Tarleton
Lying between Southport and Preston, Tarleton parish is flanked by
the River Douglas which here forms the boundary of West Lancashire
District. Included in the Parish is the village of Tarleton, the
hamlets of Mere Brow and Sollom and Tarleton Moss, an important
market gardening area with light engineering and
manufacturing.
In years gone by, schooners like Tarleton Lass sailed from Tarleton
on three-day trips to Lytham. The Ribble and Douglas estuaries had
long been used by coastal vessels when the Douglas Navigation
Scheme of 1719 proposed to make Douglas navigable from the Ribble
estuary to Wigan. Despite opposition, the scheme was eventually
completed and Tarleton-based vessels made voyages to Dublin, Peel
and the Lancashire ports with a variety of cargoes including hides,
coal and limestone.
The coming of the Southport-Preston railway in the last quarter of
the 19th century had an enormous effect on an area which has
previously depended on boats. The railway gave speedy access to
surrounding towns and their markets and was the final factor in the
emergence of Tarleton and Hesketh Bank as they are today.
At Mere Brow, the privately-owned Leisure Lakes complex is a
thriving leisure and holiday centre.
Map:
Tarleton Parish