Thornton, Lancashire

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Thornton
Marsh Mill 2023.jpg
Marsh Mill, on Fleetwood Road
Location map United Kingdom Borough of Wyre.svg
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Thornton
Shown within Wyre Borough
Location map United Kingdom The Fylde.svg
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Thornton
Shown on the Fylde
Lancashire UK location map.svg
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Thornton
Location within Lancashire
OS grid reference SD339421
District
Shire county
Region
Country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town THORNTON-CLEVELEYS
Postcode district FY5
Dialling code 01253
Police Lancashire
Fire Lancashire
Ambulance North West
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
Lancashire
53°52′16″N3°00′14″W / 53.871°N 3.004°W / 53.871; -3.004

Thornton is a village in the Borough of Wyre, about 4 miles (6 km) north of Blackpool and 2 miles (3 km) south of Fleetwood. [1] The civil parish of Thornton became an urban district in 1900, and was renamed Thornton-Cleveleys in 1927. In 2011, the Thornton built-up area sub division had a population of 18,941. [2]

Contents

History

Thornton is first mentioned in 1086 in the Domesday Book, in which it was referred to as Torentum (a name preserved by Torentum Court on Lawsons Road). At the time, it covered a large area including what are now Cleveleys and Fleetwood, and had a very low population density. It is thought that a settlement had existed at the site since the Iron Age, and a Roman road passes close to the village. The area remained lightly populated until 1799, when the marshland around the village was drained and agricultural production began on a large scale. [3]

Marsh Mill, a large well-preserved windmill, built in 1794, is a prominent landmark. It was commissioned by Bold Hesketh, uncle of Peter Hesketh (later Peter Hesketh-Fleetwood), who would go on to play a prominent role in the expansion of Fleetwood. Tragedy struck in May 1930, when a Miss Alice Baldwin and a Mrs Mary Jane Bailey visited the windmill with an interest in purchasing it. However, when both women stepped onto the fantail platform, the platform collapsed and the women fell to their deaths. [4]

The opening of salt works at nearby Burn Naze by the United Alkali Company in the early 1890s (later becoming ICI, with ICI Hillhouse being formed) led to significant expansion of the village, with new houses and community buildings constructed. Thornton became an Urban District Council in 1900, surviving until 1974, when it became part of Wyre Borough Council. [3]

A notable early building, The Illawalla, stood in the Skippool area of Thornton between 1902 and 1996.

In 2015, the complete skeleton of a pre-historic wolf, nicknamed the Thornton Wolf, was discovered in the back garden of a home in the village. [5]

Transport

Rail

The former site of Thornton for Cleveleys railway station Thornton-Cleveleys Station from Station Road Level Crossing 2024.jpg
The former site of Thornton for Cleveleys railway station

A railway station, Thornton for Cleveleys railway station, was opened in Thornton in 1865. It was formerly the principal intermediate stop on the Fleetwood branch of the LMS/British Rail London Midland Region railway, running from Poulton-le-Fylde, but it has been years since the station was used, with the level crossing at Station Road now fenced over; however, a decision by the Poulton & Wyre Railway Society means they will finance a feasibility study into bringing the railway back to Thornton and Fleetwood. [6]

Bus

Thornton Centre's stops 1 and 2 are served by three bus routes:[ citation needed ]

Blackpool Transport's route 14 serves Fleetwood Road, stopping at the Gardener's Arms. [7]

Amenities

Thornton's village shopping precinct opened in 1978. [8] It was replaced by a Co-op in the early 21st century. [9]

Thornton contains a number of schools, including Baines Endowed Primary School, Thornton Primary School, Stanah Primary School, Royles Brook Primary School, Sacred Heart Primary School and Millfield Science & Performing Arts College. [10] The public library, situated at Four Lane Ends, was closed down in the autumn of 2016 as a result of cost-cutting measures by Lancashire County Council. This decision was hugely unpopular, and the library reopened in February 2018 after the decision was reversed.

Sport

Thornton-Cleveleys is home to Thornton-Cleveleys R.U.F.C., who play rugby in the RFU Northern Division, North Lancs 1. Their home ground is the YMCA sports centre on Victoria Road East.

Thornton Cleveleys F.C. play in the North West Counties Football League. Their home matches are played at Gamble Road. [11]

The town boasts two cricket clubs—Thornton-Cleveleys C.C. and Norcross C.C.—both playing in the Moore & Smalley Palace Shield competition and both having three senior sides and several junior teams in a variety of age groups.

