53°52′28″N 3°01′26″W / 53.874434°N 3.023875°W
| Ramper Road (formerly) | |
 The start of Victoria Road East in Thornton Centre (2019) | |
 | |
| Length | 2 mi (3.2 km) |
|---|---|
| Location | Thornton-Cleveleys, Lancashire |
| East end | Station Road |
| West end | South Promenade |
Victoria Road is a major thoroughfare in Thornton-Cleveleys, Lancashire, England.[1] Originally known as Ramper Road,[2][3] it runs for about 2 miles (3.2 km) from Station Road (at its junction with Balmoral Place) in Thornton, in the east, to South Promenade in Cleveleys, in the west. Its addresses are denoted as "Victoria Road East" or "Victoria Road East", the split occurring at the Amounderness Way roundabout carrying traffic of the A585 between Poulton-le-Fylde and Fleetwood. The road picks up the B5412 designation from Station Road until The Crescent and Brighton Avenue (the A587) in Cleveleys.
Blackpool Tramway crosses Victoria Road West at the junction of Rossall Road, The Crescent and Brighton Avenue in Cleveleys.
The westernmost section of Victoria Road, in Cleveleys, is known for its plethora of cafes. This section is often called the "jewel in Wyre's crown",[4] although Victoria Road West received widespread support for road-safety improvements in 2023.[5]
History edit
According to Ben Bowman of the Blackpool Gazette and Herald: "At Cleveleys there was no highway to Thornton until Ramper Road (now Victoria Road) was constructed of gravel over the marsh to Thornton, under an order called the Marsh Act Award of 1805," but a 1786 William Yates map shows Ramper Road was already in place. It is possible that the road continued almost exactly 1 mile (1.6 km) beyond its current eastern terminus to Bulker Ford at Skippool Creek, which is believed to have been a Roman crossing over the River Wyre to Hambleton.[6]
A river, believed to be a distributary of the River Wyre, once followed the route of Victoria Road. Borehole samples have provided evidence of a major watercourse.[7]
Junctions edit
Victoria Road forms junctions with the below major roads (listed from east to west):
- Fleetwood Road (at Four Lane Ends) (B5268)
- Amounderness Way (A585)
- North Drive
- The Crescent, Brighton Avenue and Rossall Road (all the A587)[1]
Notable landmarks edit
- Thornton Centre
- Thornton Library
- Thornton Sports Centre
- Marsh Farmhouse (built in 1803; Grade II listed)
- Victoria Hotel
- Cleveleys Hotel (demolished)[8]
- The Regal Hotel
J. L. Bean Bakers is the oldest shop on Victoria Road West. It has been in business since 1933.[9]
Neal's Family Bakery on Victoria Road West was established in 1938. It announced plans to close in March 2024,[10] but was saved by a new owner.[11]
Business closures edit
Fredericks, a clothing store established in 1989, closed in 2024.[12]
Victoria Road West's TSB Bank was one of seventy branches which closed in 2022.[13][14]
Argos closed its Victoria Road West store in 2020, one of 120 such closures nationwide.[15]
Public transportation edit
Victoria Road is served by Blackpool Transport's routes 7A and 75, Transpora's routes 24, 648 and 660 and Archway Travel's 526.
References edit
- ^ a b "19 nostalgic Cleveleys pictures which capture Victoria Road West and the town centre, 70s, 80s and 90s" – Blackpool Gazette, 22 February 2023
- ^ "Victoria Road West Thornton-Cleveleys". Red Rose Collections from Lancashire County Council. Retrieved 2024-03-29.
- ^ "Victoria Road Thornton-Cleveleys". Red Rose Collections from Lancashire County Council. Retrieved 2024-03-29.
- ^ Hunt, Richard (2024-02-28). "The jewel in Wyre's crown plagued by empty shops and vandalism". Lancs Live. Retrieved 2024-03-29.
- ^ Hunt, Richard; Earnshaw, Tom (2023-11-08). "Business shuts with 'astronomical business rates' parting shot". Lancs Live. Retrieved 2024-03-29.
- ^ "Roman Roads in Lancashire". www.romanroads.org. Retrieved 2024-03-11.
- ^ Cleveleys, Visit (2021-03-13). "Look Back into the History of Cleveleys • a look back with Visit Cleveleys". Cleveleys. Retrieved 2024-03-29.
- ^ "Vista of sunsets inspired Fylde Garden City dream" – Blackpool Gazette, 22 January 2021
- ^ "Cleveleys bakers JL Bean celebrating 90 years of business in same high street shop" – Blackpool Gazette, 5 June 2023
- ^ Macpherson, Jon (2024-01-07). "Beloved Lancashire bakery serving generations of customers announces closure". Lancs Live. Retrieved 2024-03-29.
- ^ "Customers thrilled as 86-year-old Family Bakery in Cleveleys saved from closure" – Blackpool Gazette, 29 March 2024
- ^ "Fredericks menswear shop in Cleveleys is to close nine months after it was saved by new owners" – Blackpool Gazette, 13 March 2024
- ^ Finnis, Alex (2021-12-01). "The full list of 70 TSB bank branches set to close in the UK". inews.co.uk. Retrieved 2024-03-29.
- ^ Jones, Rupert (2021-11-30). "TSB to close quarter of branches in 'another hammer blow' to UK high street". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-03-29.
- ^ "Argos confirms its Cleveleys store has permanently closed" – Blackpool Gazette, 7 December 2020