Fleetwood
Coordinates: 53 ° 55 ′ N , 3 ° 2 ′ W
Fleetwood is an English town north of Blackpool in Lancashire , England . The place is at the northern end of the Fylde Peninsula at the confluence of the River Wyre in Morecambe Bay . The population in 2001 was almost 27,000. The present city was founded in 1836 by Peter Hesketh , and mainly planned by Decimus Burton .
Excavations have revealed evidence of settlement from the Iron Age in what is now Fleetwood, and it is believed that the Roman port of Portus Sentorium was also at this location, although direct evidence of this is still pending.
Fleetwood is believed to be the first planned city of the Victorian Age . Peter Hesketh, a member of parliament for Preston , recognized the tourist potential of the area, from which one can see over Morecambe Bay to the mountains of the Lake District . What was missing was a railway connection, and so he pushed the Preston and Wyre Railway , which was to make his town accessible to the people of Manchester and Liverpool. This railway line was opened in July 1840. Fleetwood lost its last rail connection in 1970.
The railway connection made Fleetwood not only attractive as a place to relax, it was also important for the port, as it enabled goods to be shipped on land or on ships via Fleetwood. The port of Fleetwood is secured in an unusual way by two lighthouses, the Beach Lighthouse and the Pharos Lighthouse . With the construction of the Manchester Ship Canal , however, the movement of goods via the port lost its importance. With the establishment of a railway line from Preston to neighboring Blackpool, its importance as a seaside resort grew and Fleetwood became a comparatively quiet place, which has been connected to Blackpool by a tram line that is still in operation since the 1890s .
The first fully automatic telephone exchange in England went into operation on July 15, 1922 in Fleetwood.
Fleetwood's best days were in the early 20th century when it was one of the region's premier fishing ports. In 1910 a pier was built to encourage tourism; the pier burned down in 2008. Today, Fleetwood is threatened by the decline in domestic tourism and declining income from fishing. Since 1982 there have been no deep-sea fishermen in the region as a result of the " Cod War " between Great Britain and Iceland . Fleetwood is the headquarters of the Lofthouse of Fleetwood company , known for its Fisherman's Friend lozenges .
Individual evidence
- ↑ The Gazette (Blackpool) Unearthing secret of Fylde Iron Age, November 11, 2008 here: online
- ↑ Events in Telecommunication History BT Archives - 1922
- ↑ Historic pier destroyed in fire BBC News September 9, 2008