Skippool

Skippool is an area of Thornton-Cleveleys, Lancashire, England. It is situated between Little Thornton and Poulton-le-Fylde along the western banks of the River Wyre, about three miles south of its mouth between Fleetwood and Knott End. 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.[1]

Skippool

Docks at Skippool Creek in 2017
Skippool
Location within Wyre Borough
Skippool
Location on the Fylde
Skippool
Location within Lancashire
District
Shire county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townThornton-Cleveleys
Postcode districtFY5
Dialling code01253
PoliceLancashire
FireLancashire
AmbulanceNorth West
UK Parliament

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 word skip, which means ship, and the Old English pull/pol, for a slow-moving stream.[2]

History
A sign on Wyre Road, near Thornton Lodge

Skippool, more specifically its creek, was a major trading port for hundreds of years, similarly to that of Wardley's Creek on the other side of the river.[3] It is understood to have been in constant use from the end of the Middle Ages. Goods arrived at the docks from all over the world. Flax was brought in from Ireland and the Baltic; timber came from North America; and tallow arrived from Russia.[3] More locally, limestone and oats were transported from Ulverston and coal from Preston.[3] Its popularity fell out of favour when Fleetwood's port opened in the 1840s.[4]

A 1610 map gives the name of the river as Skippon Flue.[2] 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 1824, when it started out as The Crackers Head. It became The White Horse a decade later, then, in 1866, The Brockholes Arms.[3]

A bone mill, 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.[5]

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 residences

In addition to the Illawalla, there are three other notable residences on Skippool Road. Ashley Hall was where select celebrities would stay while they were appearing on Blackpool's North Pier. These include Danny La Rue and Roy Castle.

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, George Harrison and prominent politicians.[1] It was run by members of the Scott family.[6][7]

Transport

The number 75 Preston Bus (which runs hourly between Preston and Fleetwood) is the only route that services Skippool Road.

In nearby Thornton-Cleveleys, Skippool Creek Brewery was founded in 2016.[8]

References
  1. "Glynn Ward takes us on a photographic journey around Skippool Creek" - Lancashire Life, 8 February 2013
  2. Skippool - Wyre Archaeology Group
  3. "History of Skippool" - VisitCleveleys.co.uk
  4. "THE RIVER WYRE PORTS, SKIPPOOL CREEK AND WARDLEY'S – POULTON, BLACKPOOL AND THE FYLDE COAST" - JohnEllisBFC.wordpress.com
  5. History - Thornton Cleveleys Cricket Club's official website
  6. "The River House Hotel & Restaurant at Skippool Creek" - Lawrence Chard at Flickr.com
  7. "Raise your quality to survive, hoteliers told" - Blackpool Gazette, 1 October 2002
  8. Skippool Creek Brewery
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