skippool creek yacht club

Life In The Mouse House

A not-quite-every-day look at my world, my travels and my family – human or otherwise

Skippool Creek and the River Wyre

With the continuing very warm and sunny weather being too good to miss, mid morning on the bank holiday monday towards the end of may saw me setting off for somewhere i hadn’t been to for almost ten years, a place where poppie and i could have a good walk and i could get some decent photos., skippool creek, a historic docks area, is situated on the western bank of the river wyre about three miles south of fleetwood and knott end on the coast. in constant use from the end of the middle ages it was a major trading port for hundreds of years, with goods arriving from all over the world. flax was brought in from ireland and the baltic, timber came from north america and tallow from russia, while closer to home limestone and oats were transported from cumbria and coal from preston. eventually though, the popularity of the port waned with the opening of fleetwood’s port in the 1840s, trading dwindled and the docks gradually fell into disrepair; nowadays the creek is owned by wyre council and provides moorings and jetties for a variety of private sailing craft although much of the area is more of a boat graveyard than anything else., a narrow minor road off the main road to thornton took me down to the creek. half a dozen very pleasant large detached and semi detached houses were situated along one side of the road which ended at the premises and slipway of blackpool & fleetwood yacht club; halfway along was a free car park so my walk started from there. the creek itself ran parallel to the road and quite close to it for a distance before curving round to join the main river, and many of the wooden jetties had boats moored up at the ends., where the creek joined the river the marshy land became much wider with wooden walkways leading across it from the roadside to the jetties and moored up boats. here the area became a hotch-potch of timber structures, seaworthy fishing and sailing boats, and serviceable trailers mixed in with many abandoned and unloved small wrecks beached on the grass, and there was even a sunken boat fastened by several long ropes to the end of a jetty., the most well known wreck just there was the mv good hope, a fishing trawler thought to have been built in the 1830s, though other information says it was more than likely built in scotland just after ww2 as there was a boat of that name registered in wick at that time. it was launched in 1948 and stayed in scotland for over twenty years; in 1975 it was recorded as fishing from fleetwood and owned by a local man, then in 1984 it was decommissioned and subsequently dry-land moored at skippool creek. with rotting timbers on what had once been the upper deck, a collapsed wheelhouse and the bow propped up to stop the whole thing from tipping over it was a mess, though strangely there was a pretty little wrought iron gate across the adjacent walkway., crossing the slipway in front of the yacht club premises i could see that a few people were taking advantage of the high tide and indulging in a spot of sailing, with several boats out on the water. i’d left the creek behind and was now alongside the main river with a wide and pleasant tree lined path leading from the slipway and past the many wooden walkways across the marshy grass to the water., after a while the path opened out to fields on my left and the farther i got from the sailing club the scruffier everything on the right became. the well kept jetties near the club were replaced by a long row of walkways built just above the grass, many with rotten and missing boards, jetties which were anything but straight, and a mish-mash of wooden sheds and small workshops cobbled together from whatever timber the various owners could get their hands on. many of the jetties had small sheds built on them and one in particular was so crooked it looked like the slightest breeze would blow the whole thing over., abandoned and derelict boats were everywhere, some of them so far up on the grass it looked like they hadn’t seen water for a long time. the saddest sight for me though was towards the end of the row – an old wooden fishing trawler which had been used as a permanent live-aboard houseboat., at one time the grass in front of it had been sectioned off into a small well kept private garden with fences and a neat little shed, and on my previous visit to skippool nine years ago the boat itself had looked quite attractive with its bright paintwork. now though it was just a broken down wreck with rotten timbers, a collapsed wheelhouse and a huge hole in the side of the hull – such a shame when it had once looked so nice., beyond the row of walkways the path made a u-turn over a narrow drainage channel and continued to follow the river, with more open fields on the left where the fences were interspersed with sections of hedgerow. a gate led to a pleasant looking tree lined lane and the sweet scent of hawthorn was everywhere; i even found something which doesn’t seem to be too common in my local area – pink hawthorn., round the next bend i came across something i didn’t expect to see – a boat sitting slap bang in the middle of the path. there was another one several yards farther along, sitting on the grass just off the path, and though the first one looked like it needed a bit of attention the second one seemed to be in good condition. assuming that no-one would just dump a couple of boats right there i could only think that maybe they had been washed up in february’s heavy storms, which made me wonder if the storms had also been responsible for the extensive damage to the old houseboat., just past the boats and set back off the path were a couple of benches; the first one was plain but the second was a memorial bench with a lovely carving at each end of the backrest. past more fields and the path split into three with the lower one continuing along the riverside, the middle one going through a woodland area and the upper one leading up a few steps into a sloping well mown meadow. just for curiosity i went a little way up the slope; a couple of picnic benches were set to one side and looking back i got a good view of the river., back on the lower path it was another twenty minutes before i reached my goal – a car park, cafe and picnic area close to a slipway used by people with jet skis and speedboats. it was a shame the cafe was closed as it would have been nice to indulge in some cake and a can of coke but i found a vacant bench overlooking the river and watched for a while as various jet skis zoomed up and down. sitting in the sun with a great view in front of me was lovely but eventually poppie started to get restless so it was time to reverse the walk and head back to the van., by the time i got back to the creek the tide had gone down far enough to expose part of the mud banks along the side and the farther along the creek i got the less water was in there; it wouldn’t be long until the boats moored near the end would be settled on the mud until the next high tide., leaving the creek i drove round to hambleton village on the other side of the river and found a spar shop where i got a chocolate bar and something i’ve not had for many many years – a can of barrs american cream soda. in fact it’s so long since i last had some that i thought it had gone out of production a long while ago. behind the shop was a small car park with a pleasant view over some nearby fields so i parked up there and whiled away twenty minutes or so with my drink and snack before heading for home., thinking about my walk along skippool creek and the wyre nothing much had changed in the nine years since my last visit – the scruffy parts were possibly a bit scruffier but to me that scruffiness gave the place a certain quirky charm. with perfect weather i’d really enjoyed the walk and made a mental note not to leave it so long before i make another visit – and maybe by then the cafe will be open and i can enjoy a drink and some cake., share this:, 29 thoughts on “ skippool creek and the river wyre ”.

