Poulton-le-Fylde (), commonly shortened to Poulton, is a market town in Lancashire, England, situated on the coastal plain called the Fylde. In the 2021–2022 United Kingdom censuses, it had a population of 18,115.

There is evidence of human habitation in the area from 12,000 years ago, and several archaeological finds from Roman settlement in England have been found in the area. At the time of the Norman Conquest, Poulton was a small agricultural settlement in the Hundred of Amounderness. The church of St Chad was recorded in 1094, when it was endowed to Lancaster Priory.

By the post-Medieval period, the town had become an important commercial centre for the region with weekly and triannual markets. Goods were imported and exported through two harbours on the River Wyre. In 1837, the town was described as the "metropolis of the Fylde",

In the 18th century it was the custom for the wealthy in Poulton to bury their dead at night, following a lamp-lit procession through town. This tradition lasted until 1810.

Governance

thumb|The [[Old Town Hall, Poulton-le-Fylde|Old Town Hall, on Church Street, now a public house]]

thumb|Poulton Civic Centre, head offices for [[Wyre Borough Council]]

Historically, Poulton-le-Fylde was one of seven ecclesiastical parishes of the Hundred of Amounderness, an ancient division of the historic county of Lancashire,

Today, with respect to civil parishes, Poulton is unparished. In 1974, following the Local Government Act 1972, Poulton Urban District merged with those of Preesall and Thornton-Cleveleys, the municipal borough of Fleetwood and the rural district of Garstang to form the borough of Wyre.

The town is governed locally by a two-tier council system, being a part of both Lancashire County Council and Wyre Borough Council with both councils having different responsibilities for the area. Elections are held for Lancashire County Council every four years with elections to Wyre Borough Council also taking place every four years, but two years after the county elections. For borough elections Poulton contains four wards: Breck, Hardhorn, Highcross and Tithebarn. All four wards elect two councillors each to Wyre Borough Council. Poulton-le-Fylde is also a county division for the Lancashire County Council elections which is made up of the majority of the four wards and elects one councillor to the county council. At the most recent borough election in 2011 the town's four wards each elected two Conservative Party councillors, including the mayor of Wyre for 2011 David Bannister and the current leader of the council Peter Gibson.

At the county election in 2009, the town elected a Conservative Party councillor, Geoffrey Roper.

Prior to the 2010 general election, Poulton-le-Fylde was part of the constituency of Lancaster and Wyre. The town was subsequently represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom as part of Wyre and Preston North. From its creation for the 2010 general election, Wyre and Preston North was represented at Parliament by Conservative MP Ben Wallace, onetime Defence Secretary, who retired at the 2024 general election. A further constituency boundary change resulted in the town being reincorporated since the 2024 general election in the Lancaster and Wyre seat, which is currently represented by Cat Smith of the Labour Party. The seat elects one MP by the first past the post system of election.

Geography

At (53.847°, −2.995°), and approximately northwest of London, Poulton-le-Fylde stands above sea level.

Ventriloquist Keith Harris converted the local cinema and bingo hall into a jazz nightclub called "Club L’Orange" by 2011.

Sport

Poulton F.C.

Poulton F.C., based at Cottam Hall on Blackpool Old Road, play in the West Lancashire Football League Premier Division (the 11th tier of the English football pyramid) as of August 2020. The club was founded in 1947 as Poulton Athletic. In 1961, an amalgamation occurred between Poulton Athletic and Poulton United, forming Poulton Town F.C. In 2013, Town was dropped from its name, becoming today's Poulton F.C.

Fylde Cricket Club

The club's first XI competes in the Palace Shield Premier Division, with a second and Sunday development team also running.

Landmarks

thumb|2 Breck Road, the former Ship Inn

Poulton town centre has been a Conservation Area since 1979,

Religion

thumb|[[St Chad's Church, Poulton-le-Fylde|St Chad's Church, looking north]]

St Chad's Church, the Anglican parish church, is in the centre of town, bordering the marketplace. It has been designated a Grade II* listed building by English Heritage. The current structure dates largely from the mid-18th century when the previous church was demolished, although the tower is from the 17th century. The church is constructed of stone and has a slate roof. A round Norman-style apse was added in 1868. The churchyard, mainly to the south and east of the building, is noted for its display of crocuses in the spring.

  • Samuel Lomas (died 1793), clockmaker
  • George Long (1800–1879), writer and classical scholar
  • Charles Clay (1801–1893), surgeon, called the "Father of Ovariotomy"; died locally
  • R. Parkinson Tomlinson (1881–1943), corn merchant and Liberal politician
  • Andy Summers (born 1942), guitarist, member of the rock band The Police
  • Keith Harris (1947–2015), ventriloquist, starred in The Keith Harris Show (1982–86) with Orville the Duck, lived in Poulton
  • Larry Cassidy (1952–2010), Jenny Ross (1962–2004), Vincent Cassidy, Paul Wiggin and Angela Cassidy: musicians in Section 25
  • Joe-Warren Plant (born 2002), actor, portrays Jacob Gallagher in the ITV soap opera Emmerdale
  • Ian Stuart Donaldson (1957–1993), singer, songwriter, and leader of the punk rock band Skrewdriver

Sport

  • Fred Pagnam (1891–1962), footballer and manager, played 281 games, mainly for Watford, which he then managed
  • Georgie Mee (1900–1978), footballer who played over 500 games, mainly for Blackpool, Derby County and Accrington Stanley
  • Tony Green (born 1946), Scottish footballer who played 220 games, mainly Blackpool and six for Scotland
  • John Curtis (born 1954), footballer
  • Keith Mercer (born 1956), footballer who played over 290 games, mainly for Watford and Southend
  • Paul Stewart (born 1964), footballer who played 560 games, firstly and mainly for Blackpool

See also

  • List of places in Lancashire

References

;Footnotes

;Bibliography

  • The Project Gutenberg eBook: History of the Fylde of Lancashire – John Porter (1876)