Tourist's guide to visit Poulton-le-Fylde

Visit Poulton-le-Fylde – things to do & explore

Overview of Poulton-le-Fylde history & facts by Walkfo

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Planning a visit to Poulton-le-Fylde?

Poulton-le-Fylde (/ˈpoʊltən li ˌfaɪld/), commonly shortened to Poulton, is a market town in Lancashire, England, situated on the coastal plain called the Fylde. In the 2001 United Kingdom census, it had a population of 18,264. There is evidence of human habitation in the area from 12,000 years ago and several archaeological finds from Roman settlement in England have been found in the area. At the time of the Norman conquest, Poulton was a small agricultural settlement in the hundred of Amounderness. The church of St Chad was recorded in 1094 when it was endowed to Lancaster Priory. By the post-Medieval period the town had become an important commercial centre for the region with weekly and triannual markets. Goods were imported and exported through two harbours on the River Wyre. In 1837, the town was described as the “metropolis of the Fylde”, but its commercial importance waned from the mid-19th century with the development of the nearby coastal towns of Fleetwood and Blackpool. Poulton has the administrative centre of the borough of Wyre and is in the parliamentary constituency of Wyre and Preston North. It is part of the Blackpool Urban Area and approximately 5 miles (8 km) from Blackpool town centre; there are rail links to Blackpool and Preston, and bus routes to the larger towns and villages of the Fylde. Poulton has a library and two secondary schools; Baines School and Hodgson Academy. There is a farmers’ market once a month and since October 2011 there has been a weekly market on Mondays in the centre of the town.

Poulton-le-Fylde history

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Early history

There is evidence of human habitation in the area around Poulton from c. 10,000 BC. In 1970, building work in nearby Carleton uncovered the 12,000-year-old skeleton of an elk, along with two bone or antler barbed points close to its hind bones. At the time of the Roman conquest of Britain in the 1st century AD, the area was inhabited by a Celtic tribe called the Setantii. A 4th century hoard of 400 Roman coins was found in the area, near Fleetwood. Other finds have been made in Poulton and Skippool; in addition to coins, these have included a medal of Germanicus and a hipposandal (similar to a horseshoe). Although there is little archaeological evidence of Anglo-Saxon activity in the area following the departure of the Romans, local place names incorporate Old English elements like tūn (farmstead), suggesting that they were founded in that period. Nearby examples are Thornton, Marton and Carleton. Poulton was recorded in 1086 as Poltun; the name is derived from the Old English words pull or pōl + tūn meaning “farmstead by a pool or creek”. In later years, it was recorded variously as Pultun, Polton, Potton, Poolton and Poulton. The affix le-Fylde (“in the district called the Fylde”) was added in 1842 with the arrival of the Penny Post, to distinguish the town from Poulton-le-Sands, a village that is now part of Morecambe. Poulton is one of seven ancient parishes of the hundred of Amounderness. Prior to the Norman conquest in 1066, Amounderness was in the possession of Earl Tostig, the brother of King Harold II. Tostig died at the Battle of Stamford Bridge and his lands were subsequently taken over by the Normans. Between 1069 and 1086 William the Conqueror gave Amounderness to Anglo-Norman Baron Roger the Poitevin. In the Domesday Book of 1086 Poulton’s area was estimated to contain two carucates of arable land. The survey recorded three churches in Amounderness though not by name. Later documentary evidence suggests that they were probably the churches at Poulton, Kirkham and St Michael’s on Wyre. The dedication of Poulton’s church to 7th century Anglo-Saxon saint Chad of Mercia lends weight to its pre-conquest foundation, although it is possible that it was built between 1086 and 1094. In 1094, Roger the Poitevin founded the Benedictine priory of St. Mary at Lancaster, as a cell of the Norman Abbey of St. Martin in Sées. He endowed the priory with the church and land at Poulton. Roger was eventually banished from the country and his lands returned to the possession of the Crown. In 1194 King Richard I granted the hundred of Amounderness to Theobald Walter, 1st Baron Butler, who held it until his death in 1206. In 1268, King Henry III granted the wapentake of Amounderness to his son Edmund Crouchback, who became the 1st Earl of Lancaster around this time. The amount of land in Poulton owned by St. Mary’s Priory increased during the 12th and 13th centuries and caused conflict with local landowners over whose land the tenants and monks of the priory had to cross. In 1276, Sir Adam Banastre and his supporters assaulted the prior, Ralph de Truno, as he travelled to Poulton. He and his attendants were taken by Banastre, beaten and imprisoned in Thornton. An investigation into the incident was instigated by the king; no record survives. In 1330, a compromise was made when two roads were built through Banastre’s land which enabled the prior and his tenants to travel freely to Poulton. During the 13th and 14th centuries, much of the land at Poulton was given to Cockersand Abbey in Lancaster and rented back to local farm workers. Much of the land in the Fylde was donated either to Cockersand Abbey or Whalley Abbey. To efficiently manage and farm these lands, granges were built at Singleton and Staining. When the alien priories (those under control of religious houses abroad) were dissolved in 1415, the church at Poulton was conveyed to the Abbey of Syon in Middlesex. In the 17th century Civil Wars, townspeople of Poulton fought on both sides, although more men from the Fylde were on the side of the Royalists. No battles occurred in or close to Poulton but the area was affected with the rest of the county by the widespread poverty that resulted from the wars. In 1643 interest was stirred in the parish when a large Spanish vessel dropped anchor off the coast at Rossall. The ship made no movement for several days but fired its guns occasionally. Locals initially feared an invasion, but eventually realised that the crew was in distress and had been signalling for help. The vessel was carrying ammunition for the Parliamentarian forces and the crew had become sick and feeble. The ship was brought by Royalists into the mouth of the River Wyre and the Earl of Derby marched from across the River Ribble. He ordered the ship to be burnt and the Spanish crew to be set free. The port of Poulton played a role in the Atlantic slave trade during the 18th century, with at least four slaving voyages setting off from Poulton between 1753 and 1757. In the 18th century it was the custom for the wealthy in Poulton to bury their dead at night, following a lamp-lit procession through town. This tradition lasted until 1810. In 1732, during the procession preceding the funeral of Geoffrey Hornby, strong winds caused sparks to fly from the lighted tapers carried by mourners. The buildings on the west side of the market place, low cottages with thatched roofs, caught fire and were destroyed. After local fund-raising the houses were eventually replaced with brick buildings with tile roofs.

