Skippool is an area of

Thornton-Cleveleys Thornton-Cleveleys is a conurbation consisting of the village of Thornton and the town of Cleveleys. The two settlements formed a joint urban district from 1927 until 1974, before becoming part of Wyre. Political geography The civil parish ...

Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated ''Lancs'') is a ceremonial county in North West England. It is bordered by Cumbria to the north, North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire to the east, Greater Manchester and Merseyside to the south, and the Irish Sea to ...

, England. It is situated between Little Thornton 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 2021 United Kingdom census, it had a population of 18,115. There is evidence of human habitatio ...

along the western banks of the

River Wyre The River Wyre, in Lancashire, England, flows into the Irish Sea at Fleetwood. It is 28 miles (45 km) long and has a sheltered estuary which penetrates deep into the Fylde peninsula. Etymology The name ''Wyre'' is of pre-Roman, likely, ...

, about south of its mouth between

Fleetwood Fleetwood is a coastal town in the Borough of Wyre in Lancashire, England, at the northwest corner of the Fylde. It had a population of 25,939 at the 2011 United Kingdom census, 2011 census. Fleetwood acquired its modern character in the 1830 ...

and

Knott End 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 th ...

. These banks are known as Skippool Creek, an historic docks area now home to mostly run-down vessels. The MV ''Good Hope'', for example, may date from the 1830s. Skippool Creek is a short branch off Main Dyke, which empties into the River Wyre in front of Blackpool and Fleetwood Yacht Club. The B5412 (Skippool Road) passes through Skippool, ending at the roundabout it shares with Mains Lane, Breck Road and Amounderness Way. ''Skippool'' is believed to be a joining of the

Old Norse Old Norse, also referred to as Old Nordic or Old Scandinavian, was a stage of development of North Germanic languages, North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants ...

word ''skip'', which means ''ship'', and the

Old English Old English ( or , or ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the Early Middle Ages. It developed from the languages brought to Great Britain by Anglo-S ...

''pull/pol'', for a slow-moving stream.Skippool
- Wyre Archaeology Group It has been written on historical maps as ''Skippon'', ''Skiffe-Pool'' and ''Skip Pool''.''A History of Blackpool, the Fylde and South Wyre''
– Nick Moore (2018), p. 46

History

Skippool, more specifically its creek, was a major trading port for hundreds of years, similar to that of Wardleys Creek on the other side of the river."History of Skippool"
- VisitCleveleys.co.uk It is understood to have been in constant use from the end of the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...

. Goods arrived at the docks from all over the world.

Flax Flax, also known as common flax or linseed, is a flowering plant, ''Linum usitatissimum'', in the family Linaceae. It is cultivated as a food and fiber crop in regions of the world with temperate climates. In 2022, France produced 75% of t ...

was brought in from Ireland and the Baltic; timber came from North America; and

tallow Tallow is a rendered form of beef or mutton suet, primarily made up of triglycerides. In industry, tallow is not strictly defined as beef or mutton suet. In this context, tallow is animal fat that conforms to certain technical criteria, inc ...

arrived from Russia. More locally, limestone and oats were transported from

Ulverston Ulverston is a market town and civil parish in Westmorland and Furness, Cumbria, England. Historic counties of England, Historically in Lancashire, it lies a few miles south of the Lake District Lake District National Park, National Park and j ...

and coal from Preston. Its popularity fell out of favour when Fleetwood's port opened in the 1840s. A 1610 map gives the name of the river as ''Skippon Flue''. In 1787, another map gives the area the modern spelling of ''Skippool''. A pub has stood on or near the site of today's Thornton Lodge since around 1750, when the Ousel Inn was established. In 1824, The Crackers Head was built. It became The White Horse a decade later. A

bone mill A bone crusher is a device regularly used for crushing animal bones. Bones obtained during slaughter are cleaned, boiled in water and dried for several months. After that, they are suitable for crushing with the special machine into a relative ...