Thornton Judo Club was established in 1974, formerly at the sports centre and now at the Scout Hall on Marsh Road. It is a member club of The British Judo Council and The British Judo Association.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Borough of Wyre</span> Borough and non-metropolitan district in England

Wyre is a local government district with borough status on the coast of Lancashire, England. The council is based in Poulton-le-Fylde and the borough also contains the towns of Cleveleys, Fleetwood, Garstang, Preesall and Thornton, along with numerous villages and surrounding rural areas. Some of the borough's built-up areas form part of the wider Blackpool urban area. Eastern parts of the borough lie within the Forest of Bowland, a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Poulton-le-Fylde</span> Market town in Lancashire, England

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fleetwood</span> Town in Lancashire, England

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 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cleveleys</span> Town in Lancashire, England

Cleveleys is a town on the Fylde Coast of Lancashire, England, about 4 miles (6 km) north of Blackpool and 2 miles (3 km) south of Fleetwood. It is part of the Borough of Wyre. With its neighbouring settlement of Thornton, Cleveleys was part of the former urban district of Thornton-Cleveleys and is part of the Blackpool Urban Area. In 2011 the Cleveleys Built-up area sub division had a population of 10,754.

The Preston and Wyre Railway (P&WR) was built to connect Preston, on the London and North Western Railway West Coast Main Line, with the port of Fleetwood, at the mouth of the River Wyre. It opened in 1840. An associated company built the dock leading to the company, changing its name to the Preston and Wyre Railway, Harbour and Dock Company. Passenger business was more buoyant than expected, and the company built branch lines to the nascent resort of Blackpool and Lytham that opened in 1846. At that time the line was leased by the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway and later the London and North Western Railway took a share in the lease which was later converted to outright ownership. The Preston and Wyre Railway continued to be jointly owned as the Preston and Wyre Joint Railway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Poulton-le-Fylde railway station</span> Railway station in Lancashire, England

Poulton-le-Fylde railway station serves the town of Poulton-le-Fylde in Lancashire, England. It is managed by Northern Trains, but also served by Avanti West Coast.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hambleton, Lancashire</span> Village in Lancashire, England

Hambleton is a village and civil parish in the English county of Lancashire. It is situated on a coastal plain called the Fylde and in an area east of the River Wyre known locally as Over Wyre. Hambleton lies approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) north-east of its post town, Poulton-le-Fylde, and about 7 miles (11 km) north-east of the seaside resort of Blackpool. In the 2001 United Kingdom census, the parish had a population of 2,678, increasing to 2,744 at the 2011 census.

The Fleetwood branch line is a railway line that ran from Preston to Fleetwood. It passed through many smaller stations along the way, most of which are now closed. When work at Fleetwood docks was under threat in the mid-1960s, the main Fleetwood station was closed, and the remainder of the branch south to Poulton followed in 1970. There are active proposals to re-open the branch to passenger services.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thornton–Cleveleys railway station</span> Station in Lancashire, UK (1865–1970)

Thornton–Cleveleys was a railway station in England which served the Lancashire village of Thornton and town of Cleveleys. Located on the now-disused line between Poulton-le-Fylde and Fleetwood, the station also had a shunting yard for the making-up of freight trains for Preston and beyond. In the 1860s and early 1870s, the line was of great importance, being the direct route from London to Glasgow. Before the Shap route was opened, passengers would travel from Euston to Fleetwood and then onwards via steamer to Scotland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Burn Naze Halt railway station</span> Former station in Thornton-Cleveleys, UK

Burn Naze Halt railway station served Burn Naze in Thornton-Cleveleys, Lancashire, England, between 1909 and 1970. The platforms were heavily overgrown with vegetation until 2014, when the Poulton & Wyre Railway Society began restoration work.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blackpool urban area</span> Built-up area in Lancashire, England

The Blackpool Built-up Area or Blackpool Urban Area is an urban area in Lancashire, England, consisting of the large town of Blackpool along with several surrounding towns and villages. Defined by the ONS it had a population of 239,409 in 2011 this is considerably down on the 2001 population of 261,088 mainly due to Fleetwood no longer being considered as part of the built-up area. The population of the Blackpool Urban Area has been declining for some time with the 2001 population down 0.1% from the 1991 figure of 261,355.