19th and 20th centuries

Poulton became an important centre for trade in the area. With harbours on either side of the River Wyre, at Skippool and Wardleys, it was able to import goods from as far away as Russia and North America. Flax was imported from Ireland and the Baltic, timber came from across the Atlantic and tallow from Russia. Records from 1806 to 1808 show that Poulton imported limestone from Ulverston, oats from Ulverston, Kirkcudbright, Dumfries, Wigtown, Whitehaven and Liverpool, and coal from Preston. Cheese was exported to the same places. By the 18th century, markets for cattle and cloth were being held in the town in February, April and November, with corn fairs every Monday. It is unclear at what point Poulton began life as a market town; it was never granted a market charter and so markets were held by prescription. The market cross probably dates from the 17th century. The linen industry was widespread in the Fylde during the 18th century and Poulton’s importation of flax was essential. There were large warehouses at Skippool and Wardleys, owned by linen merchants from Kirkham. By the 19th century, craftsmen in Poulton were an important part of the industry. In the early part of the 19th century, there was a significant decline in the craft industries because of increased mechanisation, as well as increased demand for labour. In contrast to neighbouring Kirkham, Poulton appeared to suffer from a lack of enthusiasm for new industrial techniques and opportunities among its industry leaders. Poulton’s commercial importance was affected by the growth in the 19th century of two nearby coastal towns. In 1836 the first building was constructed in the new, planned town of Fleetwood, 7 miles (11 km) north of Poulton, at the mouth of the River Wyre. Fleetwood was conceived by local landowner and Preston Member of Parliament (MP) Sir Peter Hesketh-Fleetwood as a major port and a link for passengers travelling from London to Scotland. To achieve these ideals, a rail link was needed and the new town soon heralded the arrival of the railway to the area. A line connecting Fleetwood with Preston was completed in 1840, with Poulton as one of the stops. Although Fleetwood immediately superseded Poulton as a port (the Customs House was quickly moved to Fleetwood), Poulton initially benefited commercially from the rail link. The importation of Irish and Scottish cattle through Fleetwood enabled a fortnightly cattle market to be held in Poulton. At the same time, Blackpool was developing as a resort and for a few years, visitors travelled by rail to Poulton and then on to Blackpool by horse-drawn charabancs or omnibuses. A line between Poulton and Blackpool was completed in 1846. As Fleetwood and Blackpool’s own commercial capabilities developed, and Kirkham’s prominence in the linen industry continued to grow, Poulton’s importance declined.