, called Silcocks, also stood near the docks. Silcocks Cottages, a home on Skippool Road about half a mile to the north, preserves this name.

Sport

Thornton Cleveleys Cricket Club is located in Skippool, on land leased to it by Frederick J. Emery, one of the owners of the now-demolished Edwardian mansion The Illawalla, in the early 1950s.

Businesses

Blackpool & Fleetwood Yacht Club is located just beyond the northern end of Wyre Road, which runs along the head of the docks. Thornton Lodge, a chain pub and restaurant, is located near to the roundabout, just north of the Wyre Road junction.

Notable residents

In addition to the Illawalla, there are three other notable residences on Skippool Road. Ashley Hall (or Ashley House), built in the 1920s, was where select celebrities would stay while they were appearing on

Blackpool Blackpool is a seaside town in Lancashire, England. It is located on the Irish Sea coast of the Fylde peninsula, approximately north of Liverpool and west of Preston, Lancashire, Preston. It is the main settlement in the Borough of Blackpool ...

North Pier North Pier is the most northerly of the three coastal piers in Blackpool, England. Built in the 1860s, it is also the oldest and longest of the three. Although originally intended only as a promenade, competition forced the pier to widen its ...

. These include

Danny La Rue Danny La Rue (born Daniel Patrick Carroll, 26 July 1927 – 31 May 2009) was an entertainer best known for on-stage theatrical productions, television shows and films where he customarily performed in drag. Early life Born Daniel Patrick Car ...

and

Roy Castle Roy Castle (31 August 1932 – 2 September 1994) was an English dancer, singer, comedian, actor, television presenter and musician. An accomplished jazz trumpet player, he could also play many other instruments. In a career as a versatile perfo ...

. On the opposite side of the road is Thornton Hall. On Wyre Road, The River House was built in the late 1830s. It was once a restaurant frequented by the likes of

Rudolf Nureyev Rudolf Khametovich Nureyev (17 March 19386 January 1993) was a Soviet-born ballet dancer and choreographer. Nureyev is widely regarded as the preeminent male ballet dancer of his generation as well as one of the greatest ballet dancers of all ...

George Harrison George Harrison (25 February 1943 – 29 November 2001) was an English musician, singer and songwriter who achieved international fame as the lead guitarist of the Beatles. Sometimes called "the quiet Beatle", Harrison embraced Culture ...

and prominent politicians."Glynn Ward takes us on a photographic journey around Skippool Creek"
- ''

Lancashire Life ''Lancashire Life'' is a British monthly regional magazine, first published in 1947, devoted to the English county palatine of Lancashire. The magazine is part of Newsquest Media Group. It covers lifestyle topics including motoring, property, fo ...

'', 8 February 2013 It was run by members of the Scott family.

Transport

Blackpool Transport Blackpool Transport Services LimitedCompanies House extract com ...

routes 74 and 75 buses service Skippool Road.

References in popular culture

In nearby Thornton-Cleveleys, Skippool Creek Brewery was founded in 2016.

Gallery

File:Skippool_Creek.jpeg, The

from Skippool Creek, looking east to

Shard Bridge Shard Bridge is a bridge in the English county of Lancashire. It spans the River Wyre, connecting Singleton, on the southern side of the river, to Hambleton, on its northern side (an area known locally as "Over Wyre"), carrying both automotiv ...

(right of centre) File:Skippool_Creek_2017.jpeg, Docks at Skippool Creek in 2017

References

{{reflist

External links

Blackpool & Fleetwood Yacht Club's official websiteSkippool's page at VisitCleveleys.co.uk
- Thornton Action Group
"Good Hope at Skippool Creek”
- YouTube, May 10, 2012
"The Forgotten Port at Skippool Creek , Stannah Tramper Trail"
- YouTube, October 27, 2017 Geography of the Borough of Wyre The Fylde