Fleetwoods Famous Fisherman Friend And Tramway

Located in North West England at the mouth of the River Wyre, Fleetwood is just north of Blackpool and whilst it is in the Blackpool conurbation, it is a separate town with its own distinct features. On the southern shore of Morecambe Bay, which is the UK's second largest, Fleetwood was once renowned for its deep sea fishing fleet but since the 1970s, fishing has been much in decline. Fleetwood was founded by Sir Peter Hesketh in the 1830s and was the first planned town of Queen Victoria's reign, designed by the renowned architect Decimus Burton. There is evidence, however, of much earlier settlement. A Roman port, Portus Sentatorium, was thought to be located on Morecambe Bay and it is supposed that Fleetwood could have been its location. An Iron Age settlement has been found though, meaning that pre-Roman inhabitation is likely. Evidence of Viking settlement has also been found and the area was also mentioned in the Domesday Book. The area has therefore been settled for a long time. The town is actually located on a two-mile wide peninsula and two large sandbanks, North Wharf and Bernard Wharf shelter the town from the westerly winds, which are common in this area. The highest point of the town is the Mount, which is the last in a line of sand dunes found in the town's northern part. It is from this area that Decimus Barton centred his town planning with roads radiating from the Mount, still a feature of the old town. Since the demise of the fishing industry, Fleetwood has worked hard to develop its tourist industry. Marketing itself as a quieter, more refined antidote to the brashness of nearby Blackpool, it has many visitor attractions; primary among them is its seafront. As well as a ferry service to Knott End, it has statues to commemorate the contribution of fishermen to Fleetwood's development. An annual Lifeboat Weekend highlights the importance of the Fleetwood lifeboat station. Fleetwood is also unique as the only town in the country to have three lighthouses, two actually in the town. The Upper Lighthouse and the Lower Lighthouse, both built in 1840 are in the town and the Upper Lighthouse is still in use today. Out at sea is the Wyre Lighthouse, which despite being an important example of Victorian engineering has fallen into disrepair. Fleetwood's most famous export is the 'Fisherman's Friend' which is still made in the town today. Tourism has seen further development of businesses and the easy access to Blackpool, Fleetwood is at the end of Blackpool's famous tramway, means that there are a lot of visitors. The North Euston Hotel was built to cater for the incoming rail passengers but the rail link has long since ceased. Rail connections are now available from both Blackpool and Poulton-le-Fylde stations. Once only accessible by two roads, Fleetwood is now much better connected by road. Easy access to Blackpool means that joining the M55 and M6 motorways is relatively straightforward. Bus services to Blackpool and Preston are also regular. Fleetwood, therefore, has all the local amenities required such as schools, hospitals, shops and businesses but thanks to its unique location, it also offers relative peace and quiet along an attractive piece of the British coastline.

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