Freckleton Tourist Information

The village of Freckleton lies on the Fylde coast of Lancashire, 8 miles east of Lytham St Annes.

The village was mentioned in the 1086 Domesday record as Frecheltun. The name probably referred to land belonging to Frecla, tun being the Old English word for estate or homestead.

In 1615 a mill was built beside Freckleton marsh. In cold winters the mill pond froze and villagers would skate on it.

The road had a toll house on it which was a site of conflict during the English Civil War. The toll only ceased in the 1920s.

Freckleton has been a Christian place of worship since the 7th century. Following the Reformation, it was part of the Chester diocese. The Holy Trinity Parish Church was built in 1837.

In the 19th century the port was used for ship building. The villagers were kept busy providing sailcloth and ropes and these trades are reflected in the local street names.

The town has many military connections. During World War II many American forces were stationed at Warton Aerodrome and they lodged in the village.

The Freckleton Air Disaster in 1944 was a tragic local event. An aircraft attempted to land in bad weather but crashed into Holy Trinity School.

61 people died including 38 schoolchildren, two teachers and three air crew. Other victims were in a snack bar across the road from the school. The village still commemorates the loss each August.

The aerodrome was closed after the disaster and the site became the home of English Electric, now called BAE. It is the largest local employer of Freckleton residents.

Present Day Freckleton

Freckleton village has just over 6,000 residents and is known as a village of music and flowers. It is a lively community with plenty going on including a band which were the North West Area Champions in 2010.

In the centre of the village is the Holy Trinity Parish Church which has a monument and a mass grave for the victims of the Freckleton Air Disaster. There are three historic pubs, local shops, restaurants and a library.

The church has beautiful stained glass windows showing local parishioners and a lovely Jacobean pulpit. The tower had to be removed in 1976 and was replaced with a hexagonal bell cote.

Each year in June Freckleton holds a half marathon which has 700 runners. It started in 1965 and is now the oldest half-marathon in the UK.

In the first year Olympic contestant Ron Hill was invited to take part. Of course he won Freckleton's first marathon in a time of 65 minutes 44 seconds. He set a record time four years later of 64 minutes 45 seconds which still stands unbroken.

Things to Do Around Freckleton
The Lancashire Coastal Walk runs through Freckleton from Silverdale. It is particularly popular with bird watchers. A shorter 2.5 mile walk was opened in 1999 and is known as the Lund Way.

Nearby Freckleton Marsh is an area of land with shared grazing rights. The marsh is the ideal breeding ground for birds including the rare Black Trailed Godwits.

The coastal resorts of Lytham St Annes and Blackpool are nearby and provide a host of attractions and entertainment.