What a lovely walk. So glad that I was able to come along!

I’m glad you liked it Andrew. I really enjoyed it as it had been so long since I was last there – hopefully I won’t leave it another nine years before I go back 🙂

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Lovely Eunice. I really enjoyed that & love seeing boats moored in creeks & even the decaying ones can be fascinating. I often wonder about the stories they could tell. Take care, stay safe & hugs.,

Boats and water have always fascinated me and they make great photography subjects. It was a lovely walk and one I hope to do again before too long 🙂

A lovely walk Eunice on a beautiful day. Such a shame about the abandoned boats. I like the carvings on the bench, nice place to rest awhile.

The carvings on the bench were a nice touch and the view from there was lovely. It was a nice walk but for some reason, from one end to the other, it seemed to be longer than I remembered.

what a glorious walk, hope the boats are returned to water soon

It was a lovely walk in glorious weather. It would be interesting to know how long those boats stay on the path as it won’t be an easy job to move them.

Expensive too probably to move them 😕

What a lovely walk with so much interest along the way. Even decaying boats can be beautiful in their own way. I remember American Cream Soda from my childhood, I don’t remember having any since then.

I don’t think I’ve had American Cream Soda since the 1970s. I really enjoyed the can I had that day so I’ll be looking in other Spar shops now to see if I can get some more – and it was cheaper than Coke too 🙂

I enjoyed the virtual walk. There are a couple of pink hawthornes along one of my walks, but they are a bit paler than these. I am torn by the dilapidated boats and buildings. I much prefer to see things thriving, of course, but they are very atmospheric and almost beautiful.

Even dilapidated boats can have a certain attractiveness and the run down sheds are very quirky. The pink hawthorn was very pretty and the scent was lovely – I wish a perfume manufacturer would make something like it 🙂

I think you are correct in assuming those boats ended up on the path during winter storms, they certainly weren’t there when I last walked that stretch. I find it strange that nobody moves them. I think a lot of the “abandoned” boats are probably ownerless, I can’t imagine mooring fees being paid. There never seems to be anybody about to ask.

There were one or two people about when I was there, one couple were sanding the hull of a boat, but the place wasn’t exactly a hive of activity. I don’t know when I’ll get that way again but it would be interesting to see if those boats have been moved – given where they are I don’t suppose it will be a simple job.

I like the look of this walk ! Hoping for a coastalish place to visit next weekend as Wil is off, so maybe. Looks like an atmospheric place with all the boats in various states of shabbiness. X

It’s a nice there-and-back walk with lots of boats and quirky constructions to see, and the added bonus of a free car park too 🙂 A shame the café is closed though as it makes a nice stopping point for refreshments before walking back.

Hard to imagine this dilapidated little place was once a major port! How things change.

