Fleetwood is a coastal town in the
Borough of Wyre
Wyre is a local government district with borough status in Lancashire, England. The population of the non-metropolitan district at the 2011 census was 107,749. The district borders the unitary authority area of Blackpool as well as the distr ...
in
Lancashire
Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated Lancs) is the name of a historic county, ceremonial county, and non-metropolitan county in North West England. The boundaries of these three areas differ significantly.
The non-metropolitan county of Lancashi ...
, England, at the northwest corner of
the Fylde
The Fylde () is a coastal plain in western Lancashire, England. It is roughly a square-shaped peninsula, bounded by Morecambe Bay to the north, the Ribble estuary to the south, the Irish Sea to the west, and the foot of the Bowland hills t ...
. It had a population of 25,939 at the
2011 census.
Fleetwood acquired its modern character in the 1830s, when the principal landowner
Peter Hesketh-Fleetwood
Sir Peter Hesketh-Fleetwood, 1st Baronet, (9 May 1801 – 12 April 1866) was an English landowner, developer and Member of Parliament, who founded the town of Fleetwood, in Lancashire, England. Born Peter Hesketh, he changed his name by ...
, High Sheriff and MP, conceived an ambitious plan to re-develop the town to make it a busy seaport and railway spur. He commissioned the Victorian architect
Decimus Burton
Decimus Burton (30 September 1800 – 14 December 1881) was one of the foremost English architects and landscapers of the 19th century. He was the foremost Victorian architect in the Roman revival, Greek revival, Georgian neoclassical and Reg ...
to design a number of substantial civic buildings, including two lighthouses. Hesketh-Fleetwood's transport terminus schemes failed to materialise. The town expanded greatly in the first half of the 20th century with the growth of the fishing industry, and passenger ferries to the
Isle of Man
)
, anthem = "O Land of Our Birth"
, image = Isle of Man by Sentinel-2.jpg
, image_map = Europe-Isle_of_Man.svg
, mapsize =
, map_alt = Location of the Isle of Man in Europe
, map_caption = Location of the Isle of Man (green)
in Europe ...
, to become a
deep-sea fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment, but may also be caught from stocked bodies of water such as ponds, canals, park wetlands and reservoirs. Fishing techniques inclu ...
port.
Decline of the fishing industry began in the 1960s, hastened by the
Cod Wars
The Cod Wars ( is, Þorskastríðin; also known as , ; german: Kabeljaukriege) were a series of 20th-century confrontations between the United Kingdom (with aid from West Germany) and Iceland about fishing rights in the North Atlantic. Each o ...
with
Iceland
Iceland ( is, Ísland; ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Iceland's capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which (along with its s ...
, though fish processing is still a major economic activity in Fleetwood. The town's most significant employer today is
Lofthouse of Fleetwood
Lofthouse of Fleetwood Ltd. is a British family-owned company based in Fleetwood on the Lancashire
Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated Lancs) is the name of a historic county, ceremonial county, and non-metropolitan county in North West Engla ...
, manufacturer of the lozenge
Fisherman's Friend
Fisherman's Friend is a brand of strong menthol lozenges manufactured by the Lofthouse company in Fleetwood, Lancashire, England.
History
Fisherman's Friend was originally developed by pharmacist James Lofthouse in 1865 to relieve various ...
which is exported around the world.
History
Ptolemy
Claudius Ptolemy (; grc-gre, Πτολεμαῖος, ; la, Claudius Ptolemaeus; AD) was a mathematician, astronomer, astrologer, geographer, and music theorist, who wrote about a dozen scientific treatises, three of which were of importanc ...
's ''
Geographia
The ''Geography'' ( grc-gre, Γεωγραφικὴ Ὑφήγησις, ''Geōgraphikḕ Hyphḗgēsis'', "Geographical Guidance"), also known by its Latin names as the ' and the ', is a gazetteer, an atlas, and a treatise on cartography, com ...
'' in the 2nd century AD records a tribe known as the
Setantii
The Setantii (sometimes read as ''Segantii'') were a possible pre-Roman British people who apparently lived in the western and southern littoral of Lancashire in England. It is thought likely they were a sept or sub-tribe of the Brigantes, who, at ...
living in what is believed to be present-day West Lancashire, and a seaport built by the
Romans
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
* Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
called ''PORTVS SETANTIORVM'' ('the port of the Setantii') abutting ''Moricambe Aestuarium'' (presumably
Morecambe Bay
Morecambe Bay is a large estuary in northwest England, just to the south of the Lake District National Park. It is the largest expanse of intertidal mudflats and sand in the United Kingdom, covering a total area of . In 1974, the second larges ...
). There is also evidence of a
Roman road
Roman roads ( la, viae Romanae ; singular: ; meaning "Roman way") were physical infrastructure vital to the maintenance and development of the Roman state, and were built from about 300 BC through the expansion and consolidation of the Roman Re ...
running from
Ribchester
Ribchester is a village and civil parish within the Ribble Valley district of Lancashire, England. It lies on the banks of the River Ribble, northwest of Blackburn and east of Preston.
The village has a long history with evidence of Bronze ...
to
Kirkham ( southeast of Fleetwood) which then makes a sharp turn to the northwest. Together, these suggest that Fleetwood may well have been the location of this Roman port. No direct evidence of the port has been found, but in 2007, an
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the final epoch of the three-age division of the prehistory and protohistory of humanity. It was preceded by the Stone Age (Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic) and the Bronze Age (Chalcolithic). The concept has been mostly appl ...
settlement was discovered at Bourne Hill, just south of present-day Fleetwood, suggesting the area was populated in pre-Roman times.
There is evidence that the eastern side of the
River Wyre
The River Wyre is a river in Lancashire, England, United Kingdom, which flows into the Irish Sea at Fleetwood. It is approximately 28 miles (45 km) in length. The river is a County Biological Heritage Site and has a sheltered estuary ...
was occupied during the
Danish
Danish may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark
People
* A national or citizen of Denmark, also called a "Dane," see Demographics of Denmark
* Culture of Denmark
* Danish people or Danes, people with a Danish a ...
invasions of the 9th and 10th centuries. By the time of the
Domesday Book
Domesday Book () – the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book" – is a manuscript record of the "Great Survey" of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 by order of King William I, known as William the Conqueror. The manusc ...
in 1086, the land on which Fleetwood now stands was part of the
Hundred
100 or one hundred (Roman numeral: C) is the natural number following 99 and preceding 101.
In medieval contexts, it may be described as the short hundred or five score in order to differentiate the English and Germanic use of "hundred" to de ...
of
Amounderness
The Amounderness Hundred () is one of the six subdivisions of the historic county of Lancashire in North West England, but the name is older than the system of hundreds first recorded in the 13th century and might best be described as the name ...
.
A
manor house
A manor house was historically the main residence of the lord of the manor. The house formed the administrative centre of a manor in the European feudal system; within its great hall were held the lord's manorial courts, communal meals w ...
at present-day
Rossall
Rossall is a settlement in Lancashire, England and a suburb of the market town of Fleetwood. It is situated on a coastal plain called The Fylde. Blackpool Tramway runs through Rossall, with two stations: Rossall School on Broadway and Rossall Squ ...
, in the southwest of the town, was in the possession of the Allen family by the time of
Henry VIII
Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is best known for his six marriages, and for his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disa ...
. The Allens were prominent
Roman Catholic
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
s, and Henry VIII repossessed the land. Cardinal
William Allen William Allen may refer to:
Politicians
United States
*William Allen (congressman) (1827–1881), United States Representative from Ohio
*William Allen (governor) (1803–1879), U.S. Representative, Senator, and 31st Governor of Ohio
*William ...
was born at the manor house in 1532. It was ultimately sold to Thomas Fleetwood,
comptroller
A comptroller (pronounced either the same as ''controller'' or as ) is a management-level position responsible for supervising the quality of accounting and financial reporting of an organization. A financial comptroller is a senior-level executi ...
of the
Royal Mint
The Royal Mint is the United Kingdom's oldest company and the official maker of British coins.
Operating under the legal name The Royal Mint Limited, it is a limited company that is wholly owned by His Majesty's Treasury and is under an exclus ...
, whose son Edmund, expanded the house into Rossall Hall. The land remained in the Fleetwood family for 300 years.
19th century
By the 1830s, the house and estate was in the ownership of Edmund's descendant
Peter Hesketh
Sir Peter Hesketh-Fleetwood, 1st Baronet, (9 May 1801 – 12 April 1866) was an English landowner, developer and Member of Parliament, who founded the town of Fleetwood, in Lancashire, England. Born Peter Hesketh, he changed his name by ...
,
High Sheriff of Lancashire
The High Sheriff of Lancashire is an ancient officer, now largely ceremonial, granted to Lancashire, a county in North West England. High Shrievalties are the oldest secular titles under the Crown, in England and Wales. The High Sheriff of Lanca ...
and
MP for
Preston. A man of somewhat liberal views for his time, Hesketh believed that the sheltered harbour and views over
Morecambe Bay
Morecambe Bay is a large estuary in northwest England, just to the south of the Lake District National Park. It is the largest expanse of intertidal mudflats and sand in the United Kingdom, covering a total area of . In 1974, the second larges ...
gave the area the makings of a busy seaport and popular resort for the less-affluent. With no
rail
Rail or rails may refer to:
Rail transport
*Rail transport and related matters
*Rail (rail transport) or railway lines, the running surface of a railway
Arts and media Film
* ''Rails'' (film), a 1929 Italian film by Mario Camerini
* ''Rail'' ( ...
link between
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
and
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
, he envisaged Fleetwood as the transfer point between the railway and the steamers to Scotland, and set about encouraging a railway link from
Preston. With a new career in parliament to prepare for, he engaged Frederick Kemp as his agent. He originally considered naming the new town ''Wyreton'' or ''New Liverpool'', but after changing his name to Peter Hesketh-Fleetwood in 1831, he settled on the name ''Fleetwood''. After some delays, he recruited the prominent architect
Decimus Burton
Decimus Burton (30 September 1800 – 14 December 1881) was one of the foremost English architects and landscapers of the 19th century. He was the foremost Victorian architect in the Roman revival, Greek revival, Georgian neoclassical and Reg ...
