Lea, Lancashire

Lea ( LEE-ə), Cottam, and Lea Town are villages in the City of Preston, Lancashire, England. Together they form the civil parish of Lea and Cottam, which has a population of 5,962. In 2011, the population increased to 6,157.

1. Geography

Lea is the name given to two areas of the western extremities of Preston; Lea Town (a village, despite its name) on the Fylde border, which had a population of 291 in 2011, and the suburban sprawl of Lea along the Blackpool Road through the city. Lea Town and Lea were called English Lea and French Lea in the 11th to 13th centuries; "French" because there was a Norman landowner. Cottam is a former farming community now almost entirely consisting of new build housing.

1. Governance

The area is represented by Lea and Cottam Parish Council. Lea and Cottam form part of both the Lea & Larches and Ingol & Cottam wards of Preston City Council, both of which elect three councillors. The area is part of the Preston West division on Lancashire County Council which elects one councillor every four years. From the 2024 General Election, the area is also part of Preston parliamentary constituency, having previously been part of the Fylde constituency.

1. Demography

From the last census, in 2001, over 83% of the population regarded themselves as Christian, whilst the figure of 11.5% for retired people is one of the highest in the city.

1. Religion

There are several churches in Lea including Lea Methodist and St. Christopher's. St. Christopher's is home to 2nd Lea Scout Group. The Roman Catholic Churches of St Andrew & Blessed George Haydock and St Mary's are located in Cottam and Lea Town respectively.

1. History

The parish of Lea was formed on 1 April 1934 from part of the former parish of Lea Ashton Ingol and Cottam, which was formed in 1866. Lea parish was part of Preston Rural District until its abolition in 1974. In 1974 the parish became part of the Borough of Preston, which became a city in 2002. The area was served by Lea Road railway station between 1840 and 1938.

1. Notable people

Gordon Ashcroft, footballer

1. See also

Listed buildings in Lea, Lancashire

1. Gallery


1. References

Nearby Places View Menu

Springfields

Springfields is a nuclear fuel production installation in Salwick, near Preston in Lancashire, England (grid reference SD468315). The site is currently operated by Springfields Fuels Limited, under the management of Westinghouse Electric UK Limited, on a 150-year lease from the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority. Since its conversion from a munitions factory in 1946, it has previously been operated and managed by a number of different organisations including the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority and British Nuclear Fuels. Fuel products are produced for the UK's nuclear power stations and for international customers.

Industrial Landmark

1.0 km

Savick Brook

Savick Brook is a watercourse in Lancashire, England, which runs from the outskirts of Longridge westward north of Preston to the River Ribble.

Landmark

Ribble Link

The Millennium Ribble Link is a linear water park and new navigation which links the once-isolated Lancaster Canal in Lancashire, England to the River Ribble. The Lancaster Canal was never connected to the rest of the English waterways network, because the planned aqueduct over the River Ribble was never built. Instead, a tramway connected the southern and northern parts of the canal. An idea for a connecting link following the course of the Savick Brook was proposed in 1979, and the Ribble Link Trust campaigned for twenty years to see it built. The turn of the Millennium, and the funds available from the Millennium Commission for projects to mark the event was the catalyst for the project to be implemented, and although completion was delayed, the navigation opened in July 2002. The link is a navigation, as flows on the Savick Brook can be considerable, and there are large weirs and bywashes at each of the locks, to channel water around them. The lower end of the link is tidal, with boats passing over a rotating gate and through a sea lock to gain access. It is open from April to October, but only on certain days, based on the height of the tide, and boats can only travel in one direction on any one day. The cost of construction was nearly twice the original estimate, with just under half of it funded by the Millennium Commission. The project included footpaths, cycle tracks and a sculpture trail, to attract visitors other than boaters to visit it, and to generate economic returns for the local community. Since its construction, maintenance costs have been high, due to voids developing behind some of the lock walls, and the deposition of silt deposited by the incoming tides. Although the link is strictly the canalisation of the Savick Brook, the Ribble Link is also used to refer to the crossing from Tarleton on the Rufford Branch of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, 4 miles (6.4 km) of the River Douglas, the 3.5-mile (5.6 km) journey up the River Ribble and passage along the link to the Lancaster Canal. Completing the crossing requires a little more planning than cruising on inland waterways, as the Douglas, the Ribble, and the first part of the link are tidal, but most boats make the crossing successfully. However, the Royal National Lifeboat Institution have responded to a number of callouts, where the Lytham St Annes lifeboat has had to assist vessels which have got into difficulties.

Fishing Maritime

Clifton, Lancashire

Clifton is a village in the English county of Lancashire and in the district of Fylde. The village is part of the civil parish of Newton-with-Clifton. It is situated on the A583 road, approximately 5 miles (8.0 km) west of its post town, Preston, and 11 miles (18 km) east of Blackpool. The village is also home to the church of St John the Evangelist, also known as Lund parish church, which is situated on Church Lane, and the Grade II listed Clifton Hall.

Church Landmark