St Annes Beach Huts

The beach huts at St Annes are exactly what you'd expect from a Lancashire seaside - colourful wooden boxes lined up in perfect rows, each one a small statement of ownership and pride. They're the sort of thing you see in postcards, and in person they're somehow even more appealing, especially on a bright morning when the paint really pops against the grey Irish Sea.

You won't spend hours here - it's not that sort of attraction. What you do is walk the promenade, take photos if you're that way inclined, maybe grab a coffee from one of the cafes nearby and settle in to watch the day go by. The beach itself is decent enough for a paddle or a walk, with proper golden sand rather than the shale you get further down the coast. Kids will enjoy spotting which hut is which colour and counting them, though honestly most under-tens will get restless after twenty minutes.

This works best as part of a broader St Annes wander rather than a destination in itself. The town has a relaxed, slightly faded charm that feels authentic rather than theme-parked, which is refreshing near Blackpool. If you're staying at Sea View Caravan Park or Ribby Hall Village, you're only a few miles away, so it's an easy morning or late-afternoon detour. Free to look at, obviously. Go on a sunny day - on a grey one it's a bit melancholy.