Nightlife in Preston
A night out in Preston follows a fairly clear line, from the station up Fishergate and out towards Friargate. This guide explains how the evening tends to unfold and how to get home at the end of it.
Starting from the station
Preston station sits on the fringe of the centre, and Fishergate leads from it straight into the middle of town, so finding your bearings takes minutes. If you are travelling in by train, look up the last services home before you settle on a plan. Late timetables are thinner than daytime ones, and the final train to your destination may leave earlier than you expect.
Preston station sits on the fringe of the centre, and Fishergate leads from it straight into the middle of town, so finding your bearings takes minutes.
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Fishergate and Winckley Square
Fishergate is the main shopping street, and in the evening restaurants and bars along it and the streets beside it carry the early part of the night. A short walk away, Winckley Square is a tree lined square with a calmer, more polished feel. It suits an unhurried first drink or meal where conversation matters more than volume, and it is easy to leave on foot when the evening ends.
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Somewhere to book a room or a table for the evening, in Preston itself.
Friargate for a louder night
Friargate is a long street leading away from the middle of town, and it is where much of the later drinking happens. Expect a busier, louder crowd at weekends, with queues and noise to match. Choose it when you want energy, and choose elsewhere when you want a quiet table.
Friargate is a long street leading away from the middle of town, and it is where much of the later drinking happens.
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Getting home safely
Use a licensed taxi, ideally booked in advance by phone or app so that you know the firm, the car and the likely wait. Look for a badge on the driver and a plate on the car before getting in, and turn down any lift offered from an unmarked car. If you are walking, keep to the lit, busier streets and let someone know when you have arrived.
Use a licensed taxi, ideally booked in advance by phone or app so that you know the firm, the car and the likely wait.
- Optional identity check, by a person
- Every photograph reviewed before it goes live
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When a booking fixes the time
If you are meeting someone through TheDirectory, agree a public place first and tell a friend where you will be. Allow slack for a late train or a slow taxi rank. Everyone using this site must be an adult of at least eighteen, and nothing here replaces your own judgement on the night.
If you are meeting someone through TheDirectory, agree a public place first and tell a friend where you will be.
- Optional identity check, by a person
- Every photograph reviewed before it goes live
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Preston areas worth knowing
- Preston stationArrive here, and check the last train home
- FishergateThe main street, with eating and drinking places beside it
- Winckley SquareA calmer square for an earlier evening
- FriargateBusier and louder, especially at weekends
Frequently asked questions
The centre is compact, so most of an evening can be done on foot. Keep to the busier, well lit streets and use a licensed taxi for longer distances.
Around Winckley Square the pace is calmer than on Friargate, which is busier and louder late on.
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