Richard Gleeson

Explorer Tom Blackpool Tower rose above the seafront in 1894 and has been showing off ever since. John Bickerstaffe took inspiration from the Eiffel Tower, but gave Blackpool a place that could offer a circus and a ballroom as well as a view; Paris must have felt its moustache twitch. If the wind musses your hair outside, the Tower promises much livelier trouble indoors. The iron tower is 518 feet high, and its public story began on 14 May 1894. The original ballroom was a smaller pavilion. Frank Matcham designed the present lavish room, which opened in 1899; look for the balconies, chandeliers and patterned floor before deciding whether you dare dance. That floor contains thousands of separate wooden blocks, so please don't make the poor thing count your steps. The circus opened with the Tower in 1894, and its ring has kept a permanent home here through changing fashions. Matcham also redesigned the arena, completed in 1900. Beneath the bright performance is proper architectural persistence: the ballroom suffered a serious fire in 1956 and was restored over the next two years. This place has earned its sparkle, even if I suspect the chandeliers have their own dressing room. The Tower's attractions have separate visiting arrangements, so check the official site before choosing between a high view, a show or a turn around the ballroom. Then take a moment back on the promenade and look up at the whole improbable stack. Blackpool built a landmark that refuses to stand quietly, and I see no reason you should either.