fishing

There had long been a struggling fishing industry in Parkgate. In the early days the boats were simply drawn up onto the beach, but after the construction of the sea wall, the local fishermen were able to land their catches of herring and shellfish at the Middle Slip, by the Old Watch House.

Originally, this was quite a small industry as there was a limited market for the product, but from 1866 things improved for the fishermen when they began to export their catch by train to more distant markets. The early boats were single-masted vessels known locally as ‘jigger boats’. These gave way to the still-remembered ‘nobbies’ around the turn of the 20th century. In the days of the former Parkgate regatta these sailing boats used to compete against each other. There was also a competition for the ‘punt’, a much smaller row boat used for catching shellfish.

Before the Great War more than fifty men worked as fishermen in Neston parish, and most of these lived in Parkgate. Between the wars, however, the Dee fishery went into serious decline, as access to the water became increasingly difficult. The last landings were made here in 1939. The Parkgate fishery business continues to survive in a small way, though the catches (now shellfish only) are no longer landed at the Middle slip, but further downstream at Heswall.

Last Updated April 2022