There's a rather special second-hand bookshop in Morecambe called Old Pier Bookshop. Because of the pandemic, I'd not made a visit since 2019 (see post here) but in May 2022 I determined to venture back.
I took the familiar Avanti 'Pendolino' service from Wolverhampton to Scotland as far as Lancaster. The weather forecast hadn't been very good and, as we headed north, the skies darkened and we went through patches of rain. At Lancaster, it was dry but not very warm and, having walked the short distance to the north end bays, I was happy to board the waiting Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) to Morecambe.
We set off on time for Morecambe and, crossing the River Lune. I noticed the poor visibilty on the seaward side with the Heysham Power Stations a looming, grey presence in the distance. At Morecambe South Junction we left the West Coast Main Line, swinging left onto the single line to Bare Lane where we were joined by the single line from Hest Bank which completes a triangular connection with the West Coast Main Line. The route immediately splits into two parallel single lines which continue to serve the two platform faces of Morecambe's modern station. Ten minutes are allowed from Lancaster to Morecambe, including a brief stop at Bare Lane.
It was raining in Morecambe but, undismayed, I set off along Northumberland Street to the seafront, turning east along Central Marine Road. In good weather, the location commands impressive views of Cumbria to the north. There's an exhibit called 'Lakeland Panorama' to assist visitors in identifying what they can see but it was rather redundant on my visit as only low, grey cloud was visible. I passed the Clock Tower and soon reached my destination, the family-run Old Pier Bookshop named after the older of Morecambe's two now-lost piers, which opened in 1869 and was named the Central Pier following the opening of the West End Pier in 1896. According to Wikipedia, the West End Pier was demolished in 1978 while the Central Pier closed in 1986 and was demolished in 1992.
In the bookshop, books crowd in from all directions with shelves fitted in every evailable space. A step ladder is provided to reach high-level shelves. An aisle between bookshelves will often turn a right angle, left or right to reveal more books. The convoluted layout of the bookshelves is reminiscent of ancient rectilinear key patterns (which I believe are strictly called 'meanders') used in geometric borders, sometimes referred to as 'Greek Key' designs. The overall effect is pleasingly eccentric and visitors should not be surprised to come across mannequins browsing the shelves.
Old Pier Bookshop, Morecambe
Old Pier Bookshop, Morecambe (The framed print shown includes a quote from Terry Pratchett's writing)
Did I find a book? Yes, I left the bookshop much later loaded with two large carrier bags of books (mainly from the transport section, as you might have imagined). Fortunately, the rain had stopped but the day remained overcast and none too warm. Fortified by a snack at the Clock Tower Cafe (which I consumed seated at one of the seats conveniently built into the base of the adjacent Clock Tower). I decided to cut short my trip to Morecambe and concentrate on transporting my rather heavy haul of books home. For variety, I took an alternative route through the pedestrianised town centre and Market Street onto Central Drive, quite near the station so this route proved a good choice as I was encumbered with my book purchases. Since I was travelling back earlier than anticipated, I was a little vague about available services but a well-patronised DMU was waiting in the platform so I was soon returned to the bay platforms at Lancaster station.
A number of passengers leaving the train were exiting the station by a pedestrian 'back gate' I'd not seen on previous visits so, despite being loaded with books, I decided to see where it led. Most of the passengers were walking towards the more modern, mainly residential area of the city to the west of the station but I followed the few who were taking West Road over a narrow road bridge, now only available to pedestrians, which crossed the railway revealing new views of the station.
View of Lancaster Station from West Road Bridge looking south
I trudged up the steep hill leading towards Lancaster Castle, where the Crown Court elevation was covered in scaffolding and the maintenance workers were just packing up for the day. I continued into the graveyard of Lancaster Prory Church of St. Mary. It was very peaceful and pleasantly warm so I rested for a few minutes on the steps adjacent to a memorial whilst quickly scanning my recently-acquired books.
Outside Lancaster Priory Church of St. Mary
Deciding it was time to return to the station, I made my way downhill to a pedestrian entrance to the up side of the station, just east of the West Road Bridge. This charming entrance features substantial, carved stone pillars and retains an elaborate iron gate. Of course, the current custodians of this feature, Network Rail have seen fit to adorn one pillar with a modern sign declaring 24-hour CCTV surveillance. They even managed to mount the gharish notice off-centre.
Pedestrian entrance to Lancaster Station (Up side) from West Road
Through the gate, a short, nondescript alley leads to the small, cobbled road access on the Up side of the station and the entrance to the buildings which now lead passengers through automatic doors to the overbridge with both steps and lifts leading to island platforms 4/5 on the Up side and platforms 1/2/3 on the Down side.
Lancaster: Entrance to station on Up Side
A Northern Class 195 DMU heading for Manchester Airport preceded my train in platform 4. These CAF-built units were introduced to finally dispel the abyssmal 'Pacers'and are the diesel-powered version of the electric Class 331. My Avanti 'Pendolino' followed and, having struggled aboard with my books, I flopped in First Class for the uneventful journey back to Wolverhampton, tired after a productive day.
Book References
[1] ‘A Regional History of the Railways of Great Britain: Volume 10 The North West’ by G. O. Holt, revised Gordon Biddle published by David & Charles (ISBN: 0946537 34 8).
[2] ‘Wennington to Morecambe and Heysham via Lancaster’ by Roy Davies (Middleton Press 2021) ISBN 978 1 910356 58 6.
Related articles on other websites
Lancaster Priory (Wikipedia)
Related Railway posts on this website
Steam around Morecambe
Return to Heysham
Railways around Morecambe
Morecambe by Rail
My Introduction to the Railways around Morecambe
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