'Vital' Fleetwood - Knott End ferry service across River Wyre estuary to stop

[whole diary]

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

'Vital' 180-year-old ferry crossing to end

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The Knott End Ferry service will stop operating on 15 April

A ten-minute ferry crossing that spares passengers a half-hour commute is to end.

Wyre Council said the Fleetwod-Knott End ferry service, which connects the two towns either side of the River Wyre estuary and carries up to 35 people, was due to end on 15 April because no "compliant tenders" to run it had been received.

The service has been running since the 1840s.

Reacting to the authority's Facebook post announcing the end of the service, some people described the ferry as a "national treasure", the loss of which would be "devastating" to the local economy.

The council said: "If the service does not continue past 15 April 2026, the Council remains committed to exploring alternative options, including discussions with potential future operators and reviewing how existing Council assets could help support any future service."

[Image from here is not available to guests]
The ferry provides a link between Fleetwood and Knott End

There has been a three-year campaign to save the ferry, which campaigners described as a "vital service" and a "solid piece of heritage".

By car, the journey of about 11 miles - which requires driving south and taking the Shard Bridge - takes about 25 minutes.

The council said it had been working with Lancashire County Council, which jointly subsidises the service, to try to "secure the long term future of the ferry".

"This has included early market engagement, a formal open tender process in accordance with the Procurement Act 2023, and detailed discussions with organisations that expressed an interest in operating the service," it said. But, the council said there was not currently a "financially viable and deliverable proposal that would allow the service to continue beyond the current contract".

"We recognise the ferry is an important part of daily life for many residents, businesses and visitors," it added.

Wyre Marine Services has been contacted for comment.

[Bob_Blakey]

'Wyre Marine Services has been contacted for comment.'

According to its website Wyre Marine Services (WMS) is purely a commercial coastal dredging company and this ferry service does not warrant a mention therein. Information on the service schedule appears to only be available via a Facebook page. The Wyre Council website describes the service as 'not financially viable'.

It seems that WMS has decided that a loss making ferry service should no longer be part of its core business so maybe it is not as 'vital' as some people have claimed.

Very likely another case of Use It Or Lose It.

Depending on the start & end points travelling from Fleetwood to/from Knott End-on-Sea by car or bus involves a detour of approximately 12-13 miles so perhaps the provision of a pedestrian / motor vehicle service, along the lines of the Dartmouth<>Kingswear Higher Ferry, would work. 

[Oxonhutch]

If you've ever been to Knott End, you will realise that Fleetwood is the Big Smoke - which, in itself, stretching it a bit.

The Wyre estuary is not suitable for a ferry larger than the one photographed, the tidal range being such that it is a muddy ditch at low tide. Before Shard Bridge was opened in the '60s, the next crossing place upstream was Cartford Bridge, which was - and is still - a toll bridge. If you were too tight to pay for that, it was all the way to St Michael's-on-Wyre for the next crossing with a round trip of 21 miles.

And to think that at one time, Knott End had its own eponymous railway company.

[stuving]

When I saw the picture, I assumed at first it was a model no more than a few inches long in a rather choppy bath. On reading the words, I assumed the contract was for an operator for the council's boat.

Wrong on both counts! The ITT^▸ (Invitation to Tender) is reads follows:

The council are looking to procure an operator to provide an annual passenger ferry service between Fleetwood and Knott End. The Operator is required to provide the ferry vessel, staff and be responsible for day to day operation. The anticipated vessel size would carry twelve passengers per journey with an estimate of 30,000 - 40,000 passengers per annum. The council own the ferry dock and slipway which will be used to facilitate the service. The operator will retain all fares including slipway launch fees and currently a contribution is provided by Wyre Borough Council and Lancashire County Council for the day to day running costs.

No Value Specified          Duration 5 years