Latest news with #MorecambeBay
The Sun
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Inside the £100milllion beachfront attraction with indoor gardens and pools set to transform seaside town
NEW images have revealed what to expect from the huge new Eden Project attraction. The Morecambe attraction is set to open in 2028, after being forced to delay its initial 2026 opening date. 5 5 5 More images have since been released by architects Grimshaw to show what it will look like when it opens. The huge dome like structures is being dubbed a "global garden" overlooking the bay. The unusual shaped resort has been "inspired by seashells" and will have a number of themed areas. The Realm of The Sun is a tropical area while the The Realm of the Moon is a "dark space". A central attraction will be a 65ft The Elder Tree sculpture, along with tidal rock pool exhibits. Huge tropical gardens and a "hyper-real forest" are also expected to be part of the attraction. Jolyon Brewis, Partner at Grimshaw, told the BBC: "Influenced by the natural rhythms of Morecambe, two extraordinary structures – the Realm of the Sun and the Realm of the Moon – will define this destination." Two other realms will also be on-site with more to be revealed nearer the time. Andy Jasper, chief executive officer of the Eden Project, said: "This project is profoundly important to us all. "It is not just a project for Morecambe, but for the whole of the UK, and we are delighted to share how the design process is progressing." The huge new UK attraction opening in 2025 with play areas, live shows and cafes – and it's right on the beach An official opening date and ticket prices are yet to be confirmed although the original Eden Project ticket cost around £38 per adult. Originally called Eden Project North, Eden Project Morecambe was first given the go-ahead back in March 2023. Previous plans revealed it is set to cost £100million to build. The new attraction which hopes to welcome 760,000 people a year, follows the success of the original Eden Project in Cornwall which opened in 2021. It has even hosted famous acts such as Elton John, Lionel Richie and Kylie Minogue. 5 And a number of other new Eden Project attractions are set to open in the UK. Eden Project Dundee is set to open in 2030, alongside the River Tay. This has also been delayed from its original 2026 opening date. There is also the £67million Eden Project in Londonderry set to open in Northern Ireland this year. When it does open, it claims to have Europe's biggest undercover playground. In the mean time, here are some other new theme parks and attractions opening in the UK. 5
The Sun
02-06-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Huge £100million beachfront attraction with indoor forests and treehouses forced to delay opening date
THE Eden Project in Morecambe has been pushed back by two years with an even later opening date, The new project costing £100m was expected to open in 2026, but work on the attraction is yet to start. 5 With changes still being made on the design details, Eden Project Morecambe is now expected to open in 2028 - two years later than originally planned. According to the BBC, Local Government Minister Alex Norris confirmed all allocated funding for the project would be in place by early 2026, when building work is likely to get under way. Despite the delay, an updated report has said that "work has been progressing". There will also be a big meeting on June 4 to discuss the Eden Project with Lancaster City Council's budget and performance panel. The Eden Project Morecambe was first given official government approval back in March 2023. It also secured £50million in Levelling Up funding to allow work to commence on the £100million project. The project was originally named Eden Project North, and the hope was that it would have the same success as the Eden Project in Cornwall, which opened in 2001. Plans for the site are very impressive, showing three huge egg-shaped structures looking over the bay. Other images of the potential site reveal walkways linking treehouses, as well as other wooden structures. Once completed, the new Eden Project will be home to a "hyper-real forest" with large installations and immersive theatre. The new £130million Eden Project attraction set to open in the UK 5 The plans also reveal a "Bay Glade" with a well-being landscape and a Natural Observatory for research and education. There will also be an exhibition area and meeting point for guests named the Bay Hall. The attraction will also have children's play areas, restaurants, cafes and a gift shop. The Eden Project website states: " Eden Project Morecambe will be a destination that combines indoor and outdoor experiences, connecting people with the internationally-significant natural environment of Morecambe Bay while also enhancing wellbeing. "Eden Project Morecambe will combine exhibits, performance, learning, play, immersive experiences, world-class horticulture, live music, art, food, beverage and retail spaces, all integrated as essential parts of the overall experience." 5 The site in Morecambe isn't the only one set to open in the UK, there's plans to build another Eden Project in Dundee. The Eden Project Dundee was also expected to open in 2026, but has been pushed back to 2030. The attraction is set to be built along the River Tay and attract as many as 500,000 tourists a year. Another Eden Project set to open is in Londonderry. This one is set to open this year - two years after the original opening date. The Eden Project Foyle in Northern Ireland is costing an estimated £67million and is set to have the biggest undercover play area in Europe. The main attraction will be the Acorn, a "performance area and play space" connected by walkway, with the entire site being the largest undercover play area in Europe. This includes zip wires, rope bridges, slides, floating boardwalks and paths on the roof that both adults and children can walk along. Here's more on Morecambe Bay - which got a huge boost from top ITV show. And a historic UK attraction you can visit now that was named the best in the country by Which?
