Freckleton, ENG - Postcode - PR4 1HT

Freckleton

To the south of Kirkham and to the east of the popular seaside resort of Lytham St. Annes is the village and civil parish of Freckleton on the Fylde coast in Lancashire, England. In 2001 the parish had a population of 6,045, falling to 6,019 at the 2011 Census.The community is located close to Warton, which has ties to BAE Systems. Some of the 2.4-kilometer-long (1.5-mile-long) runway at Warton Aerodrome can be found inside Freckleton's borders. Freckleton has a parish council, and is part of Fylde Borough, and Fylde constituency.

History

The name of the village appears in the Domesday Book as "Frecheltun" and is supposed to stem from 'Farmstead of a man called Frecla', with Old English tun and Nordic personal name.

Located in the Hundred of "Agemvndrenesse," it was one of the 62 communities there (Amounderness). Another potential origin is from the Anglo-Saxon term for "lusty" or "argumentative". During the Roman era, Freckleton served as a water source for the nearby Kirkham fort, and in the 19th century, it served as a port for the growing shipbuilding industry. For a long time, residents of this village produced rope and sailcloth for the emerging boating industry. The first organized factory system in the village, Balderstone Mill opened in 1880; its weaving shed had 320 looms; the mill's cloth was traded on the Manchester Cotton Exchange. All of these mills stopped operating about 1980. As early as 1427, when it was in the hands of William Hodelliston, a water-mill stood on the banks of the Dow Brook. In 1882, it was sold for £350 with the sole intent of being decommissioned so that the marsh could be drained more efficiently. There is a single gravestone at the Quaker burial place at Quaker's Wood, also called "Twill Furlong," in Lower Lane, between Freckleton and Kirkham.  Until the 1920s, Freckleton had a tollgate and travelers to Lytham and Preston had to pay a toll to use the turnpike road. The toll was collected at toll house bridge. It was possible to escape paying the toll by taking the bridle path, which involved crossing the Dow stream.

During World War II, American troops stationed at the nearby Warton Aerodrome called the town home. After attempting to land at Warton in bad weather on August 23, 1944, the plane crashed into Holy Trinity School in Freckleton, resulting in the Freckleton Air Disaster. Thirty-eight infants, two of their teachers, and three of the air crew were among the 61 fatalities. Several locals and British and American servicemen eating at a cafe across the street from the school were also killed. Residents and American soldiers continue to gather each year to honor the fallen. The airfield was subsequently purchased by English Electric, now BAE Systems, and many BAE personnel live in the town.

War Memorial Park, which is surrounded by railings for safety, was formerly the village green, where the smithy and toll house were located.

The Freckleton Football Club home games are played at the Rawstorne Sports Centre on Bush Lane. The team is currently playing in the second division of the West Lancs League.

The Freckleton Cricket Club, founded at the turn of the century, holds its home games at Bush Lane. It won the Meyler Cup for the third time in 2013, following its triumphs in 2012 and 2002. In 2015, Andrew Hogarth will take over as captain as he succeeds the likable James "Jimmy" Fiddler in the Premier Division of the Moore & Smalley Palace Shield Competition.

Freckleton hosts an annual half marathon in the month of June. The race is the longest continuously running half marathon in the United Kingdom, having begun in 1965.