Poulton-le-Fylde landmarks

Poulton town centre has been a Conservation Area since 1979 and 15 buildings and structures in the town have been designated as listed buildings by English Heritage for their special architectural, historical or cultural significance. These include two religious buildings, the structures in the market place and several houses. The market place at the centre of Poulton is the width of two streets and is now closed to motor traffic. Lying south of St Chad’s Church and surrounded by shops, the square contains the town’s war memorial as well as a market cross, stocks, whipping post and fish slabs, from which fish were sold on market days. Although many of the buildings surrounding the marketplace were rebuilt following a fire in the 18th century, a few of the earlier buildings remain. To the south of the marketplace are townhouses that were built for local merchants and professionals. Public houses and inns flourished early on in Poulton due to its status as a market town. One of the most important inns was the Golden Ball, which probably dates from the 18th century. It was also the meeting place of the local court, and at the end of the 19th century the town’s cattle market was moved behind the pub from the marketplace. The Thatched House pub existed in 1793 and may have been built in the Middle Ages. It was rebuilt in 1910 in the Mock Tudor style and has been identified as one of the town’s “key landmarks” by the Poulton Market Town Initiative. In the 19th century the Ship Inn was a rowdy pub popular with Fleetwood seamen, travelling labourers and locals. In the 1920s it became a working men’s club and from 1928 to 2001, a Conservative club. It is an Edwardian building constructed in red brick with red sandstone dressings. It has a corner tower and the walls have carvings of ships. Since 2000 it has operated as a café, wine bar and nightclub called the Cube.

Poulton-le-Fylde geography / climate

At 53°50′49.2″N 2°59′42″W / 53.847000°N 2.99500°W / 53.847000; -2.99500 (53.847°, −2.995°), and approximately 240 miles (390 km) northwest of London, Poulton-le-Fylde stands 19 feet (5.8 m) above sea level. It is approximately 5 miles (8 km) north-east of Blackpool and approximately 16.5 miles (27 km) north-west of Preston. It is situated on the Fylde, a coastal plain that is approximately a 13-mile (20 km) square peninsula. The town is on flat, slightly raised ground, approximately 1 mile (2 km) from the River Wyre and 3 miles (5 km) from the Irish Sea. Until the 20th century, the town consisted of only a few streets surrounding the central market place; it became surrounded by housing developments from the end of the Second World War. The Poulton urban area is adjacent to Carleton and Hardhorn, and close to the Blackpool Urban Area. The land to the east of the town is mostly agricultural. The bedrock of the area consists of Permo-Triassic sandstones and particularly Triassic mudstones. These old rocks lie beneath sea-level and are invisible beneath drift made up of glacial till deposits and post-glacial colluvium and alluvium deposits; there is a smaller amount of peat. Poulton has a generally temperate maritime climate like much of the British Isles, with cool summers and mild winters. There is an annual average rainfall of 871.3 millimetres (34.30 in).

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When you visit Poulton-le-Fylde

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When you visit Poulton-le-Fylde, Walkfo is your digital tour guide while exploring by foot, bike or bus. With numerous walks, hikes, tourist locations & travel destinations available in Poulton-le-Fylde, our travel AI guide helps you get the best from your visit to Poulton-le-Fylde & the surrounding areas. Our explore Poulton-le-Fylde app for iPhone & Android, allows you to experience the hidden history, culture and amazing facts throughout Poulton-le-Fylde whilst out walking. The digital tour guide creates interactive audio stories driven by where you walk, so you can exploration Poulton-le-Fylde’s National Heritage sites, tourist attractions, historic locations or city streets freely, without the restrictions of a predefined walk & walk map.

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Best Poulton-le-Fylde places to visit

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Poulton-le-Fylde has hundreds of places to explore by foot, bike or bus. Below are five of Poulton-le-Fylde’s best destinations to visit when exploring the area. We have condensed the information with much more detail available within Walkfo when you visit the destinations.

Visit Poulton-le-Fylde plaques

Experience Poulton-le-Fylde audio walks & tours

Visiting Poulton-le-Fylde with Walkfo’s things to do interactive map
The “Poulton-le-Fylde things to do map” below is a preview of the places you can visit in Poulton-le-Fylde and surrounding areas with our digital audio tour guide app. Each spot has content for a plaque, a building, a street or general area, providing history, culture or tourism information the you can explore.

Interactive ‘Explore Poulton-le-Fylde Map’     This Poulton-le-Fylde tourism map shows points of interest within a 4km radius of Poulton-le-Fylde centre

Walkfo App     Walkfo

Walkfo is free to download & use (for a limited time period), so if you are looking to explore Poulton-le-Fylde, go to your App Store to search for “Walkfo” or follow a links below and install on your mobile phone. Walkfo is designed for use with headphones or AirPods, so you can walk & explore whilst learning about the things around you without digital distraction.

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Things to do & visit in Poulton-le-Fylde and surrounding areas

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Getting to / around Poulton-le-Fylde – transport links, stations, streets & traffic map

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Getting around in Poulton-le-Fylde using public transportation may include roads, streets, trains, undergrounds, buses or trams. Walkfo has the following important Poulton-le-Fylde public transport locations with historic / cultural / factual content when you visit:

Poulton-le-Fylde Notable Public Transport Stations		Poulton-le-Fylde Notable Streets & Roads

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Attention local Poulton-le-Fylde historians, tour guides & Poulton-le-Fylde tourism agents