The Parish of Lytham St Annes in the County of -- Lancashire --

Lytham St Annes

	Royal Lytham & St.Annes Golf Club Photograph supplied by and © of Brian Young

Lytham St Annes is a conurbation in the Fylde district of Lancashire, England. The neighbouring towns of Lytham and St-Annes-on-Sea (the latter nearly always abbreviated to St Annes) have grown together and now form a seaside resort, sometimes seen as a smaller and more genteel alternative to nearby Blackpool. St.Annes-on-Sea used to be called Heyhouses, a part of Lytham, until the Parish church of St.Ann was built in 1872, at which time it took its name from the church. Lytham and St Annes, together with the smaller communities of Ansdell and Fairhaven, retain their individuality and are described in more detail below.

The towns are situated on the Fylde coast, south of Blackpool at the point where the coastline turns east to form the estuary of the River Ribble leading inland to Preston. St Annes is situated on the northern side of the turning and, like Blackpool, overlooks the Irish Sea, whereas Lytham is on the eastern side and overlooks the Ribble Estuary.

Lytham St Annes is internationally renowned for golf and has four courses, the most notable being the Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club, one of the host courses for the Open Championship, also known as the "British Open", which has been a competition course since first hosting the Open in 1926. Approximately once every ten years, the coming of The Open - a major sporting event - brings a major influx of visitors, including the world's media, into a fairly peaceful community.

The other significant local events are the annual St Annes Carnival and Lytham Club Day, both of which include a procession of decorated floats, the crowning of a carnival queen and a funfair. These events, held over a weekend, bring in many visitors from the surrounding towns. Lytham Club Day, in late June, is the larger of the two.

Like similar seaside resorts, St Annes in particular is a popular place to retire to, which has resulted in the average age of the population being higher than the national average. There are a considerable number of nursing and retirement homes, many located in former large houses along Clifton Drive, one of the main roads linking Lytham and St Annes. Many other large Victorian and Edwardian residences have been converted to apartments.

Lytham St Annes is considered to be a wealthy area with residents' earnings amongst the highest in Lancashire. It is popular with engineers and scientists from the nearby BAE Systems site in Warton, which provides some highly paid jobs that underpin the local economy.Doctors, lawyers and other professionals from Blackpool and Preston are also attracted to the area. House prices have risen considerably in the last few years and are currently above the national average. Lytham St Annes recently saw its first apartment sell for £1 million. There were so many inquiries for the property that the developer, Rowland, insisted on sealed bids.

	Lytham Hall Photograph supplied by and © of Brian Young

Since 1984 Lytham St Annes has been twinned with the German town of Werne.