, whose work in
St Leonard's-on-Sea
St Leonards-on-Sea (commonly known as St Leonards) is a town and seaside resort in the Borough of Hastings in East Sussex, England. It has been part of the borough since the late 19th century and lies to the west of central Hastings. The origina ...
he had admired, to lay out what would be the first planned town of the
Victorian era
In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the period of Queen Victoria's reign, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. The era followed the Georgian period and preceded the Edwardia ...
. The plans were complete by 1835, and construction of the first buildings and the railway line began in 1836.
![Fleetwood - Mar 2008 - North Euston from Jubilee Gdns2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0b/Fleetwood_-_Mar_2008_-_North_Euston_from_Jubilee_Gdns2.jpg)
Burton's plan was to use the largest of the
sand-dunes on the north-facing shore as the focus of a half-wheel street layout. This was landscaped, and became known as the Mount. It served as the hub of Burton's half-wheel design, the main residential streets acted as the spokes, and the main commerce area of Dock Street was the rim of the wheel. The oldest surviving building in the town, once the custom house, later the town hall and latterly
Fleetwood Museum
Fleetwood Museum is a local history and maritime museum in the English seaside town of Fleetwood, Lancashire. The museum was originally the town's Customs House and, completed in 1836, was one of the first buildings constructed in Fleetwood. Lik ...
, dates from 1836 and housing from as early as 1838 still exists in the town. The crown jewel was the
North Euston Hotel
The North Euston Hotel is a hotel in Fleetwood, Lancashire, England. It was built 1840–41, to a design by Decimus Burton. During the second half of the 19th century, the building was used by the War Department as a School of Musketry; by the end ...
, built in 1841, a fine semi-circular building overlooking the bay and the river's estuary. The hotel was built to serve overnight guests making the railway journey from
Euston, and was close to the point of departure for the steamers to Scotland. This journey was made by
Queen Victoria
Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 21 ...
in 1847, but by the mid-1850s the completion of the western railway link between London and Scotland over
Shap Fell
Shap is a linear village and civil parish located among fells and isolated dales in Eden district, Cumbria, England, in the historic county of Westmorland. The parish had a population of 1,221 in 2001, increasing slightly to 1,264 at the 2011 ...
rendered Fleetwood's role as a transport terminus obsolete.
![PharosFwdJun2004](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/98/PharosFwdJun2004.jpg)
Burton designed two
lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of physical structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses and to serve as a beacon for navigational aid, for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways.
Lighthouses mar ...
s for the town: The Upper Lighthouse, usually referred to as the
Pharos
The Lighthouse of Alexandria, sometimes called the Pharos of Alexandria (; Ancient Greek: ὁ Φάρος τῆς Ἀλεξανδρείας, contemporary Koine ), was a lighthouse built by the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Ancient Egypt, during the re ...
(after the
Pharos of Alexandria
The Lighthouse of Alexandria, sometimes called the Pharos of Alexandria (; Ancient Greek: ὁ Φάρος τῆς Ἀλεξανδρείας, contemporary Koine ), was a lighthouse built by the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Ancient Egypt, during the rei ...
in Egypt, one of the
Seven Wonders of the Ancient World
The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, also known as the Seven Wonders of the World or simply the Seven Wonders, is a list of seven notable structures present during classical antiquity. The first known list of seven wonders dates back to the 2 ...
), can be seen for and
Beach Lighthouse is visible for . Both opened in 1840. A third lighthouse,
Wyre Light, built in 1839–40 by blind engineer
Alexander Mitchell, offshore on the northeast corner of North Wharf, was the first
screw pile lighthouse to be built in
Great Britain
Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It is ...
. Fleetwood is the only town in the United Kingdom to possess three lighthouses and the two within the town itself remain fully operational. Wyre Light has now fallen into a state of disrepair.
Fleetwood Market, still a prominent permanent market, first opened in 1840.
By 1838, Hesketh-Fleetwood had run into serious financial difficulties, with costs for the railway in particular ultimately exceeding £300,000. He had numerous financial arguments with Frederick Kemp, who borrowed against the estate revenues to finance the expansion of the town, and was suspected of taking financial advantage of Sir Peter. Hesketh-Fleetwood became short of cash and was forced to mortgage his properties. Depressed, he gradually withdrew from the project, and by 1844 he had been obliged to sell much of his estate. He leased Rossall Hall itself to the
Church of England
The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britain ...
, which intended to set up a
boarding school
A boarding school is a school where pupils live within premises while being given formal instruction. The word "boarding" is used in the sense of "room and board", i.e. lodging and meals. As they have existed for many centuries, and now exten ...
as a
North of England
Northern England, also known as the North of England, the North Country, or simply the North, is the northern area of England. It broadly corresponds to the former borders of Angle Northumbria, the Anglo-Scandinavian Kingdom of Jorvik, and the ...
equivalent of
Marlborough School. Under the auspices of
Rev. St. Vincent Beechey, the vicar of Fleetwood, it was to become
Rossall School
Rossall School is a public school (English independent day and boarding school) for 0–18 year olds, between Cleveleys and Fleetwood, Lancashire. Rossall was founded in 1844 by St Vincent Beechey as a sister school to Marlborough College ...
. Virtually bankrupt, Hesketh-Fleetwood retired to
Brighton
Brighton () is a seaside resort and one of the two main areas of the City of Brighton and Hove in the county of East Sussex, England. It is located south of London.
Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze A ...
, giving up his parliamentary obligations in 1847. Meanwhile, Kemp's influence expanded. He had set up the Fleetwood Estates Company to manage the land, and the
North Lancashire Steam Navigation Company
The North Lancashire Steam Navigation Company provided shipping services between Fleetwood and ports in northern Ireland, principally Belfast from 1843 to 1870.
History
The founder of Fleetwood, Peter Hesketh-Fleetwood, started occasional shipp ...
in 1843 to manage the expanding steamer trade. However, by the late 1850s, the combination of the new western railway route and the rise of neighbouring
Blackpool
Blackpool is a seaside resort in Lancashire, England. Located on the North West England, northwest coast of England, it is the main settlement within the Borough of Blackpool, borough also called Blackpool. The town is by the Irish Sea, betw ...
as a prominent
seaside resort
A seaside resort is a resort town, town, village, or hotel that serves as a Resort, vacation resort and is located on a coast. Sometimes the concept includes an aspect of official accreditation based on the satisfaction of certain requirements, suc ...
signalled a decline in the town's fortunes.
From the 1860s Fleetwood expanded its port activities. Steamers began pleasure and commercial services to the
Isle of Man
)
, anthem = "O Land of Our Birth"
, image = Isle of Man by Sentinel-2.jpg
, image_map = Europe-Isle_of_Man.svg
, mapsize =
, map_alt = Location of the Isle of Man in Europe
, map_caption = Location of the Isle of Man (green)
in Europe ...
,
Ardrossan
Ardrossan (; ) is a town on the North Ayrshire coast in southwestern Scotland. The town has a population of 10,670 and forms part of a conurbation with Saltcoats and Stevenston known as the 'Three Towns'. Ardrossan is located on the east shore ...
and
Belfast
Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdo ...
. of stone quays were built along the river front, and the railway line was extended to the steamer pier opposite Queen's Terrace, where the imposing new
railway station
Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...
was built in 1883. The port was still mainly a cargo terminal at this time, but the fishing industry began to grow as vessels expanded their catchment area from the
Irish Sea
The Irish Sea or , gv, Y Keayn Yernagh, sco, Erse Sie, gd, Muir Èireann , Ulster-Scots: ''Airish Sea'', cy, Môr Iwerddon . is an extensive body of water that separates the islands of Ireland and Great Britain. It is linked to the Ce ...
fishing grounds first fished in the 1840s, to the
haddock
The haddock (''Melanogrammus aeglefinus'') is a saltwater ray-finned fish from the family Gadidae, the true cods. It is the only species in the monotypic genus ''Melanogrammus''. It is found in the North Atlantic Ocean and associated seas where ...
grounds of the
North Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the "Old World" of Africa, Europe an ...
. At this time, all the fishing vessels out of Fleetwood were sail-powered fishing smacks, few being over 40 tons
deadweight. The Fleetwood Docks Act of 1864 enabled the construction of a dock and embankment for both fishing and general cargo. Work on what was to become Wyre Dock began in 1869 but was suspended for financial reasons. A second Act in 1871 gave construction authority to the
Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway
The Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway (L&YR) was a major British railway company before the 1923 Grouping. It was incorporated in 1847 from an amalgamation of several existing railways. It was the third-largest railway system based in northern ...
Company, under chief engineers Sir
John Hawkshaw
Sir John Hawkshaw FRS FRSE FRSA MICE (9 April 1811 – 2 June 1891), was an English civil engineer. He served as President of the Institution of Civil Engineers 1862-63. His most noteworthy work is the Severn Tunnel.
Early life
He was born ...
and
Harrison Hayter
Harrison Hayter (10 April 1825 – 5 May 1898) was a British engineer, participating in many significant railway construction projects in Britain and many harbour and dock constructions worldwide.
Biography
Hayter was born at Flushing ne ...
. Construction itself, by John Aird & Sons, was completed in 1877. Heavy industry came to the area in the late 1880s with the construction of a salt-processing works on the southeastern edge of the town by the Fleetwood Salt Co. Ltd, using salt mined in
Preesall
Preesall is a town, civil parish and electoral ward in Lancashire, England. The parish (until 1910 known as Preesall with Hackensall) covers the eastern bank of the estuary of the River Wyre, including Knott End-on-Sea, Pilling Lane and the vil ...
, across the river.
![The Lower Lighthouse - geograph](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f1/The_Lower_Lighthouse_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1454967.jpg)
By the early 1890s, the construction and expansion of rival cargo ports in the
North West
The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each sepa ...
and the building of the
Manchester Ship Canal
The Manchester Ship Canal is a inland waterway in the North West of England linking Manchester to the Irish Sea. Starting at the Mersey Estuary at Eastham, near Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, it generally follows the original routes of the river ...
heralded the decline of Fleetwood's prominence as a cargo port. However, at the same time this was more than offset by a period of rapid expansion of the fishing industry, signalled by the launch in 1891 of the first steam powered
trawler, the ''Lark''. All the other major fishing ports in Britain,
Hull,
Grimsby
Grimsby or Great Grimsby is a port town and the administrative centre of North East Lincolnshire, Lincolnshire, England. Grimsby adjoins the town of Cleethorpes directly to the south-east forming a conurbation. Grimsby is north-east of Linco ...
and
Aberdeen
Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), and ...
