walkways. Spend time there and make it part of your day in St Annes, it’s a pleasant way to pass a few hours and pick up your shopping. There are plenty of facilities and the town centre is just a short walk from the beach, promenade and pier.
Each year, the centre of town bursts into colour through the hard work of the St Annes In Bloom team. Hanging baskets appear and flower beds are transformed into amazing displays of colourful blooms.
With stores arranged side-by-side it’s a compact town centre and only a short walk from one store to the next. Enjoy national names and local independents, interspaced with places to eat. And there’s ample seating along the high street where you can sit awhile before continuing on your shopping mission.
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Enjoy the many shelters, benches and seating areas. The public spaces create a nice backdrop to the shops along this main street. There are plenty of pavement cafes too. Take a breather and watch the world go by, then carry on with your shopping!
National Names and Independents
Are you looking for something special, or different, and like to be able to buy nice things for yourself, your home or your friends? Then a few hours shopping in St Annes is certainly for you!
Attracting visitors and holiday makers along with residents of the Fylde Coast, there are plenty of national high street names here. Including both Sainsbury’s and Aldi supermarkets plus a Tesco Express on the high street. There’s Boots, New Look, TG Jones (WH Smith) and similar.
Parallel to St Annes Road West is Back St Annes Rd West. Reach it via any of a number of interlinked side streets. You’ll also find plenty of local independent stores in this area.
Independents are mostly along these side streets off St Annes Road West and between them sell pretty much most things! There are boutiques and clothes shops for all the family, along with food outlets, gift shops and homewares. Plus of course, plenty of cafes, bars and restaurants.
The New St Annes Town Square
The St Annes Improvements Project is new for 2025. A cornerstone of the St Annes Masterplan, it’s bringing transformative changes to the town centre. A new St Annes town centre ‘square’ provides opportunities for an adaptable area by reducing the dominance of the existing road and increasing the paved area. The street’s been de-cluttered to improve visibility and connectivity between retailers and hospitality outlets. This area will serve the community better and enhance the town – for a wide range of events, markets and community activities.
To improve transport links and connections to the other shopping streets, the bus stops on St Annes Road West are now at the top of the square. Landscaping has been refreshed and lowered, and with new, modern seating and pedestrian surfaces there’s better access and a better look.
Improvements at Orchard Road and Garden Street
Two other key projects will also enhance accessibility, connectivity, and the overall visitor experience.
The first focuses on Garden Street, where a £1.5 million investment will create a pedestrian-friendly link between Ashton Gardens and St Annes Square. The scheme includes upgraded public spaces, improved footfall routes, better lighting and flexible areas for community use. Public engagement will help shape the final design, with works planned outside the peak tourist season to reduce disruption.
The second project is in partnership with St Annes Town Council. Orchard Road is being improved by addressing safety concerns and enhancing the route between St Annes Square and Wood Street. Upgrades include resurfaced paving, improved lighting, new planting, and the reuse of existing materials to preserve the street’s character.
These projects are part of a broader programme of St Annes Square improvements. Including new transport infrastructure and the creation of shared community spaces. Collectively, they support the long-term vision of making St Annes a more attractive, accessible, and vibrant destination for all.
Amenities in St Annes Town Centre
As you’d expect in any busy town centre, there are plenty of public amenities in St Annes to make your visit a pleasurable one.
Car Parking
There are Pay and Display parking bays between the shops and main road along one side of St Annes Road West.
You’ll find another two pay and display car parks against the Pier at the seafront. It’s just a short walk from the town centre.
There’s an NCP car park behind the former JR Taylor department store, opposite Ashton Gardens.
Sainsbury’s supermarket has a large car park for store customers.
Limited free on-street spaces are available along side streets around the town centre and at the promenade.
Train Travel
St Annes railway station is in a convenient place, just off the high street. It’s at the inland end of St Annes Road West, near to Home Bargains/Sainsbury’s. As you travel inland along St Annes Road West it gives way to The Crescent. The shops continue as the road rises above the railway line, and you’ll see the railway station below you.
- There’s more about transport to and around St Annes here.
Public Toilets
Danfo operate the public toilets along the Fylde Coast. They’re individual cubicle blocks, with coin operated entry. You’ll find a block of loos adjacent to the railway station. More public toilets are next to the Pier.
Near to St Annes Town Centre
St Annes is one of only a few British towns which were originally planned and built on a grid pattern. Nearby Fleetwood is another one. This does make it much more easy to find your way around!
Head West along St Annes Road West in a westerly direction and of course you’ll arrive at the coast. It’s just a short walk from the shops to the Pier, promenade, beach and seafront attractions. So you can enjoy a full, family day out with something for everyone, all close at hand.
If you stand facing inland, to your left at the rear of St Annes Road West on St George’s Road is the beautiful Ashton Gardens. Just a short walk from the main shopping area it’s a traditional park. Enjoy formal gardens, kids play facilities and the park cafe.
At the other side of St Annes Road West, side streets lead to Wood Street where you’ll find even more shops.
Join us in this walk around St Annes seafront, where you’ll see just how close the town is to the beach –
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I remember scrambling all over the rock gardens and the waterfall near the stepping stones as a kid.I bring my own kids to St.Anne’s every now and then ,I want them to enjoy its old fashioned charm and loveliness as much as I did as a child.
Reading and looking at photos it definitely inspires me to visit.
We used to have a week’s holiday in the Summer in St. Anne’s when we were kids, and we loved it. The only trouble was the long walk out to the sea – in my memory it only appeared once a week and that was on a Saturday morning just before we had to get the coach to go home! We used to stay in a ‘flatlet’ – no rest for our mum who shopped and cooked just as usual. She preferred St. Anne’s to Blackpool [too busy] but we’d have a weekly trip up to Blackpool to see a show. We used to go to the cinema twice in the week in St. Anne’s as the film changed mid-week as I remember. And, we also went to the theatre – so we had a really good week with the whole family going out together in the evening – my mum and dad must have saved hard to manage this. I then had my honeymoon there!! And that night [Saturday, 20/07/74] the pier caught on fire and I think it was burned down. It looks great now from the photos. A lovely place all round. Thank you St. Anne’s for happy memories.