Poulton-le-Fylde (commonly shortened by locals to just
PoultonPoulton may refer to:Places*Poulton, Cheshire**RAF Poulton, Cheshire*Poulton-with-Fearnhead, a civil parish in Warrington, Cheshire*Poulton, Merseyside, England**Liscard and Poulton railway station, Merseyside*Poulton, Gloucestershire, England...
) is a town within the
WyreWyre is a local government district with borough status in Lancashire, England. Its council is based in Poulton-le-Fylde.The district is named after the River Wyre, which runs through the district...
borough of
LancashireLancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Lancashire County Council is based in Preston. However, Lancaster is still considered to be the county town...
,
EnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The town has a population of 19,480 as of 2001 and occupies an area of 7.79 km², for a population density of 2500 people/km². It is situated about 5 kilometres to the northeast of
BlackpoolBlackpool is a seaside town in Lancashire, England. Situated along the coast of the Irish Sea, it has a population of 142,900, making it the fourth-largest settlement in North West England behind Manchester, Liverpool and Warrington...
town and the
Irish SeaThe Irish Sea also known as the Mann Sea or Manx Sea, separates the islands of Ireland and Britain. It is connected to the Atlantic Ocean in the south by St George's Channel, and in the north by the North Channel...
coast.
The town gained its name from the
Wyre estuaryThe River Wyre is a river in Lancashire, England, which flows into the Irish Sea at Fleetwood. It is approximately 28 miles in length...
, which lies less than 2 kilometres to the north-east at Skippool. The name Poulton was created by combining the
Old EnglishOld English , also called Anglo-Saxon, is an early form of the English language that was spoken and written in parts of what are now England and south-eastern Scotland between at least the mid-5th century and the mid-12th century. What survives through writing represents primarily the literary...
words
Pol, for pool or creek, and
Tun,A saxon word meaning a farmstead or enclosure. Thus the name signifies "settlement by the pool". In 1842 the suffix 'le-Fylde' was added to distinguish the
villageA village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet, but smaller than a town or city. Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New York City and the Saifi Village in...
from Poulton-le-Sands, a community since renamed to
MorecambeMorecambe is a resort town within the City of Lancaster district of Lancashire, England. As of 2003 it has a resident population of about 45,000...
and Poulton located on the
WirralWirral or the Wirral is a peninsula in North West England. It is bounded to the west by the River Dee, which forms the boundary with Wales, and to the east by the River Mersey. Both terms "Wirral" and "the Wirral" are used locally , although the merits of each form are the subject of local...
. The suffix comes from the Fylde peninsula, although the town is not in the modern day local government area of Fylde, which covers only the southern part of that peninsula.
By 2009, the town of Poulton-le-Fylde is expected to join the
Wyre and Preston NorthWyre and Preston North is to be a constituency in the United Kingdom House of Commons. Created in the most recent fifth periodic review of constituencies by the Boundary Commission for England, it will elect one Member of Parliament to the UK House of Commons by first past the post.For the...
constituency of the UK Parliament.
History
During the
RomanRoman Britain was those parts of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire between AD 43 and about 410. The Romans referred to their province as Britannia...
era, the area around this location is believed to have been
marshIn geography, a marsh, or morass, is a type of wetland which is subject to frequent or continuous flood. Typically the water is shallow and features grasses, rushes, reeds, typhas, sedges, and other herbaceous plants. Woody plants will be low-growing shrubs. A marsh is different from a swamp,...
y ground, and was sparsely settled. The
villageA village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet, but smaller than a town or city. Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New York City and the Saifi Village in...
was likely inhabited during the Anglo-Saxon period, and its name appears in the
Domesday BookThe Domesday Book is the record of the great survey of England completed in 1086, executed for William I of England, or William the Conqueror...
. A church is thought to have been located in the village since before the Norman Conquest
By the mediæval era, Poulton-le-Fylde served as a market town for the local area, and the town square has been used as a market dating from at least 1348 The ports on the
River WyreThe River Wyre is a river in Lancashire, England, which flows into the Irish Sea at Fleetwood. It is approximately 28 miles in length...
were later used for trade during the 18th century. These were supplanted by
FleetwoodFleetwood is a town within the Wyre district of Lancashire, England, lying at the northwest corner of the Fylde. It had a population of 26,840 people at the 2001 Census. It forms part of the Greater Blackpool conurbation. The town was the first planned community of the Victorian era...
and
Glasson DockGlasson Dock, also known as Glasson, is a village in England, south of Lancaster, at the mouth of the River Lune.Due to the difficulty of navigation up the Lune to the docks in Lancaster, it was decided in 1779 by Lancaster port commission to build a dock at Glasson. The port commission purchased...
near Lancaster.