, were on the east coast, so there was a competitive advantage for a west-coast port with good rail links. By the start of the 20th century, Fleetwood's position as one of the three major fishing ports in England was cemented. James Marr brought a fleet of steam trawlers to Fleetwood and actively started to change the port by selectively fishing for
hake
The term hake refers to fish in the:
* Family Merlucciidae of northern and southern oceans
* Family Phycidae (sometimes considered the subfamily Phycinae in the family Gadidae) of the northern oceans
Hake
Hake is in the same taxonomic order (Gad ...
, which until then had been treated as a much less desirable catch. Many of the houses in the old area of town around the Mount and Lord Street were built in the 1890s. In keeping with the thriving economy, these terraced houses were large for their era. An electric
tramway link to Blackpool was constructed in the 1890s and remains operational to this day. The trams were routed along East Street and West Street (now Lord Street and North Albert Street) rather than Dock Street, and commercial trade followed, making those streets the commercial centre of the town. Fleetwood is the only town in Britain with trams running the full length of its main street, sharing road-space with cars. The docks were expanded in 1908 with the construction of the Fish Dock, accessible through Wyre Dock and still used today for the inshore fleet. Plans for a pier were first made in the 1890s but building did not start until 1909 and it was opened in 1910. It was the last new seaside pier to be built in the United Kingdom.
20th century
By the 1920s, the
fishing industry
The fishing industry includes any industry or activity concerned with taking, culturing, processing, preserving, storing, transporting, marketing or selling fish or fish products. It is defined by the Food and Agriculture Organization as including ...
was at its height, employing over 9,000 people. Over the next few years, the sea front along the north shore was developed in resort fashion, to encourage visitors for whom the brashness of Blackpool was too daunting. The Marine Hall entertainment complex (1935),
golf course
A golf course is the grounds on which the sport of golf is played. It consists of a series of holes, each consisting of a tee box, a fairway, the rough and other hazards, and a green with a cylindrical hole in the ground, known as a "cup". Th ...
(1931) and Model Yacht Pond (1932) all date from this era. In the 1920s, the salt works, by now owned by the
United Alkali Company
United Alkali Company Limited was a British chemical company formed in 1890, employing the Leblanc process to produce soda ash for the glass, textile, soap, and paper industries. It became one of the top four British chemical companies merged in ...
(after 1926 part of
ICI), was considerably expanded, and became an
ammonia
Ammonia is an inorganic compound of nitrogen and hydrogen with the formula . A stable binary hydride, and the simplest pnictogen hydride, ammonia is a colourless gas with a distinct pungent smell. Biologically, it is a common nitrogenous was ...
-processing plant. ICI built an adjacent chemical processing plant, known as ICI Hillhouse. ICI would become the town's third-largest employer, after the fishing and tourism industries. The first fully automated
telephone exchange
A telephone exchange, telephone switch, or central office is a telecommunications system used in the public switched telephone network (PSTN) or in large enterprises. It interconnects telephone subscriber lines or virtual circuits of digital syst ...
in Britain was put into operation to serve the town on 15 July 1922.
The town was hit by a huge flood in October 1927, which put 90% of the area of the town under water. Only the higher lying areas around the Mount escaped. Additional housing was built in the 1920s and 1930s in the less developed central areas of the town, and a further development boom occurred in the 1960s in the lower lying western portion of the town (Larkholme). Many industries related to fishing grew up along the rail corridor on the eastern side of the town, and a number of unrelated industries also moved to the area to take advantage of the availability of labour.
By the 1960s, however, Fleetwood began to decline economically. The last ferry to the
Isle of Man
)
, anthem = "O Land of Our Birth"
, image = Isle of Man by Sentinel-2.jpg
, image_map = Europe-Isle_of_Man.svg
, mapsize =
, map_alt = Location of the Isle of Man in Europe
, map_caption = Location of the Isle of Man (green)
in Europe ...
sailed in 1961. The sailings have been revived periodically since. The main
railway station
Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...
was closed in 1966 as a result of the
Beeching cuts, and the passenger terminus was moved to
Wyre Dock railway station. This in turn was closed in 1970, as the
branch line
A branch line is a phrase used in railway terminology to denote a secondary railway line which branches off a more important through route, usually a main line. A very short branch line may be called a spur line.
Industrial spur
An industri ...
from
Poulton was taken out of service. Additional
light industry
Light industry are industries that usually are less capital-intensive than heavy industry and are more consumer-oriented than business-oriented, as they typically produce smaller consumer goods. Most light industry products are produced for ...
developed along the former railway bed. The rise of
package holiday
A package tour, package vacation, or package holiday comprises transport and accommodation advertised and sold together by a vendor known as a tour operator. Other services may be provided such as a rental car, activities or outings during the ho ...
s abroad led to fewer visitors generally to British resort towns. As Blackpool expanded its attractions, fewer day visitors came to Fleetwood, and as transport became more efficient, more overnight visitors became day visitors. The Hillhouse plant was heavily cut back, and was finally closed in 1999. Most serious, however, was the collapse of the fishing industry, which was largely destroyed in the late 1960s and early 1970s by the
Cod War
The Cod Wars ( is, Þorskastríðin; also known as , ; german: Kabeljaukriege) were a series of 20th-century confrontations between the United Kingdom (with aid from West Germany) and Iceland about fishing rights in the North Atlantic. Each o ...
s, a dispute over fishing rights between
Iceland
Iceland ( is, Ísland; ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Iceland's capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which (along with its s ...
and the UK. As Fleetwood's trawlers mainly fished the
North Atlantic
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the "Old World" of Africa, Europe and ...
in search of cod, the loss of the fishing grounds hit the town hard. The last deep sea trawler left the town in 1982 and now only inshore fishing boats fish out of the port, although trawlers registered in other places can still be seen taking advantage of the fish market. Fish is still a big industry in the town, though the jobs are mainly in processing rather than fishing. A pair of bronze
/upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/55/Welcome_home%2C_Fleetwood%2C_sculpture_by_Anita_Lafford.jpg figureson the promenade by the pier depicts the idea of families welcoming back the fishermen from sea.
![Fwd Marina and Freeport Jul06](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/89/Fwd_Marina_and_Freeport_Jul06.jpg)
In 1973, the area around the old railway station was developed into a
container
A container is any receptacle or enclosure for holding a product used in storage, packaging, and transportation, including shipping.
Things kept inside of a container are protected on several sides by being inside of its structure. The term ...
port facility, with
P & O operating a container service to
Larne
Larne (, , the name of a Gaelic Ireland, Gaelic territory) is a town on the east coast of County Antrim, Northern Ireland, with a population of 18,755 at the United Kingdom census, 2011, 2011 Census. It is a major passenger and freight Roll-on/ro ...
in
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...
. In 1975, this became a
Roll-on/roll-off
Roll-on/roll-off (RORO or ro-ro) ships are cargo ships designed to carry wheeled cargo, such as cars, motorcycles, trucks, semi-trailer trucks, buses, trailers, and railroad cars, that are driven on and off the ship on their own wheels or using ...
service. This development led indirectly to some renewal of the then largely derelict Dock Street area, and improved road access to the town to support the container traffic. Twice-daily container service continued until 2004 when
Stena Line
Stena Line is a Swedish shipping line company and one of the largest ferry operators in the world. It services Denmark, Germany, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Latvia, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland and Sweden. Stena Line is a major unit of Ste ...
bought the route and increased the service to three times a day.
In December 2010, Stena Line announced that the service would be withdrawn at the end of 2010, with the loss of 140 jobs.
Since the 1970s, there have been several attempts to enhance Fleetwood's economic profile, In 1995, the now-deserted Wyre Dock was developed into a marina. The derelict dock landing area was developed into Freeport, a retail centre, and housing has been built at the north end of the marina. In July 2007, a new "Masterplan" for revitalising the waterfront and town centre was submitted to the Wyre Borough Council.
In 1996, Fleetwood could be seen in "A High Profile", an episode of ''
Hetty Wainthropp Investigates
''Hetty Wainthropp Investigates'' is a British crime drama television series, starring Patricia Routledge as the title character, Henrietta "Hetty" Wainthropp, that aired for four series between 3 January 1996 and 4 September 1998 on BBC One. T ...
''. Several buildings along The Esplanade were used, one of Fleetwood's churches and others.
Governance
Since the
Local Government Act 1972
The Local Government Act 1972 (c. 70) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974. It was one of the most significant Acts of Parliament to be passed by the Heath Gov ...
, effective 1 April 1974, Fleetwood has been part of the
Borough
A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely.
History
In the Middle Ag ...
of
Wyre, together with the neighbouring communities of
Thornton Cleveleys
Thornton-Cleveleys is a conurbation consisting of the village of Thornton, Lancashire, Thornton and the town of Cleveleys. The two settlements formed a joint Urban district (Great Britain and Ireland), urban district from 1927 until 1974, before ...
and
Poulton-le-Fylde
Poulton-le-Fylde (), commonly shortened to Poulton, is a market town in Lancashire, England, situated on the coastal plain called the Fylde. In the 2001 United Kingdom census, it had a population of 18,264. There is evidence of human habitation ...
, the
Over Wyre
Over Wyre is the collective name given to a group of villages in Lancashire, England, situated on the Fylde, to the north and east of the River Wyre. The group is usually considered to include Hambleton, Stalmine, Knott End-on-Sea, Preesall, ...
villages and
Garstang
Garstang is an ancient market town and civil parish within the Wyre borough of Lancashire, England. It is north of the city of Preston and the same distance south of Lancaster.
In 2011, the parish had a total resident population of 4,268 ...
. The administrative headquarters is in Poulton-le-Fylde. The borough is a constituent part of
Lancashire County Council
Lancashire County Council is the upper-tier local authority for the non-metropolitan county of Lancashire, England. It consists of 84 councillors. Since the 2017 election, the council has been under Conservative control.
