property, homes and houses for sale in Lancashire

The European Capital of Culture, illuminations and ferries across the Mersey.

Living in Lancashire

A county of contrasts, Lancashire has homes to suit every taste and budget. City centre apartments, cosy edge of town terraces, suburban executive homes, seaside villas and idyllic country cottages - you name it, Lancashire has it.

Lancashire's towns and villages have a range of older properties full of character and history, as well as many more modern developments and those on the cutting edge of design.

Wherever you choose to live, Lancashire offers a quality of life that is second to none. Even in the city centres, you are minutes away from open countryside and designated Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Lancashire’s economy has changed from the days of King Cotton and the industrial revolution – when the county provided muscle for rapid economic expansion in Britain.

Today the service sector drives the local economy and the manufacturing sector is morphing into an advanced high-technology, high-skill sector led by aerospace and advanced engineering.

Lancashire is home to a number of prestigious universities, including the University of Central Lancashire (UCL) in Preston - the seventh largest and fastest growing university in the UK. Liverpool John Moores University and the University of Manchester.

To the south of Lancashire, in the area known as Merseyside, is Liverpool. One of the UK’s oldest and most important urban centres, Liverpool holds the title of the European Capital of Culture, which means a year-long arts festival that will bring in tens of thousands of extra visitors.

It is the fifth most populated area in the UK, with many of the inhabitants having descended from the Irish families who fled the famines of the 1840s, and is currently undergoing significant regeneration.

Manchester is the capital of the North West and the commercial and educational focus for the region. Greater Manchester has evolved from its industrial past into one of the UK's leading urban centres for business and culture.

If your lifestyle isn't suited to city living, there are plenty of other places to choose from. There is the coastal town of Blackpool, with its iconic Blackpool Tower and miles of sandy beaches.

The Lytham area, home to the world-class Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club, is a popular retirement spot.

Alternatively there's Preston - the gateway to Lancashire's beautiful landscape and historical sights. It is a large, lively commercial and industrial metropolitan city. It is also within easy commuting distance of Manchester and Liverpool.

Transport

Lancashire has a first class transport infrastructure with excellent motorway links and public transport networks.

The road communications infrastructure includes the M6, M55, M58, M61 and M65 motorway network, providing rapid north-south and east-west access to other parts of the region and beyond.

Situated in the heart of the North West, Lancashire is accessible by air (Manchester Airport, Liverpool Airport, Leeds Bradford Airport and Blackpool Airport).

The area is serviced by a superb rail and road network, and is less than three hours by train from London.

Fleetwood is an important port for traffic to and from Northern Ireland and the port of Glasson Dock provides facilities for cargos to Ireland and the Isle of Man.

For further details visit www.transportforliverpool.com

History and culture

The tourist industry is important to Lancashire. By 2016 there are projected to be 85 million visitors, spending £3 billion and helping to support 70,000 jobs.

Pleasure Beach, Blackpool is the UK's number one visitor attraction, welcoming over 5.7 million visitors each season. Its Pepsi Max rollercoaster ride is 235ft high and the tallest and fastest rollercoaster in Europe. For more information visit www.blackpoolpleasurebeach.com

Squires Gate, now known as Blackpool International Airport, was the UK's first airport.

Blackpool's iconic tram system was the world's first when it opened in 1885, and today there are plans for a £85.3 million refurbishment of the system.

Liverpool is the birth place of 'The Beatles', and today the future of Liverpool talent is nurtured by Sir Paul Mccartney, whose Institute for the Performing Arts may one day produce another of his kind.

For further information on Lancashire visit www.lancashire.gov.uk