Eight promenade shelters and the Middle and Lower Walk Colonnades are now Grade II listed; meaning they are of special interest, warranting every effort to preserve them.
The Middle and Lower Walk Colonnades are reinforced concrete structures that run for around one kilometre along Blackpool’s seafront.
They were designed by the Borough Surveyor’s chief architectural assistant John Charles Robinson, who later became the Borough Architect.
Following Blackpool’s growth as an important leisure destination in the second half of the 19th century, the early 20th century saw further improvement and extension of the town’s three-level promenades.
The Lower Walk colonnade was built in 1923 as a link between the upper and lower levels, and a gateway to the middle level.
From 1923 to 1925, the Middle Walk colonnade was built as a strengthening structure and a way of vertically stacking the upper walk over the middle walk. This allowed the tram tracks to be moved to free up road space for cars.
The seafront is lined with promenade shelters - most of which have stood for more than 100 years as civic features intended to enhance the street scene.
Eight shelters are already listed at Grade II and now another eight shelters have been listed.
Most of the shelters were made between 1903 and 1904 by renowned iron-founders Walter MacFarlane and Co (MacFarlanes), of Glasgow and the Lion Foundry Company, of Kirkintilloch.
They were commissioned by Blackpool Corporation, some especially for the ‘new promenade’ at South Shore.
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