Thursday 7 June 2012

Thursday Tour : today we're in Fleetwood

Fleetwood is a small seaside town on the Lancashire coast, at the mouth of the River Wyre. It may have originated as a Roman port, but no firm evidence of this has been found. However, there is evidence of a Viking settlement on the eastern side of the River Wyre.

By the 16th century, there was a manor house at Rossall, in the south-western part of the present town. It originally belonged to the Allen family, but was sold to Thomas Fleetwood in the 1530’s. The Fleetwood family owned the hall for about 300 years.

In the 1830’s the owner of Rossall Hall, a descendant of the Fleetwoods, decided that the sheltered harbour could become a busy sea-port. He hired an architect to design what would be the first ‘planned’ town of the Victorian age. The port was built, the railway was brought to the town, and Fleetwood became the only town in the British Isles to have three lighthouses.

By the 1860’s the port increased its activities, with pleasure and commercial services to Scotland, Ireland and the Isle of Man. The fishing industry also grew as ships were able to expand their catchment area from the Irish Sea into the North Atlantic.

At the beginning of the 20th century, Fleetwood was one of the three main fishing ports in England. More houses were built for the fishing industry employees, a tramline to nearby Blackpool was constructed, and the seafront area was developed into a fashionable resort.

The town began to decline in the 1960’s with the advent of package holidays abroad, and in the 1970’s the fishing industry collapsed due mainly to the ‘Cod Wars’ with Iceland. The last deep sea trawler left the town in 1983.

Since then, the town has reinvented itself. The dock was developed into a marina, and Freeport, a large retail centre, was built next to the marina. The town is now a pleasant seaside resort, popular with those who prefer somewhere less brash than the neighbouring Blackpool.

10 comments:

  1. How lovely to read about the town where I live, it's lovely here. Thanks for telling everyone we need more visitors!

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  2. Thought you might enjoy this, Margaret! There's lots more I could have written about, of course, like the boating lake, and museum etc.

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  3. I like the way you narrate. I prefer the history as well as the visuals you give. Thank you for taking us with you on vacation.

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  4. Interesting blog today, Paula. When I have the time, I plan to go back and read the blogs I've missed that you have written so vividly about villages in England. It's almmost as good as visiting them in person which I'd love to do. Some I did see while living in Hull but I'd love another year to explore your lovely country.
    Linda

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  5. humor - thanks for visiting, I'm so pleased you enjoy my brief histories of places.

    Linda - I've lived here all my life, and there are still many parts of England (and the rest of the UK) that I haven't seen!

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  6. I like to hear the histories where towns reinvent themselves. It's neat to see the progression.

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  7. Gosh, I'm sitting here far away from England (where I was born) and loving this post. You know, I didn't know Fleetwood was so close to Blackpool. Thank you for bringing a smile to my face :-)

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  8. Libby - many of our 'old' seaside resorts have had to do this, some more successfully than others!

    Susan - so glad I'm giving you a few reminders of good old England! Fleetwood is only about 8 miles north of Blackpool.

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  9. Yes but far enough away to be nothing like our neighbour (TG) and to be unique and individual.

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  10. Yes, indeed, Margaret - Fleetwood and Blackpool are as different as chalk and cheese!

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