Shard Bridge from Skippool Creek, River Wyre
In creating a new photographic website, I decided to feature the River Wyre. After spending many hours on its muddy banks, I became fascinated by its landscape. Marshland and mud make walking interesting, especially if you stray from the pathways to get the best shots. The river is full of character, with a charm and beauty of its own.
The
River Wyre is about 28 miles long; its estuary is at Fleetwood, where
it meets the Irish Sea. In the mid 1700s, the volume of shipping at
two of its creeks – Skippool and Wardleys – is believed to have
exceeded that of Liverpool. Skippool handled ships of up to 200
tonnes, loaded with cotton and flax for the
mills of Lancashire. Such shipping made Skippool a busy port and
Poulton-le-Fylde a thriving town. Its demise came around 1840, with
the arrival of the railway to Fleetwood, which ultimately became the
main port of the Fylde coast. You will see some of the wrecked ships
in these portfolios.
There
is a history of smuggling, and the names Skippool and Poulton are
believed to be of Saxon origin. Skippool – written as Skippon in
ancient times – is thought to derive from the skills of ancient
Saxons (and the Saxon word 'skiffs') who used the creek.