Prior to the 2009 La ...
. Although Wyre Council has an overwhelming
Conservative
Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization i ...
majority (thirty seven out of a total of fifty councillors), eight of Fleetwood's councillors belong to
Labour
Labour or labor may refer to:
* Childbirth, the delivery of a baby
* Labour (human activity), or work
** Manual labour, physical work
** Wage labour, a socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer
** Organized labour and the labour ...
four to UKIP and one Independent . Prior to 1974, Fleetwood had been a
municipal borough
Municipal boroughs were a type of local government district which existed in England and Wales between 1835 and 1974, in Northern Ireland from 1840 to 1973 and in the Republic of Ireland from 1840 to 2002. Broadly similar structures existed in S ...
since 1933, and from 1894 to 1933, an
urban district
Urban district may refer to:
* District
* Urban area
* Quarter (urban subdivision)
* Neighbourhood
Specific subdivisions in some countries:
* Urban districts of Denmark
* Urban districts of Germany
* Urban district (Great Britain and Ireland) (hist ...
. The town is divided into five
ward
Ward may refer to:
Division or unit
* Hospital ward, a hospital division, floor, or room set aside for a particular class or group of patients, for example the psychiatric ward
* Prison ward, a division of a penal institution such as a pris ...
s, Mount, Pharos, Warren, Park and Rossall.
A Fleetwood parish council (known as Fleetwood Town Council) was established following a referendum in June 2009. The boundaries of the parish are coterminous with the boundary of the five borough council wards of Fleetwood and the town council has thirteen councillors.
In the
2010 General Election, Fleetwood was joined with
Lancaster and some
Over Wyre
Over Wyre is the collective name given to a group of villages in Lancashire, England, situated on the Fylde, to the north and east of the River Wyre. The group is usually considered to include Hambleton, Stalmine, Knott End-on-Sea, Preesall, ...
locations to form the new
Lancaster and Fleetwood constituency.
Conservative
Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization i ...
member
Eric Ollerenshaw
Eric Ollerenshaw OBE (born 26 March 1950) is a British Conservative Party politician. He was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Lancaster and Fleetwood from 2010 to 2015.
He was born and grew up in Lancashire and was educated at Hyde County Gr ...
was elected in a tight race. From 1997 to 2010, Fleetwood was included with Thornton and parts of Blackpool, as part of the
Blackpool North and Fleetwood parliamentary constituency. During that time the seat was held by
Labour
Labour or labor may refer to:
* Childbirth, the delivery of a baby
* Labour (human activity), or work
** Manual labour, physical work
** Wage labour, a socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer
** Organized labour and the labour ...
's
Joan Humble
Joan Humble (born Jovanka Piplica; 3 March 1951) is a British people, British Labour Party (UK), Labour Party politician, who was the Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Member of Parliament (MP) for Blackpool North and Fleetwood (UK Parliam ...
. Prior to 1997, Fleetwood was part of the constituencies of
Fylde North and
Wyre, whose boundaries more closely matched those of Wyre Borough, and which consistently returned a Conservative member. In the 2015 general election a majority vote saw Fleetwood become a Labour town once again, represented by
Cat Smith
Catherine Jane Smith (born 16 June 1985) is a British politician who has served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Lancaster and Fleetwood since 2015. A member of the Labour Party, she was a member of the shadow cabinets of Jeremy Corbyn and Ke ...
.
Geography
Topography
Fleetwood is located on the
Fylde Peninsula, north of
Blackpool
Blackpool is a seaside resort in Lancashire, England. Located on the North West England, northwest coast of England, it is the main settlement within the Borough of Blackpool, borough also called Blackpool. The town is by the Irish Sea, betw ...
, on the western side of the mouth of the River Wyre. The town itself is on a peninsula, almost wide, bounded to the west by the
Irish Sea
The Irish Sea or , gv, Y Keayn Yernagh, sco, Erse Sie, gd, Muir Èireann , Ulster-Scots: ''Airish Sea'', cy, Môr Iwerddon . is an extensive body of water that separates the islands of Ireland and Great Britain. It is linked to the Ce ...
, to the north by Morecambe Bay and to the east by the River Wyre. Access to Fleetwood is thus restricted, and for many years there were only two roads into and out of the town. A large sandbank, the North Wharf, extends some north into Morecambe Bay, and is exposed at low tide. The river channel forms the eastern boundary of the bank. Together with the larger Bernard Wharf on the other side of the river, this makes navigation of the river difficult. Conversely, the port is highly sheltered from the prevailing westerly winds.
Like the remainder of the Fylde, the land is extremely flat, the highest point being the Mount, the large sand dune in the northern part of the town, from which the original street plan radiated. Parts of Fleetwood, especially to the north and west, are barely above sea level at high tide, and a large retaining sea wall runs along much of the western edge of the town. Nevertheless, Fleetwood was flooded in 1927 and again in 1977. The latter flood, although much smaller, affected more properties as there had been considerable development in the 1960s in the lower-lying parts of the town. The soil is broadly sandy, but there is considerable
marsh
A marsh is a wetland that is dominated by herbaceous rather than woody plant species.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p Marshes can often be found at ...
land to the south and east, by the river. The town itself encompasses an area of just under .
Climate
In common with the rest of the coastal areas of the UK, Fleetwood has a
maritime climate
An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate, is the humid temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring cool summers and mild winters ...
. Prevailing winds and weather patterns are northwesterly, leading to a slightly higher average precipitation than the country as a whole, although the absence of high ground in the immediate vicinity moderates this. As with most coastal areas,
frost
Frost is a thin layer of ice on a solid surface, which forms from water vapor in an above-freezing atmosphere coming in contact with a solid surface whose temperature is below freezing, and resulting in a phase change from water vapor (a gas) ...
and snow are uncommon. Temperatures are close to the national average.
Demography
At the
2011 Census, Fleetwood had a population of 25,939. This is a decline of 3.3% over the previous census figure (2001) of 26,840. The 2001 population registered a further decline of about 6% from the 1971 figures, at a time when the overall population of the
Borough of Wyre
Wyre is a local government district with borough status in Lancashire, England. The population of the non-metropolitan district at the 2011 census was 107,749. The district borders the unitary authority area of Blackpool as well as the distr ...
rose by 11%.
At the 2001 census, Wyre Borough is 98.8% White in ethnic makeup. The remainder is split between
South Asian
South Asia is the southern Subregion#Asia, subregion of Asia, which is defined in both geography, geographical and culture, ethno-cultural terms. The region consists of the countries of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, ...
(0.4%), Mixed race (0.4%)
Black
Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have o ...
(0.1%) and Other (0.3%).
In June 2020 a meeting in support of the Black Lives Matter movement was planned. However, after an online backlash from Wyre Alliance councillors and locals the gathering was cancelled.
Economy
Fleetwood's economy still revolves around the traditional areas of fishing, tourism, port activity and light industry, but since the early 1970s the town has continued to struggle economically. A
government
A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state.
In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government is a ...
report in 2006 stated that three of the town's five wards fall into the 5% to 10% most deprived wards in England.
The same government report noted that the demise of the fishing industry cost Fleetwood some 8,000 jobs, employment in fishing-related industries falling from 9,000 to less than 1,000, mostly in the fish-processing sector. The closure of the ICI Hillhouse works cost the region a further 4,500 jobs. Industrial and commercial development has been at a standstill for fifteen years and only a single commercial employer based in the town has more than 200 employees. The stock of both commercial and residential property is in decline.
While Wyre Borough in general has a lower unemployment rate than the rest of the United Kingdom, Fleetwood's is considerably higher. Using figures indicating benefit claimants as a percentage of total population (usually considered to be about half the 'actual' unemployment rate)
the figures for August 2007 are:
Average
household income
Household income is a measure of the combined incomes of all people sharing a particular household or place of residence. It includes every form of income, e.g., salaries and wages, retirement income, near cash government transfers like food stamp ...
in August 2007 was as follows:
The town's largest and most prominent single employer is Lofthouse's of Fleetwood Ltd., manufacturers of
Fisherman's Friend
Fisherman's Friend is a brand of strong menthol lozenges manufactured by the Lofthouse company in Fleetwood, Lancashire, England.
History
Fisherman's Friend was originally developed by pharmacist James Lofthouse in 1865 to relieve various ...
—a
menthol
Menthol is an organic compound, more specifically a monoterpenoid, made synthetically or obtained from the oils of corn mint, peppermint, or other mints. It is a waxy, clear or white crystalline substance, which is solid at room temperature and ...
lozenge
Lozenge or losange may refer to:
* Lozenge (shape), a type of rhombus
*Throat lozenge, a tablet intended to be dissolved slowly in the mouth to suppress throat ailments
*Lozenge (heraldry), a diamond-shaped object that can be placed on the field of ...
popular worldwide and especially in
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
.
In July 2007, a new "Masterplan" for revitalizing the town around a "vibrant waterfront and a revitalised town centre" was submitted to the Wyre Borough Council. Some of the funding would come from an EU cash grant. The Masterplan was funded by Wyre Council, the
Northwest Development Agency
The Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) was the regional development agency for the North West England region and was a non-departmental public body.NWDA Who We Are/ref> It was abolished on 31 March 2012.
The Agency was responsible for t ...
and
English Heritage
English Heritage (officially the English Heritage Trust) is a charity that manages over 400 historic monuments, buildings and places. These include prehistoric sites, medieval castles, Roman forts and country houses.
The charity states that i ...
.
The plan has three main areas for development:
* Transport: Improvements to the
A585 link road. Restoration of the railway link including a new railway station in Fleetwood. Improved links to the riverside coastal paths and Fleetwood Marsh Nature Reserve.
* "Seafront scene transformation": new waterfront environment with housing, beach sports, family area and bigger entertainment attractions. The original plan placed housing on land opposite the Mount Hotel on land currently used as a nine-hole
pitch and putt
Pitch and putt is an amateur sport very similar to, and derived from, golf, where the hole length is typically up to and just 2–3 clubs are typically used. The game was organised and developed in Ireland during the early 20th century, befo ...
course, but, after opposition from residents, this part of the plan was dropped.