It’s amazing the way things change as time progresses. At least the place has kept its quaintness and hasn’t been ruined by the development of modern apartments which could so easily have happened in these modern times.

I always find old sea ports to be quite sad, and yet fascinating places to visit. Your mention of Cream Soda reminded me of when I last treated myself to some Dandelion and Burdock. X

The creek itself is a strange but fascinating place and the walk to the café and back is a really nice one in good weather. Dandelion & Burdock is another thing I’ve not had for years – you’ve got me going now, I’ll have to look for some tomorrow 🙂

An interesting walk. My parents had a caravan on the Windy Harbour site, which is on the Wyre east of Poulton. We went there regularly when I was young. I never knew this place existed, though. Probably as the only time we left the caravan site was to visit the seaside (not Blackpool, though, as that was far too expensive!)

Back in the late 60s/early 70s my best friend’s parents had a place at Windy Harbour. Back then it was mainly timber-built bungalow-style chalets rather than caravans and the road through the site was just a dirt track with another track going down to the river. I remember going with them one weekend in 1970 and spending the whole weekend helping them to redecorate and clean the place up. I went for a look round just a few years ago and it certainly isn’t like that now 🙂

My friend and I had a fabulous walk today from the cafe right past skipool creek . Such stunning views . We sat on several benches taking in the peaceful calming tranquility of the area .The boat graveyard had an eerie but emotional feeling about it wanting you to be taken back in time when it was a busy port .we most def put this on our list of favourite walks and will be back x

Thanks for your comment, Skippool Creek itself is such an unusual place and the walk to or from the cafe is lovely on a nice day. I usually park at the creek and walk to the cafe where I’ll have coffee and cake before doing the return walk, except this time the cafe was closed. I’m glad you enjoyed your walk enough to want to go back another time 🙂

Appreciating the hard work you put into your site and detailed information you provide. It’s nice to come across a blog every once in a while that isn’t the same old rehashed material. Great read! I’ve bookmarked your site and I’m including your RSS feeds to my Google account.

Thank you for your comment, it’s nice to know that my posts are appreciated and I hope you enjoy reading more in 2021.

Photos and the article itself are just wonderful! My family was fully vaccinated, and we are looking for our first place to go when this whole pandemic would be over. We are just looking forward for it to happen. Maybe this is the place we should visit. Thank you for an inspiration.

Thank you for your comment, I’m glad you like the post and photos have given you some inspiration. Skippool Creek is a lovely place, maybe you’ll get to visit some day in the not-too-distant future 🙂

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Blackpool  & Fleetwood Yacht Club

Welcome to our family-friendly club, welcome to blackpool and fleetwood yacht club. we are a sailing and powerboating club, based on the picturesque river wyre estuary at skippool. we have dinghy and keelboat racing fleets at skippool, as well as an active cruising contingent who venture further afield., we welcome new members of all ages & abilities, and don't worry if you don't have a boat - the club has a number of sailing dinghies that members can use for a modest fee., if you are a newcomer to sailing and want to have a go contact us here, if you wish to enquire regarding becoming a member contact us here, dinghy sailing.

Dinghies racing downwind with their coloured spinnakers flying on a typical Sunday afternoon

Blackpool & Fleetwood Yacht Club

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Sd3541 : skippool creek to the yacht club, taken 2 years ago , near to thornton , lancashire, england.

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Wyre Estuary walk with tramper trail and stop at a country pub

Enjoy an award warning park and a purpose built accessible trail

• 08:52, 13 AUG 2022

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With another weekend of warm weather expected, it’s the perfect excuse to get out and explore another of Lancashire’s scenic locations.

This week’s suggested walk starts at the award-winning Wyre Estuary Country Park, located on the banks of the River Wyre in Thornton Cleveleys. Many of the facilities within the park are accessible to disabled people including the use of the Tramper all terrain electric buggy.

The network of paths lead visitors through a variety of estuary and riverside views, where you will find a wide range of habitats and wildlife, including excellent bird watching opportunities. Our suggested route actually takes you away from the park, leaving you the option of exploring it more fully either at the end or start.

READ MORE: Lancaster Castle walk with river, canal, parks and 15th century pub

It also features a long stretch of the tramper trail, designed specifically for the all terrain buggies which can be used off road and on muddy terrain. But it’s important to note that it also includes stretches along roads with narrow pavements so if you feel uncomfortable about having to take a tramper onto the road, you may prefer to turn back and retrace the first half after stopping at the pub to cover a similar overall distance.

