Gynn Square

Gynn Square is a bit of a red-herring to describe this landmark place at Blackpool North Shore. The most obvious roundabout at the centre of it is a circle! However, the buildings do frame the space in what could vaguely be described as a ‘square’ – if you squint!

It’s an attractive space, with surrounding parks and gardens and close by the seafront, promenade and tram stops. You’ll find plenty of holiday accommodation here too as it’s always been a popular place to stay.

Where is Gynn Square?

Find it where the Promenade of North Shore meets Queens Promenade at the big Gynn roundabout, at Blackpool North Shore.

During Blackpool Illuminations season there’s usually a large, feature display right in the centre of the roundabout!

Here’s a Google map showing where it is. Click on the map to explore.

What’s at Gynn Square?

Gynn Square is a convergence point where three main roads meet. North Promenade meets Queen’s Promenade and, heading inland, Warbreck Hill Road.

There’s a large surface car park which is open 24 hours. It’s motorhome friendly, allowing you to park overnight. There are also numerous EV chargers. Nearby there is also free on-street parking which is ideal if you just want to pop to the seafront for a walk.

There’s a fair amount of green open space in the area. At the left, Gynn Gardens is a very pleasant park with mature shrubbery and children’s playground. Opposite and adjacent to the car park is Flagstaff Gardens – a grassy space with benches to take in the views. There’s also the sunken Jubilee Gardens which you’ll find just over the road against the seafront.

Did you know? The Gynn Gardens was once the site of The Brickcroft – the source of clay for many of Blackpool’s red brick buildings.

Public facilities are somewhat limited and it is a quieter place in contrast to the hustle and bustle of nearby Central Promenade. However, there is the Gynn Pub and restaurant on the sweep of the roundabout and a couple of sandwich shops nearby. You’ll find public toilets against the seawall opposite the roundabout, and just over the wall at Lower Walk is the Hole in the Wall Cafe.

The Gynn Wall is a popular sea fishing location. You’ll need a fishing parking permit from Blackpool Council. This allows you to park your car and fish from the Promenade Lower Walk, between Gynn Square and Redbank Road.

Places to Stay around Gynn Square

Choose from a wide variety of accommodation at Gynn Square. These are all small, independent hotels, guest houses, bed and breakfast and apartments. You’ll get a home-from-home welcome.

• Take a closer look at hotels around Gynn Square
• Places to stay along the seafront from Gynn Square heading north along Queen’s Promenade
• And hotels from the Metropole near North Pier to Gynn Square

History of The Gynn

You might be surprised to learn just how old the Gynn area is! Tales of Vikings beaching their longboats in clefts at the cliffs date way back to 793. These long-ago ancestors were raiding inland to Poulton – the prosperous port town at the time.

The small inlet in the cliffs was often used as sheltered anchorage for passing vessels over the years. So it’s no surprise that it’s also the location of more than one Fylde Coast shipwreck.

Here and Gone

Like most of the Fylde Coast (and in fact the UK) the Gynn area was once farmland. In 1680, Oxendale was the farm above Warbreck Gynn. The path in the small valley led from the hill to the sea and the stream alongside it was later culverted under Gynn Gardens.

The original Gynn Inn dates back to 1715 – it was one of Blackpool’s earliest hostelries. Originally located roughly where the roundabout is today, it closed on 2 May 1921 before being demolished later that summer, from 15 August. Then, Gynn Square was redesigned to enable the Promenade Tramway and the Fleetwood Tramway to be joined. Previously they’d been two separate systems!

For many years there wasn’t a road north beyond the Gynn. Patrons of the by now very popular Uncle Tom’s Cabin had to hire a carriage or walk the rest of the way.

It was 27 May 1939 when the current Gynn Hotel opened. The semi-circular building is designed to sit alongside the landscape, following the sweeping corner of Dickson Road.

Did you know? Blackpool’s oldest postbox can be found at Gynn Square! Marked ‘VR’ this antique stands at the corner of Gynn Avenue and Dickson Road.

Memories of Gynn Square

Many of our readers have old treasures and collections of postcards, brochures and receipts. Have you got any old literature relating to Gynn Square? If you have please email it to jane@theRabbitPatch.co.uk and we’ll include it here. Full credit given of course.

Peter Holt shared this photo from one of his past holidays in 1967/68. It still looks very familiar!

Illuminations Features at Gynn Roundabout

If you love Blackpool you’ll know that Gynn Roundabout has been home to plenty of Illuminations features over the years. In 1997 it was the beautiful Carousel, complete with horses. Then in 2012 the Rocket Tram, 2014 Dr Who and in 2020 the first Spitfire.

MANY THANKS to Nick Moore and his fascinating History of Blackpool for historical information used in this article. You can read it in full here.

Spitfire Island

The first replica spitfire appeared at Gynn roundabout in 2020, provided by Hangar 42 Spitfire Display Museum at Squires Gate. Sadly, this was also the year of the worst of the pandemic, so this plane didn’t really get the recognition or publicity which it deserved.

But in 2023 all that changed when the new-look Spitfire Island was unveiled at the 1 September Illuminations Switch On, sponsored by kit-makers Airfix. The two smaller ones have been 3D printed using the latest technology. These stunning reproductions look exactly like a model plane kit and really show off the planes in flight. The people of Blackpool raised the funds to buy three planes during WW2 and these are copies of Progress I, II and III.

Gynn Square has also been known as Spitfire Island while the planes have been in residence, but now it’s even the name you’ll see on Google maps!