The waterfront would have a discovery and entertainment centre focused around a re-fashioned Marine Hall, with better health and fitness facilities nearby.
* "Attractive new look for centre": the Masterplan includes plans for more open spaces and more
national name shops on Lord Street, with Albert Square and Station Road earmarked as public squares. A new landmark square and heart of the town is proposed on both Lord Street and London Street with cafes, bars and restaurants.
Culture
Tourism and amenities
![Fleetwood - Mar 2008 - Fleetwood Market - Main Hall](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/95/Fleetwood_-_Mar_2008_-_Fleetwood_Market_-_Main_Hall.jpg)
The town's most prominent feature is the Mount, a park facing the sea-front, laid out by Decimus Burton, and built on a large sand dune originally known as Tup's Hill. It is surmounted by a
pavilion
In architecture, ''pavilion'' has several meanings:
* It may be a subsidiary building that is either positioned separately or as an attachment to a main building. Often it is associated with pleasure. In palaces and traditional mansions of Asia ...
built in 1902 incorporating a
clock
A clock or a timepiece is a device used to measure and indicate time. The clock is one of the oldest human inventions, meeting the need to measure intervals of time shorter than the natural units such as the day, the lunar month and the ...
added in 1919. The wall on the inland side of the Mount is built from pebbles, in traditional Fylde style.
The Mount and the entire length of Fleetwood Promenade has an uninterrupted view across
Morecambe Bay
Morecambe Bay is a large estuary in northwest England, just to the south of the Lake District National Park. It is the largest expanse of intertidal mudflats and sand in the United Kingdom, covering a total area of . In 1974, the second larges ...
, a view described by author
Bill Bryson
William McGuire Bryson (; born 8 December 1951) is an American–British journalist and author. Bryson has written a number of nonfiction books on topics including travel, the English language, and science. Born in the United States, he has b ...
in Chapter 23 of his book ''
Notes From a Small Island
''Notes from a Small Island'' is a humorous travel book on Great Britain by American author Bill Bryson, first published in 1995.
Overview
Bryson wrote ''Notes from a Small Island'' when he decided to move back to his native United States, but ...
'' as "easily one of the most beautiful in the world, with unforgettable views across to the green and blue Lakeland hills:
Scafell
Scafell ( or ; also spelled Sca Fell, previously Scawfell) is a mountain in the English Lake District, part of the Southern Fells. Its height of makes it the second-highest mountain in England after its neighbour Scafell Pike, from which i ...
,
Coniston Old Man
The Old Man of Coniston is a fell in the Furness Fells in the Cumbria, English Lake District and is the highest point (county top) of the historic county of Lancashire. It is at least high, and lies to the west of the village of Coniston and t ...
, the
Langdale Pikes
Great Langdale is a valley in the Lake District National Park in North West England, the epithet Great distinguishing it from the neighbouring valley of Little Langdale. Langdale is also the name of a valley in the Howgill Fells, elsewhere i ...
." Directly across the Esplanade from the Mount lies the Marine Hall and Marine Gardens, Wyre Borough's largest entertainment venue, opened in 1935.
The 13 hectares of Fleetwood Memorial Park was developed out of the earlier Warrenhurst Park, itself an early-C20 park designed by Thomas Lumb of Blackpool. In 1917 the park was renamed "Memorial Park" in memory of those who died in the
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
. The memorial statue was added a few years later and memorial trees planted by the children who lost relatives.
In the early 1900s the park was home to a boating lake and the current facilities include three crown green bowling greens, a children's play area and picnic area, cenotaph memorial, duck pond, football pitches (on the site of the old boating lake) and tennis courts.
Fleetwood Pier
Fleetwood Pier, also known as the Victoria Pier, was a pleasure pier located in the English town of Fleetwood, Lancashire. At in length, it was one of the shortest piers in the country. It was built in 1910 at the end of the golden age of pie ...
, also known as 'Victoria Pier', was a feature of the town from its construction in 1910 until it was destroyed by fire in September 2008. Built at the end of the 'golden age' of
pier
image:Brighton Pier, Brighton, East Sussex, England-2Oct2011 (1).jpg, Seaside pleasure pier in Brighton, England. The first seaside piers were built in England in the early 19th century.
A pier is a raised structure that rises above a body of ...
building, it was the last pleasure pier to be built in the United Kingdom, other than a 1957 pier built in
Deal
A deal, or deals may refer to:
Places United States
* Deal, New Jersey, a borough
* Deal, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community
* Deal Lake, New Jersey
Elsewhere
* Deal Island (Tasmania), Australia
* Deal, Kent, a town in England
* Deal, ...
,
Kent
Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...
, to replace a structure damaged in the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
.
At in length, it was one of the shortest piers in the country. At various times, it was an amusement complex, bar and
dance hall
Dance hall in its general meaning is a hall for Dance, dancing. From the earliest years of the twentieth century until the early 1960s, the dance hall was the popular forerunner of the discothèque or nightclub. The majority of towns and citi ...
. In 1952 the pier was badly damaged in a fire which started in the cinema, and it did not reopen until 1958. The pier was closed again in 2006, and plans were drawn up to convert the structure into a flats complex.
However, the pier was again heavily damaged by fire in the early hours of 9 September 2008. On 26 September 2008,
Wyre Borough Council announced that the pier would be completely demolished,
and two weeks later confirmed that the pier would not be rebuilt. The pier site remains undeveloped many years later, as plans for flats or apartments have come to nothing. The site remains an eyesore and remains fenced off, many years after the fire.
Fleetwood has two prominent retail locations.
Affinity Lancashire (formally Freeport Fleetwood) opened in 1995. It is a waterfront
outlet shopping village, on the site of the former Wyre Dock, with 45 shops in a marina setting. Freeport was re-branded and re-launched in 2006 at a cost of £8.6m.
Fleetwood Market on Victoria Street is one of the largest covered
market
Market is a term used to describe concepts such as:
*Market (economics), system in which parties engage in transactions according to supply and demand
*Market economy
*Marketplace, a physical marketplace or public market
Geography
*Märket, an ...
s in the North West, with over 250 stalls. It was first opened in 1840, although the present stone building dates from 1892.
Museums
![Fleetwood - Mar 2008 - Fleetwood Museum](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/76/Fleetwood_-_Mar_2008_-_Fleetwood_Museum.jpg)
Fleetwood Museum stands on Queen's Terrace. The building, designed by Decimus Burton, was completed in 1836 and is the oldest surviving building in Fleetwood. It was originally the Customs House, and from 1889 to 1974 it served as Fleetwood Town Hall, until local government activity was moved to Poulton. It was designated as the town's museum in 1992. The museum tells the story of the fishing industry in the town.
In January 2006, the museum was threatened with closure by owners
Lancashire County Council
Lancashire County Council is the upper-tier local authority for the non-metropolitan county of Lancashire, England. It consists of 84 councillors. Since the 2017 election, the council has been under Conservative control.
Prior to the 2009 La ...
(LCC).
However, volunteers helped re-launch the museum in April 2007, setting up the Fleetwood Museum Trust to run the museum in partnership with LCC for twelve months with the intention of the trust eventually running the museum themselves.
[ ] The museum also operates the ''Jacinta'', the town's "heritage trawler", stationed in the Wyre Dock Marina and open for public viewing throughout the year.
Built in 1972, it was moved to Hull in 1982, before being handed over to the Jacinta Charitable Trust in 1995 when restoration work began on the trawler.
Unfortunately Jacinta was too badly off for Economical Repair & was Cut up for Scrap in June / July / Aug 2019 .
Churches
![Fleetwood - Mar 2008 - St Nicholas Church, Broadway](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/02/Fleetwood_-_Mar_2008_-_St_Nicholas_Church%2C_Broadway.jpg)
Fleetwood's parish church,
St Peter's, designed by Decimus Burton in 1841, stands at the corner of Lord Street and North Albert Street. It formerly had a spire, but this was demolished in 1904.
St Mary's, the town's main
Roman Catholic
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
church, stands nearby. Built in 1867, it was designed by
E. W. Pugin
Edward Welby Pugin (11 March 1834 – 5 June 1875) was an English architect, the eldest son of architect Augustus Pugin, Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin and Louisa Barton and part of the Pugin & Pugin family of church architects. His father was ...
. A more modern church of interest is the copper-roofed
St Nicholas
Saint Nicholas of Myra, ; la, Sanctus Nicolaus (traditionally 15 March 270 – 6 December 343), also known as Nicholas of Bari, was an early Christian bishop of Greeks, Greek descent from the maritime city of Myra in Asia Minor (; modern-da ...
, on Poulton Road, designed by Laurence King and completed in 1962.
Other buildings
![Fleetwood - Mar 2008 - Queen's Terrace](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c0/Fleetwood_-_Mar_2008_-_Queen%27s_Terrace.jpg)
Numerous other buildings designed by Decimus Burton remain in the town. Prominent are the
Pharos
The Lighthouse of Alexandria, sometimes called the Pharos of Alexandria (; Ancient Greek: ὁ Φάρος τῆς Ἀλεξανδρείας, contemporary Koine ), was a lighthouse built by the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Ancient Egypt, during the re ...
and Lower
Lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of physical structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses and to serve as a beacon for navigational aid, for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways.
Lighthouses mar ...
s, opened in 1840 and still in operation. Ships sailing down the Wyre channel line up the two lights, one above the other, to guide them. The Pharos is the only functioning lighthouse in the United Kingdom built in the middle of the street. It now forms a traffic roundabout. The North Euston Hotel, opened in 1841, is still the largest hotel in Fleetwood. Queen's Terrace was completed in 1844 and is regarded as an outstanding example of classical architecture. Now mostly used for offices and private flats, at various times it has been used as a school, hospital, railway offices and wartime consulates for European nations.
The town contains a total of
forty-four buildings listed
Listed may refer to:
* Listed, Bornholm, a fishing village on the Danish island of Bornholm
* Listed (MMM program), a television show on MuchMoreMusic
* Endangered species in biology
* Listed building, in architecture, designation of a historicall ...
in the
National Heritage List for England
The National Heritage List for England (NHLE) is England's official database of protected heritage assets. It includes details of all English listed buildings, scheduled monuments, register of historic parks and gardens, protected shipwrecks, an ...