The Sun
29-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Inside ‘appalling' £14m space-age tower once home to UK's highest motorway restaurant that's rotted away for 35 years
AN ABANDONED tower which was once home to the UK's highest motorway restaurant continues to rot away decades after its closure. The Forton Services, close to Lancaster, waved in motorists using the 3.5-mile stretch of the M6 for the first time in 1965. 3 3 The eye-catching hexagonal Pennine Tower formed part of the complex, and quickly became the site of a posh restaurant for famished drivers. Diners regularly tucked into grilled rainbow trout, fillet steaks, lobster, and local favourites like Lancashire Hot Pot and potted shrimps. It boasted dramatic views of the nearby Morecambe Bay and was likened to a UFO by some visitors. The Forton Services also came complete with self-service cafeterias, baby changing facilities, and showers for lorry drivers. Noreen Blackburn, a former waitress at the Pennine Tower, shared her experiences working at the now-dormant eatery. She said: "As I was eager to learn, my next job was serving tea and coffee tea was made in a huge teapot and poured as necessary coaches made the place very busy. "The phrase used was the 'tea and pee brigade'. "However, my greatest wish was to be a waitress in the 'tower' and I really pushed the catering manager to consider me. "The uniform was so chic in a shade of mid-green with a pencil slim skirt which had to be just above knee level, a white blouse, a waistcoat with shiny chrome buttons and a Top Rank emblem embroidered on it." The shine quickly wore off, with the restaurant slammed as "an insult to one's taste buds" by prominent food critic Egon Ronay. The Forton Services became better known as a rendez-vous point for truckers and pulled the plug in 1989. Recognising its significance, they awarded the tower Grade II listed status in 2012. Detailing its pedigree, the Historic England website says: "Forton demonstrated a new popularist architecture ideally suited to the democratic new aesthetic of the motorway. "The Pennine Tower Restaurant acting both as a beacon to attract the passing motorists and as a glamorous vantage point from which they were able to enjoy spectacular prospects of the motorway below and more extensively over the miles of surrounding countryside through which they [are] passing." Historic England also selected the Pennine Tower amongst eight pieces of architectural prowess inspired by the 1960s space race, culminating in 1969's lunar landing. It cited Forton services as an example of 'Space-age architecture', cheekily describing it as a "Star Wars ship next to a motorway". Online user Rob590 fondly recalled his visits to the unique building. "[In the '90s] Forton was one of the first buildings I grew to love," he said. "From our end it was the first landmark that you were going somewhere - Preston, Blackpool, Manchester or maybe even further. "It seemed impossibly huge, and to my eyes reinforced that we'd left our rural county for something bigger, modern and better."
The Sun
28-05-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Abandoned English lido delays reopening date after £6.8million restoration
MAKING WAVES Plus, the UK's best lidos that are open now Alice Penwill , Travel Reporter Published : 11:51, 28 May 2025 Updated : 11:51, 28 May 2025 WORK to upgrade the Grange Lido in Morecambe Bay began two years ago - but it's now missed its second opening date. The salt-water lido overlooking Lakeland Fells has been closed since 1993 with plans to refurbish it with £6.8million worth of funding starting in April 2023. 4 The Grange Lido in Morecambe Bay has been undergoing upgrades Credit: West Morland and Furness Council 4 The lido has been closed since 1993 Credit: Alamy When work began on the Grade II listed site at Grange-over-Sands, the project was expected to last 14 months. However the original reopening of summer 2024 was delayed, and it has been set back once again. The first phase of the restoration is to reopen the site with a temporary infill of the pool to create a new multi-use public space. The Westmorland and Furness Council said it was sorry to "disappoint" residents and it would announce a new reopening date in the coming weeks. There is good news though as council leader Jonathan Brook said most of the work on the project had been completed and it looked "fantastic". He added: "It is important that we get this right, understanding that the lido project seeks to restore this important structure after more than 30 years of closure and several previous attempts to bring it back to life." Completed works at the lido include an upgrade to the pavilion building as well as an accessible entrance from the promenade. The changing rooms have been upgraded, and works to the roof and terraces has been completed, along with security upgrades, cleaning, and external decoration. The lido fell into disrepair in 1993, so significant structural and architectural works have been undertaken - including concrete repairs to the diving board. A new playground area has also been installed on the site. New £4million lido to open in UK next year 4 The lido overlooks Lakeland Fells Credit: Alamy The Grange Lido is one of only four remaining listed coastal lidos in England, it was constructed in 1932 and remained open for 61 years. It was closed in 1993 due to low usage and rising repair costs. It remains the earliest and most complete 20th-century listed sea water lido in England. In 2011, the lido was granted grade II listed status and in the same year, the Save Grange Lido group was formed. The group has grown in strength with 18,000 people signing a petition calling on the council to include reopening of the pool in any plans to restore the lido. During the second phrase of the restoration project, the infill will be removed. The 50m pool will eventually be restored, fitting out changing rooms, and extending the central pavilion. This seafront English lido has been named one of the best in Europe. Here's another Edwardian lido that people say is like 'being in the Med' named one of the best in the UK. And the UK's best outdoor water parks and lidos to visit when the temperatures are set to soar. 4 The Grange Lido is set to be turned back into a pool during phase two Credit: Alamy
BBC News
27-05-2025
- Climate
- BBC News
Morecambe Bay quicksand warning issued to visitors
Visitors planning to explore Morecambe Bay are being warned to watch out for a hidden Search and Rescue said they had discovered more patches of quicksand this year than they had for Parsons, who leads the rescue team, urged visitors to stick with organised events by those who know and understand the landscape."You don't see it until you're on it," he said. "Then all of a sudden a crack will appear and you will see the water come through the sand because we're on a giant blancmange."Mr Parsons said the beach had been affected by some "very big spring tides over the course of the last two months"."I've not seen it like this in my 30-plus years of being involved in search and rescue," he who become trapped in quicksand or those who believe someone is in trouble are advised to call 999 immediately and ask for the Unsworth, from Bay Search and Rescue, said the best thing people could do if they became stuck was to lie down distribute their weight over as great an area as possible."Sit yourself down and spread your weight so you don't sink any further, or even lie down," he are also advised to check the tide times with signs positioned around the bay to provide safety information. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Lancashire on Sounds and follow BBC Lancashire on Facebook, X and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
