Encounter Festival: Torchlight procession route and Preston road closures

Torchlight procession making its way through the city centre

The Encounter Festival’s torchlight procession returns to the city this Saturday.

And a raft of roads will be closed for the festival and to set up for the parade.

There’s also due to be road closures outside the Guild Hall as the communities and traditions stage is set up in the shadow of the venue.

Here’s a run through of all the road closures planned over the weekend for the Encounter Festival including on Sunday too for events in Winckley Square.

Outside the Guild Hall

Lancaster Road will be closed from the junction with Lord Street to the junction with Ward’s End from 8am to 10.30pm on Saturday (16 September).

Diversion route will be via Lancaster Road up to Ormskirk Road and then out onto Ring Way and round to Church Street.

Torchlight procession closures

Closures from 12noon to 10pm to allow for set up of the parade which starts from Moor Park around 7.15pm on Saturday (16 September).

The road closures on the route will be rolling (between 6.30pm to 10pm) and in place while the performers and procession are heading down those roads.

The torchlight procession starts at Moor Park Avenue, heads down Deepdale Road, Ribbleton Lane, Church Street, Lancaster Road, Lord Street and finishes outside the Bus Station in Tithebarn Street. The map below shows the route.

The red line shows the route for the torchlight procession

Moor Park Avenue will be closed for the full duration and for its full length.

Deepdale Road, Sir Tom Finney Way (to junction with Blackpool Road), Ribbleton Lane (from Deepdale Road to Ring Way), Church Street (full length), Ring Way (junction with Church Street), Birley Street (from junction with Church Street to Jackson Street junction), Lancaster Road (from Church Street junction to Ring Way junction), Lord Street (full length), Tithebarn Street (full length), Ormskirk Road (full length). All these roads will close between 6.30pm to 10pm on Saturday and diversion routes will be in place.

To aid diversion routes then St Stephen’s Road, Carrol Street, Church Row, Derby Street, Hammond’s Row, Manchester Road, Avenham Street and Glover’s Court will have one-way restrictions suspended.

Winckley Square and Fishergate closures

On Sunday (17 September) the Garden Party takes place in Winckley Square along with a parade through the city centre.

Winckley Square (south) is to be shut from 7am to 7pm with a diversion route in place via Starkie Street and Ribblesdale Place.

Fishergate will then be closed from 11am to 4pm from the junction with Cheapside to the Winckley Street junction.

And Winckley Street from its junction with Fishergate to Winckley Street (north) will also be shut at the same time.

Cannon Street and Guildhall Street will have their one-way traffic restrictions listed during the same time.