Stocks were added to the square in 1351 as a punitive measure. Wrongdoers were locked in the
stocksStocks are devices used since medieval times for torture, public humiliation, and corporal punishment. The stocks partially immobilized its victims exposing them in public place to the scorn of the local people, who often took to insulting, kicking, spitting and in some cases urinating and...
and had rotten eggs and other food items thrown at them. Both the
stocksStocks are devices used since medieval times for torture, public humiliation, and corporal punishment. The stocks partially immobilized its victims exposing them in public place to the scorn of the local people, who often took to insulting, kicking, spitting and in some cases urinating and...
and whipping post were used up until the 19th century. These historical features are now preserved in the Market Square.
In March, 1752, a fire swept through the west part of the village, burning buildings to the ground. These structures were later rebuilt after a national collection raised the funds. Poulton-le-Fylde remained a farming community centre for the area throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
In 1970, the nearly intact
skeletonIn biology, a skeleton is a rigid framework that provides protection and structure in many types of animal, particularly those of the phylum Chordata and of the superphylum Ecdysozoa. Exoskeletons are external, as is typical of many invertebrates; they enclose the soft tissues and organs of the...
of an
elkThe moose or common elk , , is the largest extant species in the deer family. Moose are distinguished by the palmate antlers of the males; other members of the family have antlers with a "twig-like" configuration....
(nicknamed 'Harold') was discovered in the vicinity. The skeleton was dated at 12,000 years of age, and contained the remains of weapon tips embedded in the legs. This skeleton is evidence that human hunters dwelt here during that prehistoric period. The skeleton is now located in the Harris Museum in
PrestonPreston is a city and non-metropolitan district of Lancashire, in North West England. It is located on the north bank of the River Ribble, and was granted city status in 2002, becoming England's 50th city in the 50th year of Queen Elizabeth II's reign...
.
The
WyreWyre is a local government district with borough status in Lancashire, England. Its council is based in Poulton-le-Fylde.The district is named after the River Wyre, which runs through the district...
BoroughA borough is an administrative division of various countries. In principle, the term borough designates a self-governing township although, in practice, official use of the term varies widely....
Council was formed during a local reorganization in 1974, with Poulton-le-Fylde acting as the administrative centre.
Places of interest
- St. Chad's
Saint Chad of Mercia was a prominent 7th century Anglo-Saxon churchman, who became abbot of several monasteries, Bishop of the Northumbrians and later Bishop of the Mercians and Lindsey People. He was the brother of St. Cedd...
Church - Located near the market square, this Georgian-style Parish church was built of red sandstone and dates back to 1094. In early spring the church yard provides a display of purple and yellow crocusCrocus is a genus of perennial flowering plants, native to a large area from coastal and subalpine areas of central and southern Europe , North Africa and the Middle East, across Central Asia to western China.The genus Crocus is placed botanically in the iris family...
es.
- Railway Station
Poulton-le-Fylde railway station serves the town of Poulton-le-Fylde in Lancashire, England. It is managed by Northern Rail, but also served by First TransPennine Express.-History:...
- The railway station now has services to Blackpool NorthBlackpool North railway station is the terminus of the main Blackpool branch line from Preston, in Lancashire, England. Services from York and Leeds , Liverpool and Manchester terminate here....
, PrestonPreston railway station serves the city of Preston in Lancashire, England and is a major station on the West Coast Main Line.It is served by Northern Rail, Virgin Trains, and TransPennine Express services, plus First ScotRail overnight sleeper services between London and Scotland.-Station layout...
, Leeds and Manchester and stations in between. A station first opened in 1840, 400 yards northeast of the current station which replaced it in 1896. Formerly the station supported a branch line via ThorntonThornton is a village in the Fylde, in Lancashire, England, about four miles north of Blackpool and two miles south of Fleetwood. It is in the borough of Wyre...
to FleetwoodFleetwood is a town within the Wyre district of Lancashire, England, lying at the northwest corner of the Fylde. It had a population of 26,840 people at the 2001 Census. It forms part of the Greater Blackpool conurbation. The town was the first planned community of the Victorian era...
