Blackpool Then and Now: 13 scenes of contrast which show urban changes in Layton spanning a century
By Claire Lark
Published 14th Dec 2022, 11:17 BST
Updated 14th Dec 2022, 14:08 BST
The Blackpool district of Layton has always retained its own identity and sense of community.
With Westcliffe Drive running through the centre, it has its own shopping centre and still has rows of shops either side of the road. With help from Google Street View, these then and now images show, as near as possible, key sites in Layton comparing how they were in decades past to how they look today. Buildings which are long gone feature in a couple of the photos, but they show how Layton has thrived in its own right through the years.
The top picture is Bunnock Hall in 1926, opposite the windmill at Hoo Hill which used to stand at the end of Westcliffe Drive at the junction with Bispham Road and Poulton Road. Wade's Farm can be seen in the distance and the men working in the fields are in fact working on the construction of the new Poulton Road. Of course it's all completely changed now as the recent photo shows Photo: National World
The grounds of Layton Hall were bounded by Newton Drive, Collingwood Avenue and Hollywood Avenue. The Hall was built in the mid 18th century and demolished in 1927 , when the gate posts were moved to the south entrance of Stanley Park. The caption says a pear tree was still in place and was all that remained of the old orchard. Wonder if it is still there? Photo: staff