Sir Peter Hesketh Fleetwood

Statue of Sir Peter Hesketh-Fleetwood

Fleetwood Civic Society, Fleetwood Museum and Fleetwood Rotary Club worked together to put a statue of Fleetwood’s founding father, Sir Peter Hesketh-Fleetwood at the heart of the town which he founded. The statue is sited in Euston Gardens opposite The North Euston Hotel.

Funding came from various kind benefactors, including a substantial contribution from Mrs Lofthouse. Others came from the Haldane Trust and The Payback Time Trust along with individual bequests from local people. The statue is a bronze, created by sculptor Alan Ward from Lancaster.

Sir Peter was a descendant of Edmund Fleetwood, the first named person to reside at Rossall Hall. He was the man who put the town of Fleetwood on the map. Peter was Lord of the Manor, High Sheriff of the County of Lancashire and MP for Preston. It was after being knighted that he changed his name to Sir Peter Hesketh-Fleetwood.

At this time, nearby Poulton-le-Fylde was the busy sea port for sailings to America. But Sir Peter believed that Fleetwood held the makings of a busy seaport and popular resort. It had a river mouth, a natural sheltered harbour, golden sands, sea, air like wine and breathtaking views across Morecambe Bay. All that it lacked was a railway from Preston.

Sir Peter hired the prominent architect of the time, Decimus Burton. Work on the railway and the first buildings commenced in 1836.