That stopping point is the Thornton Lodge pub, situated near the banks of Skippool Creek in the River Wyre Estuary. The country pub is a popular resting point for walkers and ramblers and is both family and dog friendly as well as serving food and drink including local ales.

The walk covers a total distance of just over four miles and will take around an hour and a half to complete. While much of the route is specifically designed for trampers, it can still get very wet so it’s important to wear appropriate clothing and footwear.

• Starting from the cafe picnic area, join the beige footpath which is the start of the tramper trail and follow this across the visitors centre car park. At the far edge of the car park continue walking along the stone path for approx 25 yards. Cross the road that leads to Stanah House Caravan Park and join the footpath on the other side. Walk straight on until you reach the access road which leads to the Drumlin car park, cross over the road and rejoin the path
• Take the lower path known as the riverside path and continue along there, passing by Cockle Hall Picnic area after around half a mile. Continue along the path for another half a mile until you reach a creek on your left hand side where there is an access gate on your right hand side (the footpath turns to a southeasterly direction). This is known as Ramper Pot.
• When the path widens and reaches a fork, ignore the right option with a gate and instead follow the bend round the left hand side. Continue on the trail for another three quarters of a mile before rejoining the road network at Wyre Road just after passing the yacht club.
• Carry on along Wyre Road until you reach the end where you turn right onto Skippool Lane and a stop at Thornton Lodge for food and drink. Once you’re finished, there’s a choice of retracing your route if you’d prefer to avoid the narrow pavements or continuing as below if you want a change of scenery. If it’s the latter, come out of the pub to continue along Skippool Road and you can now follow this main route for most of the way back.
• Continue along this road along a few bends as it changes name from Skippool Road to Lambs Road. When you reach a mini-roundabout, head right onto Stannah Road. Follow this all the way as it bends right and becomes River Road and then all the way back to the starting point. Why not take the chance to explore the park itself as an add-on to the walk?

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Skippool Creek by munki-boy

Skippool Creek

At the confluence of the relatively tiny Skippool Creek and the Wyre and along a small stretch of the riverside beside the Blackpool and Fleetwood Yacht Club, there are a number of wooden jetties and boat moorings and shacks together with a range of boats; old and new and some in a photogenic state of decay.

Created: 27  February  2022  Edited: 29  November  2023

Wyre - confluence with R Brock to tidal Details

Wyre - confluence with r brock to tidal.

Wyre - confluence with R Brock to tidal is a river in Lancashire

Wyre - confluence with R Brock to tidal takes in water from an area around 13.686 km2 in size and is part of the Wyre and Calder catchment area.

Wyre - confluence with R Brock to tidal is 5.572 km long and has been heavily modified by industry in the past.

Hillylaid Pool - Tidal Wyre

Hillylaid Pool - Tidal Wyre is a river in Lancashire

Hillylaid Pool - Tidal Wyre takes in water from an area around 30.485 km2 in size and is part of the Fleetwood Peninsula Trib catchment area.

Hillylaid Pool - Tidal Wyre is 11.336 km long and has been heavily modified by industry in the past.

Skippool Creek LiDAR Map

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0

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Skippool Creek map

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Wardleys Marine Yacht Club

Jamila’s tour of the menai straits, 2024, rip steve chattaway (king of piel 2008 – 2021), first sail to piel, 5th and 6th february 2023, missing lady, notes on jetty construction, and a happy new year 2023 to everyone, new 2022. jamila’s last sail to piel 2021, new march 2022: a wardley’s trip to piel island.

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“the boaters are coming”.

Independence Day is almost upon us, which means another fun-filled weekend of activities! We are planning for a Boat Parade and Ice Cream Social Saturday July 6, so be sure to decorate your boats up and get ready to have some fun!

Ice cream social will be held at the pavilion this Saturday 7/06 at 1 pm. Little kids big kids all welcome, as we will be having ice cream sundaes with some fixings (sorry not “Sweet Frog“) and cones as we celebrate America’s birthday!

The May 2024 Newsletter is Now Live!

The May 2024 LCYC Newsletter is now available on the website for your viewing pleasure. Be sure to check out the Newsletters page up top, where you will find this month’s newsletter. Below the live viewer, there are also links for you to download and read at your convenience.

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The 2024 LCYC Event Calendar has been published and available on the website, so mark your calendars for all the exciting events we have planned for 2024!

You can find the calendar by either clicking on the “Upcoming Functions” link, or the sub-link under Upcoming Functions that reads “All 2024 Functions.”