A weekend in Blackpool with the kids

2 days For families Built from visitor-rated places

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Blackpool with children doesn't have to mean two days of arcades. This weekend pairs the seaside with a run of castles, and the driving is gentler than you'd think: 8.1 miles from Hornby Castle to lunch at Cafe Dolce, then 12.5 miles on to Burton Castle (site of). Day two stretches a little further — 24.1 miles to Gleaston Castle — but there's a proper sit-down at The Pheasant Inn, open Su-We 12:00-23:00 and Th-Sa 12:00-23:30, to break the day in half.

Base yourself where small legs can stretch. Berkeley - BK003 Saltmarsh sleeps 5, sits 0.8 miles from Blackpool North station and a mile from Bispham beach, rated Good for bathing water by the Environment Agency; Ferndale Bungalow sleeps 4, has EV charging nearby and Cleveleys beach 4.1 miles away, also rated Good. Arriving by train? Blackpool North is your station, and the Britannia Grand Metropole Hotel is just 0.3 miles from it.

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Day 1

Start at Hornby Castle while everyone's fresh, then it's a short 8.1 miles to Cafe Dolce (food hygiene rating 5/5) for a proper tea-room lunch and a sit-down before the afternoon. The 12.5 miles on to Burton Castle (site of) is long enough for a nap in the back seat, and the open ground there is ideal for letting the children burn off the last of their energy before you head back.

Morning

Hornby Castle

Castle & Heritage

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Lunch

Cafe Dolce

Tea Rooms

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Afternoon

Burton Castle (site of)

Castle & Heritage

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Day 2

Day two front-loads the driving: 24.1 miles to Gleaston Castle, so set off after breakfast with snacks in the bag and let the kids roam the ruins properly once you arrive. Lunch is 8.3 miles away at The Pheasant Inn (hygiene rating 5/5, open from 12:00 daily), then a gentle 10 miles to Dalton Castle to finish — short enough that nobody's grumbling by the time you get there.