. Services were discontinued under BeechingThe Beeching Axe is an informal name for the British Government's attempt in the 1960s to reduce the cost of running British Railways, the nationalised railway system in the United Kingdom. The name is that of the main author of The Reshaping of British Railways, Dr Richard Beeching...
, but the line was kept open for freight access to and from a works belonging to ICIImperial Chemical Industries is a British chemical subsidiary of a Dutch conglomerate and one of the largest chemical producers in the world. It is based in Slough, UK. It produces paints and speciality products...
. There was another station, Poulton Curve HaltPoulton Curve was a halt on the Fleetwood-to-Blackpool railway line in Lancashire, England.On 1 July 1899 a new curve was opened at Poulton-le-Fylde to complete the triangle of lines between Kirkham, and Blackpool. Poulton Curve Halt was opened on this section on 1 February 1909. It closed on 1...
, for FleetwoodFleetwood is a town within the Wyre district of Lancashire, England, lying at the northwest corner of the Fylde. It had a population of 26,840 people at the 2001 Census. It forms part of the Greater Blackpool conurbation. The town was the first planned community of the Victorian era...
to BlackpoolBlackpool is a seaside town in Lancashire, England. Situated along the coast of the Irish Sea, it has a population of 142,900, making it the fourth-largest settlement in North West England behind Manchester, Liverpool and Warrington...
trains, between 1909 and 1952.
- Market Square - The square is now closed to traffic and contains several features of historical note. There is an island in the centre with the old stocks
Stocks are devices used since medieval times for torture, public humiliation, and corporal punishment. The stocks partially immobilized its victims exposing them in public place to the scorn of the local people, who often took to insulting, kicking, spitting and in some cases urinating and...
, whipping post, fish slab, and market cross.
- Pubs and clubs - Poulton is known for its many drinking establishments, restaurants and nightclubs. These include "The Golden Ball", the town's most notable public house, where victory over Napoleon at Waterloo
In the Battle of Waterloo forces of the French Empire under Napoleon Bonaparte and Michel Ney were defeated by those of the Seventh Coalition, including an Anglo-Allied army under the command of the Duke of Wellington and a Prussian army under the command of Gebhard von Blücher...
was announced and "The Bull Inn" once one of Poulton's three Coaching innIn Europe, from approximately the mid 17th century for a period of about 200 years, the coaching inn, sometimes called a coaching house or staging inn, was a vital part of the inland transport infrastructure, as an inn serving coach travelers...
s. Other pubs include "The Thatched House", "The Bull", "The Grapevine", "The Edge" (formerly Lawdy Miss Clawdys, then Bedd), "The Cube" and "The Old Town Hall".
There are two nightclubs in Poulton — The Residence which once was owned by former television entertainer
Keith HarrisKeith Harris is an English ventriloquist who is known for his television show , audio recordings, and club appearances with his puppets Orville the Duck and Cuddles the Monkey....
, and Club Monaco (formerly called The Hub, The Peppermint Lounge, and Ampersand), situated in the Teanlowe Centre.
Notable people from Poulton
- John Curtis
John Curtis is an English former professional footballer. He played as a defender.-References:*...
- former professional footballAssociation football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of eleven players using a spherical ball...
er
- Ian Stuart Donaldson
Ian Stuart Donaldson was the vocalist and frontman of Skrewdriver, a British punk rock and white power band. He was born in Lancashire, England and raised in the Poulton-le-Fylde area of Lancashire...
- punk rockPunk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed the perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
and later Racist white power musician, frontman of now-defunct band SkrewdriverSkrewdriver was a punk rock — then later white power skinhead — band formed in Poulton-le-Fylde, England in 1976 by Ian Stuart Donaldson.They became one of the first neo-Nazi rock bands, playing a leading role in the far-right Rock Against Communism movement.-Career:Ian Stuart Donaldson, formerly...
- George Formby
George Formby, Jr., OBE was an English singer and comedian, famous for playing the banjolele, a banjo-like instrument, and performing a variety of light, comical songs...
