Fleetwood

''See Fleetwood (disambiguation) for other meanings

Fleetwood is a town in Lancashire, England, lying at the northern end of the Fylde peninsula. It has a population of around 28,000 people. It is part of the Blackpool conurbation (Greater Blackpool) but outside of the borough boundary.

The town was founded in 1836 by Peter Hesketh, and largely designed by Decimus Burton. It thrived as a seaport and a fishing port, and has more recently been known as a seaside resort.

The fishing industry was destroyed in the late 1960's by the cod wars - a dispute over fishing rights between Iceland and Britain. As Fleetwood's trawlers mainly fished the North Atlantic in search of cod, the loss of the fishing grounds hit the town hard. The last deep sea trawler left the town in 1982 and now only inshore fishing boat fish out of the port, although trawlers registered in other places can still be seen taking advantage of the fish market. Fish is still a big industry in the town, though it is mainly in processing rather than fishing where the jobs are.

Fleetwood is also famous for being the home of Fisherman's Friend - a menthol lozenge which is, bizarrely, hugely popular in Japan.

Attractions in the town include The Mount pavilion and clock, Fleetwood pier and the Pharos and Lower Lighthouses. More recently the shopping arcade of Freeport has attracted many visitors. Fleetwood is also home to a museum and lies at the northern end of Blackpool's tramway. Ferries sail from Fleetwood across the River Wyre to Knott End-on-Sea, and in past days there has been a service (more recently in summer only) to Douglas in the Isle of Man. There is also a service to Larne, Northern Ireland running daily.

Fleetwood is host to the renowned Rossall School, a Public School where schoolboys used to be beaten for minor disobediances.

Fleetwood was also a holiday destination for a young John Lennon as well as the home of the first fully automated telephone exchange in Britain. The port town was also for some years, the northern terminus of the railway line to London hence the hotel opposite the site of the (now demolished) railway station being called 'The North Euston'. Another piece of interesting trivia concerns Alan Partridge writer Peter Baynham who is a former student of the nautical college.

Fleetwood features in the supernatural horror novel A Haunted Man, by Stuart Neild. Scenes set in Fleetwood include a haunted tram ride and a ghostly Visitation on Fleetwood pier.

Fleetwood's local football side play their games at a stadium named Highbury.

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