Attractions

There are several attractions to offer the visitor to the villages.

The Fleetwood to Knott End Ferry

There has been a ferry service between Knott End and Fleetwood since before records began, with the first ferries operated by fishermen who took passengers across the river as and when required. The first official ferry service began in 1894 and continues today with the Wyre Rose operated by Wyre Marine Services.

View Ferry Timetables

The Esplanade

Why not take a relaxing stroll along the Esplanade? This seafront thoroughfare, with its Edwardian shelters, commands beautiful views of Morecambe Bay, the Forest of Bowland and the Lakeland hills. There are several places to eat and drink and you can also view paintings and artwork of the area in The Gallery while walking by the sea. Note the bronze information plaque opposite the former NatWest bank.

Walks

There are several footpaths and walks in the area. Why not try the Wyre Way? This walk guides the visitor along the River Wyre and over the Knott End golf course where stunning views of the Lancashire countryside are around every corner. While on the walk you will pass the second of our famous 'old halls' - Hackensall Hall. The hall is famous for its boggart, the ghost of a horse that is said to frequent the area of the hall. Alternatively, walk down the disused railway track between Hackensall Road and Park Lane or along the sea wall to Fluke Hall.

Village Centre

There are several shops within the village centre offering local produce and fancy goods. There are restaurants, hairdressers, cafés and all the usual shops associated with a vibrant and bustling village. Barton Square boasts a Millennium Clock and just a few yards seawards is a memorial commemorating the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Britain.

Gala

Preesall and Knott End Gala is held on the second Saturday in July. This is a well- established family fun day that includes a visiting funfair for the gala weekend.

Tourist Information Point

A tourist information point can be found in the Knott End Cafe near the Knott End-Fleetwood Ferry Terminus.

Jubilee Gardens

Situated to the rear of the library, the garden was completed in 2015 and provides a quiet place to sit with views across the fields.

Hackensall Hall

A 17th-century building now a private home with all its estate sold off. It was built in 1656 by the then estate owner, Richard Fleetwood, on the site of earlier halls dating back to Haakon's time and was originally the home of the Lord of the Manor. See also Parrox Hall.

Parrox Hall

Parrox Hall in Preesall is one of the oldest houses in Lancashire and it has been continuously occupied by the Elletson family for 300 years. The family is able to trace its descendants back eight centuries and 26 generations to the original Lord of the Manor of Preesall-with-Hackensall, Geoffrey the Crossbowman (Galfridus Arbalastarius), a Norman soldier who was installed by Prince John in 1189 and granted six carucates of land that formed the original Hackensall estate.

The manor and village affairs were run from Hackensall Hall until a lack of male heirs forced a division of the estate between four sisters. Parrox and its share of the manor became more important in the community and its owner was locally accepted as the squire even though Hackensall Hall and its estate was by far the greater in size and hence proportion of the manor. Hackensall Hall eventually passed out of the family and was bought and sold along with its share of the Lord of the Manor rights. Often its owners were absentee landlords, nothing more than investors in the estate, and the hall was inhabited by tenants.

The present squire is still the direct descendant of the original Lord of the Manor. The hall is open for special viewing throughout the year.

Knott End Golf Club

Overlooking the River Wyre, Knott End Golf Club enjoys the best of the coast and countryside. The 18-hole course, designed by James Braid benefits from a modern clubhouse built in 1999.

https://www.knottendgolfclub.com/
Telephone: 01253 810576

Boating & Sea Fishing

Private Boats / Watercraft can be launched from the Knott End Ferry Slipway into the Wyre Estuary; there is a charge payable to the Ferry Company. The ramp is mainly concrete with the lower section cobbled / mud and is maintained and operated by Wyre Marine Services.

Please note that the Wyre Estuary is part of Morecambe Bay; the mouth of the estuary is a working port and covered by byelaws. Along with shell fish, bass, flounders, codling, rays and mullets are also caught in the Bay.

http://www.wyremarineservices.co.uk/

Garstang & Knott End Railway

The railway, first mooted in the 1860s and finally built between Garstang and Pilling by 1870, provided a link between Knott End (and Fleetwood via the ferry) and Garstang and from Garstang to the LNW line to London. As a result of equity problems and the flawed idea to build a bridge at Preesall the line was not finished until 1908. In 1911 a small branch line was built to service the salt works and to link it to the jetty on the river. The heyday of the line lasted until 1930 with both goods and passengers being carried. In 1930 passengers ceased to be carried owing to the competition of motor transport and in 1950 goods ceased to be carried further than Pilling with the line closing beyond Pilling. The whole line was finally closed in 1963. Although the line is no longer, the station building at Knott End (now the Knott End Café) along with the stationmaster's house and the crossing keeper's cottage on Hackensall Road can still be seen, as can the station at Preesall (now an egg packing plant).

The Mount/War Memorial

The Mount on Lancaster Road is a man-made mound whose age and original purpose are unknown. Is it a Viking burial mound, perhaps Haakon's? Or is it, as suggested more recently, the remains of an observation point for horse racing on the Parrox Hall estate?. The siting of the war memorial on it prevents any explorative examination to determine the truth.

St Oswald's Church

The parish church of St Oswald's was built in 1887. Prior to this, worship was carried out at the mother church of St James in Stalmine. You may wish to look skywards and identify what resides atop the steeple - is it a fish or a dolphin and why?

Village Facilities & Services

  • Free car parks at Sandy Lane playing fields (Preesall), behind Barton Square (Knott End) and at the ferry slip (Knott End)
  • Public toilets in Barton Square and at the ferry slip (Knott End)
  • Post office and library in Knott End
  • Churches - in addition to St Oswald's, Bethel, Methodist and Roman Catholic churches in Knott End
  • Takeaways – Knott End - fish and chips, Indian, burger/chicken/pizza; Preesall – fish and chips, two Chinese, cakes and sandwiches.
  • Pubs - Black Bull in Preesall and Bourne Arms and The Squash in Knott End
  • Cafés – Ferry slip and two in Knott End
  • Health centre - Wilkinson Way off Pilling Lane, Preesall
  • Vets (part-time) - Clarence Avenue, Knott End
  • Fire station - Sandy Lane, Preesall (not staffed 24 hours)
  • Coastguard station - ferry slip, Knott End (not staffed 24 hours)
  • Primary schools - Carter's Charity Voluntary Aided School, Pilling Lane, Preesall and Fleetwood Charity School, School Lane, Preesall
  • Secondary school - St Aidan's Church of England Technology College, Cart Gate, Preesall
  • Playing fields including children's play area - Sandy Lane, Preesall