- musician and actor - famous for his ukulele - lived on Mains Lane in Poulton in later years
- Keith Harris
Keith Harris is an English ventriloquist who is known for his television show , audio recordings, and club appearances with his puppets Orville the Duck and Cuddles the Monkey....
- ventriloquist, lives in Poulton with his wife and children
- Georgie Mee
George Wilfred "Georgie" Mee was an English professional footballer. He played as a midfielder.Nicknamed the Mighty Atom, he was the older brother of former Arsenal manager Bertie Mee.-Career:...
- former professional footballer
- Fred Pagnam
Frederick "Fred" Pagnam was an English footballer and manager.Pagnam was born in Poulton-le-Fylde, Lancashire, and started at Blackpool Wednesday before having spells at Huddersfield Town and Southport Central. He joined Blackpool in 1913 and after a season there moved to Liverpool in 1914...
- former professional footballer
- Section 25
Section 25 are an English post-punk band, best known for their classic techno single "Looking from a Hilltop."Section 25 were formed in Blackpool, Lancashire in November 1977. Initially they were a duo, consisting of brothers Larry Cassidy and Vincent Cassidy...
- post-punkPost-punk is a popular musical movement with its roots in the late 1970s, following on the heels of the initial punk rock explosion of the mid-1970s. The genre retains its roots in the punk movement but is more introverted, complex and experimental...
band although more usually associated with BlackpoolBlackpool is a seaside town in Lancashire, England. Situated along the coast of the Irish Sea, it has a population of 142,900, making it the fourth-largest settlement in North West England behind Manchester, Liverpool and Warrington...
, actually from Poulton
- Rachel Iddon - nee Collier - musician and actor - famous for performing on the QE2
RMS Queen Elizabeth 2, often referred to simply as the 'QE2', is a retired Cunard ocean liner, now owned by Nakheel, a division of Dubai World. She was named after the earlier Cunard liner , and served as the flagship of the line from 1969 until succeeded by in 2004...
- lived in Carleton in Poulton in her early years
- Paul Stewart
Paul Stewart is the name of:*Paul Stewart - Writer of The Edge Chronicles*Paul Stewart - Motor racing driver/team director, son of World Champion Jackie*Paul Stewart - Canadian pianist...
- former professional footballer
- Andy Summers
Andy Summers is an English guitarist and composer best known for his work in The Police and Eric Burdon & The Animals.-Early life:...
- RockRock music is a genre of popular music that entered the mainstream in the 1960s. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, rhythm and blues, country music and also drew on folk music, jazz and classical music....
musician, guitarist with band (The PoliceThe Police were an English rock trio, from London, England, formed originally in 1977. The trio consisted of Gordon Sumner, CBE , widely known by his stage name of Sting , Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland...
)
- Tessie O'Shea
Teresa “Tessie” O'Shea was a Welsh entertainer and actress.Born in Cardiff, O'Shea was raised in the tradition of British music hall, appearing on stage as "The Wonder of Wales", beside her cousin Adam Dionne, as early as the age of six...
- former Hollywood actress and music hallMusic hall is a type of British theatrical entertainment which was popular between 1850 and 1960. The term can refer to:# A particular form of variety entertainment involving a mixture of popular song, comedy and speciality acts...
entertainer lived in "Mulberry Cottage" on Breck Road for many years
- Johnnie Brannigan
Johnnie Brannigan is a British professional wrestler and mixed-martial artist, perhaps better known by his ring name Heresy...
- Professional wrestler also known by his ring name, Heresy. Has an address in Poulton.
Education
- Breck Primary School, on Fouldry Avenue, holds around 500 children and about 20-30 teachers. It also has a new Breck Beanies nursery.
- Baines High School and Baines Sixth Form was opened in 1717 by James Baines. The present headteacher is Roddy McCowan.
- Hodgson School, Moorland Road. Over 1200 students. Renamed, as of September 2007, to 'Hodgson School', from the previous 'Hodgson High School Technology College'. The head teacher is now Mr Tony Nicholson, a former assistant Head at the school.
- Carr Head Primary School, Carr Head Lane.
- Poulton C.E. Primary School
- St. John's Catholic Primary School, Breck Road.
- Emmanuel Christian School. A small independent school with pupils from reception age up to year 11.