The Fylde is a coastal plain in western Lancashire, England. It is roughly a 13-mile-long (21-kilometre) square-shaped peninsula, bounded by Morecambe Bay to the north, the Ribble estuary to the south, the Irish Sea to the west, and the foot of the Bowland hills to the east which approximates to a section of the M6 motorway and West Coast Main Line.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marsh Mill</span>

Marsh Mill is an 18th-century tower windmill in Thornton, Lancashire, England. It was built in 1794 by Ralph Slater for local landowner Bold Hesketh. It functioned as a corn mill until the 1920s and has been fully restored. It is a good example of a complete English windmill and has been designated a Grade II* listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Burn Naze</span> Human settlement in England

Burn Naze is a residential area of Thornton-Cleveleys, in the Borough of Wyre, Lancashire, England. It is located about 5 miles (8 km) northeast of Blackpool and 2 miles (3 km) southeast of Fleetwood. Cleveleys is about 1.3 miles (2.1 km) to the west, while the River Wyre is about 0.8 miles (1.3 km) to the east.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Skippool</span> Human settlement in England

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 3 miles (4.8 km) 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. Skippool Creek is a short branch off Main Dyke, which empties into the River Wyre in front of Blackpool and Fleetwood Yacht Club.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marsh Farmhouse</span> Historic site in Lancashire, England

Marsh Farmhouse is an historic building in Thornton-Cleveleys, Lancashire, England. Built in 1803, it is a Grade II listed building. It is located to the southeast of today's Amounderness Way roundabout at Victoria Road East.

Public transport in the Fylde is available for three modes of transport—bus, rail and tram—assisting residents of and visitors to the Fylde, a coastal plain in western Lancashire, England, to travel around much of the area's 64 square miles (170 km2).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Victoria Road, Thornton-Cleveleys</span> Road in Lancashire, England

Victoria Road is a major thoroughfare in Thornton-Cleveleys, Lancashire, England. Originally known as Ramper Road, it runs for about 2 miles (3.2 km) from Station Road in Thornton, in the east, to South Promenade in Cleveleys, in the west. Its addresses are denoted as "Victoria Road East" or "Victoria Road West", the split occurring at the Amounderness Way roundabout carrying traffic of the A585 between Poulton-le-Fylde and Fleetwood. The road picks up the B5412 designation from Station Road until The Crescent and Brighton Avenue in Cleveleys.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Poulton & Wyre Railway Society</span>

Poulton & Wyre Railway Society (PWRS) is a railway preservation company based in Lancashire, England. Formed in 2006, its main focus has been working towards reinstating the railway line between Poulton-le-Fylde and Fleetwood for passenger use. The line was taken out of use in 1970 and removed in certain sections.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ICI Hillhouse</span> Former production plant in Lancashire, England

ICI Hillhouse was a chlorine-production facility in Lancashire, England. A division of Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI), it was active between 1941 and 1992. Its triangular footprint spread from the banks of the River Wyre at Stanah in the east, to Hillylaid Road in the southwest, to the southern edge of Fleetwood in the north. Its entrances were on Hillylaid Road and on Butts Road in Burn Naze. Burn Naze Halt railway station served those arriving by train.

References

  1. "Distance from Thornton-Cleveleys to Blackpool" . Retrieved 19 June 2015.
  2. UK Census (2011). "Local Area Report – Thornton (Wyre) Built-up area sub division (E35000137)". Nomis. Office for National Statistics . Retrieved 27 March 2021.
  3. 1 2 History - Thornton Through Time Archived 2011-07-03 at the Wayback Machine
  4. "BBC - Legacies - Architectural Heritage - England - Lancashire - Going through the mill - Article Page 3". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 19 October 2018.
  5. "'Ice Age' wolf bones found in Thornton Cleveleys garden". BBC News . 27 May 2015. Retrieved 16 September 2022.
  6. "Boost for plans to reopen Poulton to Fleetwood rail link". Blackpool Gazette . 8 August 2007. Retrieved 18 September 2007.
  7. Blackpool Transport – route 14
  8. "22 nostalgic scenes of Thornton which capture Victoria Road East, shops, precinct and surrounding streets in decades gone by" Blackpool Gazette , 2 May 2023
  9. "New-look Thornton-Cleveleys Co-op re-launches including partnership with Boyes who launch their latest value store inside". www.co-operative.coop. Retrieved 29 March 2024.
  10. "Welcome to the Library and Information web site - Thornton Home Page". Lancashire County Council. Archived from the original on 13 June 2011. Retrieved 26 February 2008.
  11. "Thornton Cleveleys Football Club". Archived from the original on 29 November 2005.