Market Street in Blackpool Town Centre

It’s a busy spot, Market Street in Blackpool Town Centre. Joining Talbot Square with Church Street, it’s the location of the Town Hall, a hub for public transport, and home to a handy multi-storey car park. Take a look at the street today – and find out some interesting things from its past! We went to take a look –

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Where is it?

The north end of Market Street meets Talbot Square between the old Town Hall building and Forshaws Hotel – formerly the Clifton – not far from North Pier. West Street/Birley Street crosses it in the middle and Market Street continues south as far as its junction with Church Street. B&M – the old BHS building – is to the east and Bank Hey Street opposite. Here’s a map showing its location. Click on it to explore.

Bus Hub, Car Parks and Traffic Rules

Market Street and Corporation Street collectively form the town centre Bus Hub, created in 2019 after the redevelopment of Blackpool’s old bus station at Talbot Road. Multiple parking bays line-up to various bus shelters, making a handy changing point for connecting services. Find out more about the Bus Hub here.

West Street multi-story car park, just off Market Street, is a handy one for access to the heart of the town centre. To drive into it, access is from the north via Talbot Square. Drive along the one-way Market Street and you’ll see West Street car park clearly signed (and visible) at the first left turn you come to. More here about alternative places to park in Blackpool.

Beyond West Street, vehicle access is limited to buses and authorised vehicles only. It’s controlled with a ‘Bus Gate’. This means CCTV cameras record vehicle registration plates and anyone unauthorised to be driving there will receive a ticket. It’s clearly marked on the floor and with signage.

Old History

Today, Market Street is just a road that we use to get from A-B. It’s a busy, bustling street which connects two of the towns main arteries – Talbot Road and Church Street. You’ll probably walk along it and not notice anything remarkable. But like everywhere, the buildings tell a story of people and times gone by.

MANY THANKS to Nick Moore and his fascinating History of Blackpool for some of the historical information used in this post and the film. You can read it here

Blackpool Town Hall

The old Blackpool Town Hall is a beautiful, period building. Try and remember to take a look during Heritage Open Days. Held in September each year it gives free access to places just like this.

Today’s current Town Hall is the second one on the site, opened in 1900 with its main entrance at Talbot Square. It does retain some of the original Market Street frontage of 1896. A spire once topped the roof of the main tower but it was removed in July 1966.

Progress House – the modern building next to it added in 1938 – included a covered bridge at first floor level. Apparently the garages accessed today from the Market Street side are a new addition. Prior to their existence you could have walked under the bridge from the main entrance at Corporation Street.

Below: Progress House and the bridge between the two Town Hall buildings – see the garages underneath

Feldmans Arcade

This attractive, art-deco building opened in 1924 at 100 Promenade, stretching through to 13-15 Market Street. With a shopping arcade underneath, the entertainment venue included a music emporium and a cafe.

In the 1960s the Market Street aspect became Diana Warren menswear outlet. Mrs Slocombe in the iconic 1970s sitcom ‘Are You Being Served’ was modelled on manageress Betty Wansker, who Mollie Sugden had seen acting at the Royal Pavilion! After Diana Warren it became Clifton Arcade Market – and is now Yates (below).

Layton Rakes

JD Wetherspoon opened this popular Blackpool town centre pub, complete with Black Plaque, on 22 November 2011. Son of Blackpool’s most famous clown, Charlie Cairoli Jr. performed the opening honours. Layton Rakes was a small Blackpool hamlet, in the Devonshire Square area.

Brannigans

The Golden Fleece Hotel started publican life on this site, way back in 1848. This original public house was extended and rebuilt but, like so many others, finally demolished. On 27 May 1939 the sparkling new building opened as the Fleece Hotel. Brannigans, the name we know it as now, opened in the same building on 11 March 2016.

Booths

In 1847, Edwin Henry Booth lived in Church Street but bought a barn in Market Street and converted it to a tea shop called China House. He was responsible for introducing the first Italian delicacies to Blackpool (thankyou!)

From 1896 he began selling wines and spirits. The site of this first Booths at 22 Market Street is roughly where the Blackpool Transport hub is (above). Once a public information point, it’s now a rest facility for staff and drivers. In 1900 Booths moved from Market Street to Albert Terrace. In 1902 his son extended the shop and added a cafe.

Bowling Alley

Coyote Ugly opened on the first floor of this large building in the summer of 2024. Their bar is dual aspect, with entrances at the Promenade and Market Street.

Above is the 30 lane 10-pin bowling alley, opened on 17 December 1966 by the Beverley Sisters. To honour the Savoy Cafe which originally occupied this block, the Lobster Pot Group called their new 10-pin alley the Savoy Bowl. It was very popular and stars appearing at the various theatres even set up their own 10-pin bowling league!

BHS Block

What’s now the building between Market Street, Church Street and Corporation Street was once a warren of small streets and buildings. They were cleared in 1939 to make way for the widening of Market Street.

There’s a long running quip in Blackpool that the town is always building car parks, but it’s a useful way to clear derelict properties and make way for development. This area is a good example. After demolition of the slum streets in 1939, the site was a popular open air market and car park until 1956.

It was 1957 when the British Home Stores (BHS) block, complete with car park above, was later built.