River Ribble

The Fylde Coast town of Lytham stands on the banks of the River Ribble where it meets the Irish Sea. In fact here, at the mouth of the estuary, it’s not easy to see where the river ends and the sea starts – it doesn’t feel like the end of a river at all. Come along and find out more about its connections with Lytham.

This video was filmed on a very cold and breezy day in January. The waterfront at Lytham is a great place to take a walk all year round, but we’ll go back and make another film on a sunny day!

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The River Ribble

It’s a major river – you could hardly call it a stream! At 75 miles long (that’s 121km) it connects North Yorkshire with Lancashire.

It starts in Selside where Gayle Beck and Cam Beck meet. That’s near to the Ribblehead Viaduct in North Yorkshire. It’s also 807ft (or 246m) above sea level – and one of only a few that begin high in the Yorkshire Dales to flow to the west coast.

The Ribble flows through Settle, Clitheroe, Ribchester and Preston before it finally reaches the Irish Sea at Lytham. Southport is, of course, at the other side of the river from Lytham. It’s a clear view across the estuary to the opposite seaside town.

The Hodder and Calder join the Ribble near Great Mitton, along with two other main tributaries. The Darwen joins at Walton-le-Dale and the Douglas near Hesketh Bank.

The Leeds and Liverpool Canal and the Lancaster Canal are both connected to the River Ribble, via the Ribble Link.

Did you know? That the effect of the tide reaches 11 miles along the river from the sea? The Normal Tidal Limit of the Ribble is at Fishwick Bottoms, between Preston and Walton-le-Dale.

The Old Route of the Ribble

Nick Moores History of Blackpool tells us that it’s clear that the River Ribble used to flow along a different route to its current course. It’s not been conclusively proved, but it’s possible that the Ribble once reached the sea near to where Blackpool Tower now stands. Boulder clay or till (diamict) is found at depths in excess of 20 metres beneath the Tower, which supports the theory.

In fact, Geological evidence points to the Fylde Coast originally being an island, with the River Wyre once stretching from Fleetwood to join the Ribble.

The Estuary of the River Ribble

Stand on Lytham Green and look out across the water and you can see that the mouth of the Ribble estuary is enormous. Like we said, it’s hard to tell where river ends and sea begins.

The estuary is actually about 10 miles wide (or 16km). It’s also an enormously important place for wildlife. In fact it forms part of the Ribble and Alt Estuaries Special Protection Area.

It’s the most important wetland site in Britain, with 340,000 water birds overwintering here on average. See how many migratory birds you can spot throughout the year. It’s a major stop-off point on their long journeys.

• Explore more of the Ribble estuary in Bea Pool’s Blog: Deep Water Channel Markers

The RSPB runs the Ribble Discovery Centre which you’ll find nestled against Fairhaven Lake.

Did you know? The River Ribble is also a key breeding ground for the endangered Atlantic salmon.

Tides

The mouth of the Ribble is also a pretty dangerous place when the tide is coming in. The River Ribble has a big tidal range and the third largest tides in England.

At its mouth during spring tides, the range is 26 feet (8m). And it runs at 5 miles an hour too – which is pretty fast for water.

Walking along the Banks of the River Ribble

It’s a very pleasant walk along Lytham Green with the water on one side, open grassy lands and the windmill on the other. This is a lovely route for the average casual stroller. Make it as long or short a stay as you want to.

But if you’re feeling really fit and adventurous, you might fancy walking the 64 mile Ribble Way.

This long distance footpath follows most of the course of the river. It begins at the south of the Ribble estuary, goes through Preston and onto Clitheroe before heading into the Pennines. The official start is the Dolphin Inn on Marsh Lane in Longton, just west of Preston.

Visit Fylde Coast contributor Sue Massey shared one of her favourite walks through Freckleton. It also takes in the banks of the River Ribble, where it meets the River Douglas in fact.

Way Back in Time

When Preston Docks were built, archaeological finds were unearthed, dating from Neolithic to Saxon times.

Nick Moore’s History of Blackpool also tells us what was found, all dating from the Bronze Age:

• 30 human skulls
• 60 pairs of red deer antlers
• 43 ox skulls
• two whale skulls
• two dugout canoes
• and a bronze spearhead

Did you know? That many of the Benedictine and other early monks came to Lytham by crossing the River Ribble from Hesketh Bank.

Before the days of land reclamation and modern sea defences the river would have looked completely different. The coastline would have been much further inland than it is today. Not only has land been reclaimed but marsh land has extended into the Ribble, built up with years of sedimentation.

Various spots along the river are known to have been occupied by the Romans. Remains of a Roman site were found at Walton-le-Dale in the mid 1800’s. And the Cuerdale Hoard was found in 1840 on the southern side of the river at Cuerdale near Preston. It was the largest silver Viking hoard ever found outside Russia.

When completed in 1885 the new Preston Dock was the biggest in the world. It officially closed to shipping on 31 October 1981. Preston Council then decided they could no longer afford to pay the £200,000 a year that it cost to dredge the River Ribble.

While it was an active dock, the river was dredged downstream to allow clear passage for ships coming in from the sea. Now the Ribble is no longer dredged, silt from the river is spreading around the beaches at Fairhaven and St Annes.

As the estuary fills with sand, the River Ribble is developing a meandering path which changes with tides and run-off from the rivers which meet it.

Anything to add?

Have you got any other information that you’d like to add to this page? We’d also like to include your memories and photos. You can leave a comment below or email jane@theRabbitPatch.co.uk