Hesketh with Becconsall
This is West Lancashire's most northerly parish and has a lengthy
foreshore along the south bank of the River Ribble. It also extends
along the west bank of the river Douglas.
Eskyth, as in Hesketh Bank, is a Scandinavian word for racecourse.
Not that there is a racecourse in Hesketh Bank today but many years
ago a bygone lord of the manor held horse races on the sands where
the Douglas joins the Ribble. This is now predominantly a market
gardening area, once largely waste and marshland, washed up at high
tide by the sea. 'Becconsall' is derived from beacon - as of the
type used in shipping navigation.
Map:
Hesketh with Becconsall Parish