, all at Grade II.
Media
''
Fleetwood Weekly News
''Fleetwood Weekly News'' is a weekly newspaper based in Fleetwood, Lancashire, England published every week, on a Wednesday, which covers Fleetwood and North Fylde.
The newspaper is published by ''Blackpool Gazette & Herald Ltd'' who also publ ...
''
covers the town and the North Fylde Area. The newspaper was founded in 1984 as a successor to the ''Fleetwood Chronicle'', which had ceased publication several weeks earlier.
The ''Chronicle'' itself, founded in 1843, was the oldest newspaper in the Fylde. Daily newspaper coverage is provided by the ''
Blackpool Gazette
The ''Blackpool Gazette'' (locally marketed as simply ''The Gazette'') is an English daily newspaper based in Blackpool, Lancashire. Published every day except Sunday, it covers the towns and communities of the Fylde coast. It was founded as '' ...
''. Both papers are published by
Johnston Press
Johnston Press plc was a multimedia company founded in Falkirk, Scotland, in 1767. Its flagship titles included UK-national newspaper the '' i'', ''The Scotsman'', the ''Yorkshire Post'', the ''Falkirk Herald'', and Belfast's ''The News Letter'' ...
, as is the ''
Lancashire Evening Post
The ''Lancashire Evening Post'' is a daily newspaper based in Fulwood, a suburb of the city of Preston, Lancashire, England. According to the British Library
The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom and is one of th ...
'', a daily newspaper covering the county of
Lancashire
Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated Lancs) is the name of a historic county, ceremonial county, and non-metropolitan county in North West England. The boundaries of these three areas differ significantly.
The non-metropolitan county of Lancashi ...
.
Fleetwood falls within the coverage area of
BBC Radio Lancashire
BBC Radio Lancashire is the BBC's local radio station serving the county of Lancashire.
It broadcasts on FM, AM, DAB, digital TV and via BBC Sounds from studios on Darwen Street in Blackburn.
According to RAJAR, the station has a weekly aud ...
. Commercial radio stations serving the area include
Radio Wave
Radio waves are a type of electromagnetic radiation with the longest wavelengths in the electromagnetic spectrum, typically with frequencies of 300 gigahertz (GHz) and below. At 300 GHz, the corresponding wavelength is 1 mm (short ...
based in Blackpool,
97.4 Rock FM and
Greatest Hits Lancashire based in Preston and
Smooth North West
Smooth North West is a regional radio station owned by Communicorp UK and operated by Global as part of the Smooth network. The station broadcasts to the North West of England from studios at Spinningfields in Manchester.
History
GMG Radio ow ...
and
Heart North West
Heart North West is a regional radio station owned and operated by Global as part of the Heart network. It broadcasts to North West England from studios in the Spinningfields area of Manchester city centre.
Overview
Century Radio (1998–2009) ...
broadcasting from
Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county and combined authority, combined authority area in North West England, with a population of 2.8 million; comprising ten metropolitan boroughs: City of Manchester, Manchester, City of Salford, Salford ...
.
Independent television service is provided by
ITV Granada
ITV Granada, formerly known as Granada Television, is the ITV franchisee for the North West of England and Isle of Man. From 1956 to 1968 it broadcast to both the north west and Yorkshire but only on weekdays as ABC Weekend Television was it ...
, the ITV franchise holder for the North West region.
BBC North West
BBC North West is the BBC English Region serving Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Merseyside, North Yorkshire (western Craven), West Yorkshire (western Calderdale), Derbyshire (western High Peak), Cumbria (Barrow-in-Furness and So ...
is the regional BBC station serving Fleetwood.
Festivals
Fylde Folk Festival
is held each year at the Marine Hall and other venues in the town. It is a festival of traditional and contemporary
folk music
Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has b ...
, song and dance. The festival has been held continuously since 1971.
The opening concert was staged each year onboard ''Jacinta'', the town's heritage trawler, however due to the vessels general poor state of repair, this is no longer the case.
Another annual music festival, originating in 2005, is Fleetwoodstock, named after the famous New York
Woodstock Festival
Woodstock Music and Art Fair, commonly referred to as Woodstock, was a music festival held during August 15–18, 1969, on Max Yasgur's dairy farm in Bethel, New York, United States, southwest of the town of Woodstock, New York, Woodstock. ...
and held in the autumn. The usual venue is the Marine Hall.
The now annual Yuto Fest, which was first held in 2011, also takes place at the Marine Hall. Yuto Fest is a charity festival featuring local bands that was set up by Daz Rice of
Kiss of the Gypsy
Kiss of the Gypsy is an English Rock music, rock band, formed by Tony Mitchell, Darren Rice, George Williams, Scott Elliott and Martin Talbot in Fleetwood, Lancashire in 1990.
History
In 1991, Fleetwood, Lancashire, England, blues rock band Ki ...
and is a legacy for his three-year-old son Yuto Rice who died in 2012 after battling a heart condition.
Fleetwood Transport Festival, also known as Tram Sunday, has been held annually on the third Sunday of July since 1985. It is a festival of vintage vehicles highlighted by a number of historical tram-cars, which parade along Lord Street.
Fleetwood Beer & Cider Festival is held in February each year and is organised by the Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre branch of
CAMRA
The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) is an independent voluntary consumer organisation headquartered in St Albans, England, which promotes real ale, cider and perry and traditional British pubs and clubs. With just under 155,000 members, it is the ...
. The festival offers a choice of around 100 real ales as well as a selection of ciders and foreign beers.
Music
The young
John Lennon
John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer, songwriter, musician and peace activist who achieved worldwide fame as founder, co-songwriter, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of ...
spent his childhood summer holidays in Fleetwood with a cousin who lived in the town, returning to the town on 25 August 1962 when
the Beatles
The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...
played at the Marine Hall. Operatic
tenor
A tenor is a type of classical music, classical male singing human voice, voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. The tenor's vocal range extends up to C5. The lo ...
Alfie Boe
Alfred Giovanni Roncalli Boe (born 29 September 1973) is an English tenor and actor, notably performing in musical theatre.
He is best known for his performances as Jean Valjean in the musical ''Les Misérables'' at the Queen's Theatre in Lo ...
grew up in Fleetwood and his first public performance was at the Marine Hall at the age of 14, where he worked as a stage technician. Operatic
mezzo-soprano
A mezzo-soprano or mezzo (; ; meaning "half soprano") is a type of classical female singing voice whose vocal range lies between the soprano and the contralto voice types. The mezzo-soprano's vocal range usually extends from the A below middle C ...
Jean Rigby
Jean Rigby (born 22 December 1954) is an English opera and concert singer. A mezzo-soprano, she is a long-time principal with the English National Opera.
Biography
Born in Fleetwood, Lancashire, Rigby studied at the Birmingham School of Music and ...
was also born in Fleetwood.
The best-known rock bands to feature musicians from Fleetwood are television talking head
John Robb's the Membranes
The Membranes are an English post-punk band formed in Blackpool, Lancashire in 1977, the initial line-up being John Robb (bass guitar), Mark Tilton (guitar), Martyn Critchley (vocals) and Martin Kelly (drums).Larkin, Colin: ''The Guinness Who ...
and
Goldblade
Goldblade are an English punk rock band from Manchester, England. The band formed in early 1995 when ex Membranes frontman, John Robb, put the band together with Wayne Simmons and former Membranes and A Witness vocalist Keith Curtis on bas ...
, punk band
One Way System
One Way System are an English punk rock band formed in the Fleetwood area of Lancashire, England, in 1979.
Career
One Way System's initial line-up consisted of Craig Halliday (guitar), Gavin Whyte (vocals), Bob Grant(drums) and Gaz Buckley ( ...
(the first signing on
Cherry Red's Anagram Records),
Uncle Fester/UFX,
Earthling Society, who have released six critically acclaimed albums, and
Kiss of the Gypsy
Kiss of the Gypsy is an English Rock music, rock band, formed by Tony Mitchell, Darren Rice, George Williams, Scott Elliott and Martin Talbot in Fleetwood, Lancashire in 1990.
History
In 1991, Fleetwood, Lancashire, England, blues rock band Ki ...
, who were signed to
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over its first 20 years of operation, Atlantic earned a reputation as one of the most i ...
in the US.
One Way System
One Way System are an English punk rock band formed in the Fleetwood area of Lancashire, England, in 1979.
Career
One Way System's initial line-up consisted of Craig Halliday (guitar), Gavin Whyte (vocals), Bob Grant(drums) and Gaz Buckley ( ...
drummer Tommy Couch (brother of boxer
Jane Couch
Jane Couch, (born 14 August 1968) is a British former professional boxer who competed from 1994 to 2007. She became the first licensed female boxer in the United Kingdom in 1998, and won numerous world titles. Couch has since become a boxing ...
) played drums with
UK Subs
U.K. Subs are an English punk rock band, among the earliest in the first wave of British punk. Formed in 1976, the mainstay of the band has been vocalist Charlie Harper, originally a singer in Britain's R&B scene. They were also one of the f ...
for two years. and has been voted one of the top 30 best punk drummers of all time.
Musicians from
One Way System
One Way System are an English punk rock band formed in the Fleetwood area of Lancashire, England, in 1979.
Career
One Way System's initial line-up consisted of Craig Halliday (guitar), Gavin Whyte (vocals), Bob Grant(drums) and Gaz Buckley ( ...
,
UFX
UFX are an English alternative rock band formed in Blackpool, Lancashire, England, in 2000.
History Dunk Rock (Duncan Lewis Jowitt)
In 1977, Vi Brator (Stephen Rosser) and Duncan Disorderly (Jowitt) formed short-lived punk rock band Urban Vo ...
and
Kiss of the Gypsy
Kiss of the Gypsy is an English Rock music, rock band, formed by Tony Mitchell, Darren Rice, George Williams, Scott Elliott and Martin Talbot in Fleetwood, Lancashire in 1990.
