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.
To view a map of Tarleton Parish please click HERE
- The following information has been taken from West Lancashire Borough Council's website.