History
In 1991, Fleetwood, Lancashire, England, blues rock band Ki ...
combined in 2011 to release a
gothic
Gothic or Gothics may refer to:
People and languages
*Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes
**Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths
**Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...
psychobilly
Psychobilly is a rock music fusion genre that fuses elements of rockabilly and punk rock. It's been defined as "loud frantic rockabilly music", it has also been said that it "takes the traditional countrified rock style known as rockabilly, ram ...
album as Boneyard Zombies
and in 2014 the debut release by
rock and roll
Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from Africa ...
garage
A garage is a covered structure built for the purpose of parking, storing, protecting, maintaining, and/or repairing vehicles. Specific applications include:
*Garage (residential), a building or part of a building for storing one or more vehicle ...
band The Crawlin' Hex, formed by members of
Earthling Society and
UFX
UFX are an English alternative rock band formed in Blackpool, Lancashire, England, in 2000.
History Dunk Rock (Duncan Lewis Jowitt)
In 1977, Vi Brator (Stephen Rosser) and Duncan Disorderly (Jowitt) formed short-lived punk rock band Urban Vo ...
received a series of positive reviews.
Another influential Fleetwood musician is folk singer Alan Bell, the founder and director of the internationally renowned Fylde Folk Festival which ran for 42 years until Bell's retirement in 2014. Bell's suite ''The Band in the Park'' won the prestigious Radio Italia prize for Broadcasting for BBC Radio Lancashire and resulted in a BBC2 Television programme devoted to Bell – ''Alan Bell: The Man and His Music''.
The festival is to be superseded in 2015 by the New Folk 'n' Roots Festival.
Stuart Chatwood of Canadian rock band
the Tea Party
The Tea Party is a Canadian rock band with industrial rock, blues, progressive rock, and Middle Eastern music influences, dubbed " Moroccan roll" by the media. Active throughout the 1990s and up until 2005, the band re-formed in 2011. The Tea P ...
was also born in Fleetwood.
Sport
Fleetwood has had several
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
clubs over its history. The current version of the club, dating from 1997, is now known as
Fleetwood Town F.C.
Fleetwood Town Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Fleetwood, Lancashire. Established in 1997, the current Fleetwood Town F.C. is the fourth incarnation of the club; it was originally formed in ...
and is nicknamed the Fishermen, and its followers the Cod Army.
The club has played in the
Football League
The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, the league is the oldest such competition in the world. It was the top-level football league in Engla ...
since 2012, having been promoted in that year as champions of the
Conference National
The National League, known as the Vanarama National League for sponsorship reasons, is the highest level of the National League System and fifth-highest of the overall English football league system. It is the highest league that is semi-profes ...
. This is the first time a club from the town has played in the Football League. In May 2014 Fleetwood were victorious in the
League 2
The English Football League Two (often referred to as League Two for short or Sky Bet League Two for sponsorship purposes, and known as the Football League Two from 2004 until 2016) is the third and lowest division of the English Football Lea ...
play-off final to win promotion to
League 1. In August 2014, Nathan Pond, played in his seventh different division for the club, an achievement officially recognised by Guinness as a world record under the title of 'the most football (soccer) divisions played in for one club by an individual.' .
With a population of under 26,000, Fleetwood was the smallest town in England with a League club until the promotion of
Forest Green Rovers
Forest Green Rovers Football Club are a professional football club based in Nailsworth, Gloucestershire, England. The team compete in , the third tier of the English football league system, and have played their home games at The New Lawn since ...
from
Nailsworth
Nailsworth is a town and civil parish in Gloucestershire, England, lying in one of the Stroud Valleys in the Cotswolds, on the A46 road (the Roman Fosse Way), south of Stroud and about north-east of Bristol and Bath. The parish had a populat ...
in 2017.
A previous incarnation of Fleetwood Town F.C. enjoyed a brief history from 1977, reaching the final of the
FA Vase
The Football Association Challenge Vase, usually referred to as the FA Vase, is an annual football competition for teams playing in Steps 5 and 6 of the English National League System (or equivalently, tier 9 or 10 of the overall English footbal ...
in 1985, before being wound up because of financial difficulties in 1996.
The same fate also befell the two previous town clubs. Fleetwood F.C. was founded in 1908 and wound up in 1976, having been several times
Lancashire Combination
The Lancashire Combination was a football league founded in the North West of England in 1891–92. It absorbed the Lancashire League in 1903. In 1968 the Combination lost five of its clubs to the newly formed Northern Premier League. In 1982 it ...
cup champions in the 1930s, and founder members of the
Northern Premier League
The Northern Premier League is an English football league that was founded in 1968. It has four divisions: the Premier Division (which stands at level 7 of the English football league system), Division One East, Division One West and Divisio ...
in 1968.
Fleetwood Rangers, the town's first club, spent ten seasons in the Lancashire League and Lancashire Combination from 1889 to 1899.
Since 1939, home games have been played at
Highbury Stadium
Arsenal Stadium was a football stadium in Highbury, London, which was the home of Arsenal Football Club between 6 September 1913 and 7 May 2006. It was popularly known as "Highbury" due to its location and was given the affectionate nickname ...
.
Blackpool Reserves also use the stadium for their home matches.
In January 1938,
Jimmy Hampson
James Hampson (23 March 1906 – 10 January 1938) was an English professional footballer. He spent eleven seasons at Blackpool, where he remains record goalscorer with 252 goals in 373 games, and is still regarded as one of the best centre forw ...
, who remains Blackpool's record goalscorer, drowned off the Fleetwood coast during a fishing trip. The yacht on which he was sailing collided with a
trawler and Hampson, 31, was knocked overboard. He drowned, and his body was never recovered.
["The legend of Jimmy Hampson"](_blank)
– Seasiders.net
Speedway
Speedway may refer to:
Racing Race tracks
*Edmonton International Speedway, also known as Speedway Park, a former motor raceway in Edmonton, Alberta
*Indianapolis Motor Speedway, a motor raceway in Speedway, Indiana
Types of races and race cours ...
racing was staged at Highbury Stadium from 1948 to 1952, with
Fleetwood Flyers
Fleetwood Flyers were a speedway team in Fleetwood, England that operated from 1948 until 1952. Home meetings were raced at Highbury Stadium, Park Avenue in Fleetwood.
Seasons
The Flyers first competed in the National League Division Two in 1 ...
riding in the
Second Division of the National Speedway league. The Flyers started the 1948 season as
Wigan RLFC but moved to Fleetwood after racing a few away fixtures billed as Wigan. The Flyers raced in the National League Division Two from 1948 to 1951 without enjoying any great success. In 1952 the venue staged a number of open events with the team renamed the Fleetwood Knights.
![Fleetwood - Mar 2008 - Model Yacht Pond](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/06/Fleetwood_-_Mar_2008_-_Model_Yacht_Pond.jpg)
Fleetwood Rugby Union Football Club is an amateur
rugby union
Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its m ...
club, first registered in 1932 as Fleetwood Old Boys, with the Old Boys title being dropped in the 1950s.
Fleetwood Cricket Club, based at Broadwater, are affiliated with the Lancashire Cricket Board and compete in the
Northern League.
From the 1930s to the present, the Model Yacht Pond, one of Europe's largest, has been host to numerous national and international championships, held under the aegis of the Fleetwood Model Yacht and Power Boat Club.
Fleetwood Reservoir on Copse Road provides coarse fishing facilities. The fishing club is affiliated to the National Federation of Anglers. Matches take place every Sunday and Friday during the summer months.
Fleetwood is a popular location for
kitesurfing
Kiteboarding or kitesurfing is a sport that involves using wind power with a large power kite to pull a rider across a water, land, or snow surface. It combines aspects of paragliding, surfing, windsurfing, skateboarding, snowboarding, and wak ...
and other
power kite
A power kite or traction kite is a large kite designed to provide significant pull to the user.
Types
The two most common forms are the foil, and the leading edge inflatable. There are also other less common types of power kite including rig ...
sports. There are several suitable beaches and training is available at the local kite school.
Health
Fleetwood has suffered severe unemployment due to the collapse of the fishing industry and the closure of a local ICI factory. Unemployment adversely affected health and life expectancy in the town. There has been a local initiative, Healthier Fleetwood, based on
social prescribing Social prescribing (also known as community referral) is when health professionals refer patients to support in the community, in order to improve their health and wellbeing. The concept has gained support in the NHS organisations of the United Kin ...
, to encourage residents to take control of their lives and take action to live healthier lives. This initiative had some degree of success. The number of Fleetwood residents at Blackpool's A&E has dropped by 11.5% in a year. There are suggestions it should be copied in other areas with similar problems.
Transport
Fleetwood lies at the northern end of the
Blackpool tramway, which is operated by
Blackpool Transport.
It is about from Fleetwood to the southern terminus at Starr Gate, and about to Talbot Square, Blackpool. There are 10 tram stops in the town, the southernmost being Rossall School. Trams run the full length of both Lord Street and North Albert Street, undivided from regular road traffic. Bus service to Blackpool is provided by Blackpool Transport and
Stagecoach North West, who also provide services to
Preston and other local destinations.
There are frequent passenger ferry sailings from Fleetwood across the River Wyre to
Knott End-on-Sea
Knott End-on-Sea is a village in Lancashire, England, on the southern side of Morecambe Bay, across the Wyre estuary from Fleetwood. Knott End has a pub, the Bourne Arms, county library and golf club. Buses run regularly from Knott End and the ...
.
Passenger sailings to
Douglas
Douglas may refer to:
People
* Douglas (given name)
* Douglas (surname)
Animals
*Douglas (parrot), macaw that starred as the parrot ''Rosalinda'' in Pippi Longstocking
*Douglas the camel, a camel in the Confederate Army in the American Civil W ...
are not currently on a regular timetable. Ferries were operated by the
Isle of Man Steam Packet Company
An isle is an island, land surrounded by water. The term is very common in British English. However, there is no clear agreement on what makes an island an isle or its difference, so they are considered synonyms.
Isle may refer to:
Geography
* Is ...
from 1876 to 1961, and again periodically from 1971. However, in recent years the service has been restricted to once or twice per year. From 2004,
Stena Line
Stena Line is a Swedish shipping line company and one of the largest ferry operators in the world. It services Denmark, Germany, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Latvia, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland and Sweden. Stena Line is a major unit of Ste ...
provided some passenger accommodation on its thrice daily service to
Larne
Larne (, , the name of a Gaelic Ireland, Gaelic territory) is a town on the east coast of County Antrim, Northern Ireland, with a population of 18,755 at the United Kingdom census, 2011, 2011 Census. It is a major passenger and freight Roll-on/ro ...
in
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...
. However, Stena Line withdrew the service at the end of 2010.
The town being built on a peninsula, for many years there were only two roads into and out of Fleetwood: Broadway, through
Cleveleys
Cleveleys is a town on the Fylde Coast of Lancashire, England, about north of Blackpool and south of Fleetwood. It is part of the Borough of Wyre. With its neighbouring settlement of Thornton, Cleveleys was part of the former urban distric ...
, designated as the
A587, and Fleetwood Road, through
Thornton, designated as the
A585. To cater for container traffic, Amounderness Way was built in the late 1970s and re-designated as the A585. In the 1990s, Amounderness Way was extended further into the town to the end of Dock Street (the entrance to the Freeport shopping village) along the former railway bed.
The town was for several years the northern Fylde terminus of the
railway line
Rail terminology is a form of technical terminology. The difference between the American term ''railroad'' and the international term ''railway'' (used by the International Union of Railways and English-speaking countries outside the United Sta ...
to London, hence the hotel opposite the site of the now demolished
Fleetwood railway station
There have been three locations for Fleetwood railway station in Fleetwood, Lancashire, England. The first, from 1840 to 1883, was in Dock Street, opposite Church Street. The second, from 1883 to 1966, was in Queen's Terrace. From 1966 to 1970, ...
is called the North
Euston Hotel. The line also carried landed fish from the docks to distant markets. There has been no railway service to Fleetwood since 1970.
Poulton-le-Fylde
Poulton-le-Fylde (), commonly shortened to Poulton, is a market town in Lancashire, England, situated on the coastal plain called the Fylde. In the 2001 United Kingdom census, it had a population of 18,264. There is evidence of human habitation ...
and
Blackpool North are the nearest railway stations. However, the line to Poulton is still present, and plans remain to re-open the line in the future. In June 2021 a feasibility study was submitted by the
Lancashire County Council
Lancashire County Council is the upper-tier local authority for the non-metropolitan county of Lancashire, England. It consists of 84 councillors. Since the 2017 election, the council has been under Conservative control.
Prior to the 2009 La ...
to the
Department for Transport
The Department for Transport (DfT) is a department of His Majesty's Government responsible for the English transport network and a limited number of transport matters in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland that have not been devolved. The d ...
to re-open the line from Fleetwood to Poulton-le-Fylde, under the government's ''Restoring Your Railway'' programme.
Education
Rossall School
Rossall School is a public school (English independent day and boarding school) for 0–18 year olds, between Cleveleys and Fleetwood, Lancashire. Rossall was founded in 1844 by St Vincent Beechey as a sister school to Marlborough College ...
is a
co-educational
Mixed-sex education, also known as mixed-gender education, co-education, or coeducation (abbreviated to co-ed or coed), is a system of education where males and females are educated together. Whereas single-sex education was more common up to t ...
, independent,
day and
boarding school
A boarding school is a school where pupils live within premises while being given formal instruction. The word "boarding" is used in the sense of "room and board", i.e. lodging and meals. As they have existed for many centuries, and now exten ...
for ages 5 to 18. It was founded in 1844 on the site of Rossall Hall in the south west of the town. There are two
public-sector
The public sector, also called the state sector, is the part of the economy composed of both public services and public enterprises. Public sectors include the public goods and governmental services such as the military, law enforcement, infr ...
secondary schools in the town.
Fleetwood High School
Fleetwood High School is a coeducational secondary school located in Fleetwood in the English county of Lancashire.
The school was founded in 1977 as a comprehensive non-denominational school, a successor to Fleetwood Grammar School (1921–77 ...
on Broadway was founded in 1977 as a
comprehensive non-denominational secondary school, a successor to Fleetwood Grammar School (1921–77) and Bailey School. It was 're-branded' as Fleetwood Sports College in 2005 when the school was given
specialist school
Specialist schools, also known as specialised schools or specialized schools, are schools which specialise in a certain area or field of curriculum. In some countries, for example New Zealand, the term is used exclusively for schools specialis ...
status in sport, but reverted to its original name in September 2010.
Cardinal Allen Catholic High School
Cardinal Allen Catholic High School is a mixed 11–16 voluntary-aided Roman Catholic faith school in Fleetwood, Lancashire, England.
Curriculum
Art, Craft and Design, Business and Communication Systems, Catering and Hospitality, Computer Sci ...
is a
Roman Catholic
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
high school, founded in 1963 as a
secondary modern
A secondary modern school is a type of secondary school that existed throughout England, Wales and Northern Ireland from 1944 until the 1970s under the Tripartite System. Schools of this type continue in Northern Ireland, where they are usuall ...
school.
The only tertiary educational institution in Fleetwood is the Nautical Campus of
Blackpool and The Fylde College
Blackpool and The Fylde College (B&FC) is a further and higher education college in Blackpool, Lancashire, England.
Facilities include four main campuses located across the Fylde Coast, all of which have recently undergone or are currently unde ...
, located at Broadwater.
Fleetwood has seven public sector primary schools. Chaucer Community Primary School
serves the oldest part of the town, around the Mount. Shakespeare Primary School serves the northwest part of the town. Flakefleet Primary School
serves the south-central Flakefleet area. Charles Saer Primary School
and Larkholme Primary School
serve the western part of the town, around West View and Larkholme. Additionally, there are two
Roman Catholic
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
primary schools: St Mary's,
founded in 1870, which serves the northern part of the town, and St Wulstan's and St Edmund's,
serving the southern part of the town and formed in 2006 from a merger of two existing schools.
The town is also home to a large public library, which as well as lending print and audio-visual material also has an extensive reference and local studies collection.
Notable people
*
William Allen William Allen may refer to:
Politicians
United States
*William Allen (congressman) (1827–1881), United States Representative from Ohio
*William Allen (governor) (1803–1879), U.S. Representative, Senator, and 31st Governor of Ohio
*William ...
(1532–1594) – English
Catholic priest
The priesthood is the office of the ministers of religion, who have been commissioned ("ordained") with the Holy orders of the Catholic Church. Technically, bishops are a priestly order as well; however, in layman's terms ''priest'' refers only ...
and Cardinal (Catholicism), cardinal.
*
Alfie Boe
Alfred Giovanni Roncalli Boe (born 29 September 1973) is an English tenor and actor, notably performing in musical theatre.
He is best known for his performances as Jean Valjean in the musical ''Les Misérables'' at the Queen's Theatre in Lo ...
(b. 1973) – Operatic
tenor
A tenor is a type of classical music, classical male singing human voice, voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. The tenor's vocal range extends up to C5. The lo ...
*
Decimus Burton
Decimus Burton (30 September 1800 – 14 December 1881) was one of the foremost English architects and landscapers of the 19th century. He was the foremost Victorian architect in the Roman revival, Greek revival, Georgian neoclassical and Reg ...
(1800–1881) – architect, friend of Peter Hesketh and designer of Fleetwood
*
Stuart Chatwood (b. 1969) – The Tea Party bass player and videogame soundtrack composer
*
Jane Couch
Jane Couch, (born 14 August 1968) is a British former professional boxer who competed from 1994 to 2007. She became the first licensed female boxer in the United Kingdom in 1998, and won numerous world titles. Couch has since become a boxing ...
(b. 1968) – former Women's International Boxing Federation welterweight champion
*Kelsey-Beth Crossley (b. 1992) – Emmerdale actress
*James Dollins, footballer
*Dan Forshaw (b. 1981) – jazz musician
*Julia Grant (transgender activist), Julia Grant – transgender activist, grew up in Fleetwood as George Roberts and later star of BBC documentary ''A Change of Sex''
*
Peter Hesketh-Fleetwood
Sir Peter Hesketh-Fleetwood, 1st Baronet, (9 May 1801 – 12 April 1866) was an English landowner, developer and Member of Parliament, who founded the town of Fleetwood, in Lancashire, England. Born Peter Hesketh, he changed his name by ...
(1801–1866) – landed gentry, landowner, real-estate developer, developer and Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Member of Parliament, best known as the founder of Fleetwood
*Syd Little (b. 1942) – part of comedy duo Little and Large along with Eddie Large
*Percy C. Mather (1882–1933) – pioneer English Protestant Christian missionary to China, the second China Inland Mission missionary to Xinjiang Province
*Wes Newton (b. 1977) – Professional darts player, born in Blackpool, now resides in Fleetwood
*Charles Kay Ogden (1889–1957) – English linguist, philosopher, and writer. Inventor and propagator of Basic English.
*Billy Porter (footballer, born 1905), Billy Porter (1905–1946) – former professional footballer
*
Jean Rigby
Jean Rigby (born 22 December 1954) is an English opera and concert singer. A mezzo-soprano, she is a long-time principal with the English National Opera.
Biography
Born in Fleetwood, Lancashire, Rigby studied at the Birmingham School of Music and ...
(b. 1961) – Operatic
mezzo-soprano
A mezzo-soprano or mezzo (; ; meaning "half soprano") is a type of classical female singing voice whose vocal range lies between the soprano and the contralto voice types. The mezzo-soprano's vocal range usually extends from the A below middle C ...
*John Robb (musician), John Robb (b. 1961) – musician and writer
*Billy Ronson (1957–2015) – former professional footballer
*Frank Searle (photographer), Frank Searle (1921–2005) – Loch Ness photo hoaxer
*George Smith (footballer, born 1921), George Smith (1921–2013) – former professional footballer for Manchester City F.C., Manchester City
*Harry Stirzaker (1869–1948) – former professional footballer for Blackpool F.C., Blackpool
See also
*Listed buildings in Fleetwood
*Fleetwood power stations
References
External links
*
Visit Fleetwood – Local information, photos, video
{{Authority control
Fleetwood,
Seaside resorts in Lancashire
Towns in Lancashire
Ports and harbours of Lancashire
Geography of the Borough of Wyre
Port cities and towns of the Irish Sea
Fishing communities in England
Populated places established in 1836
Morecambe Bay
Beaches of Lancashire
1836 establishments in England
Populated coastal places in Lancashire