The Parkgate Society

 The Parkgate Fishing Industry

The section of the sea wall between the Donkey Stand and this point was the first stretch of The Parade to be completed – by 1810 – as a promenade for the many fashionable visitors, who came to stay at the resort of Parkgate for the sea bathing and health cures during the Georgian era. 

This slipway, now known as the Middle Slip, seems to have been constructed around the same time as the wall.   It was about then that the last of the Parkgate shipping services, the Dublin Packet, was transferred to the growing port of Liverpool, because the silting of the Dee estuary had made it impractical for ocean-going ships to navigate the old channel of the river Dee and anchor at Parkgate.  The presumption is that the various slipways along the seawall were constructed largely to serve the needs of the fishing industry, providing access to the shore at different stages of the tide for men and boats.  All the activity carried out at this spot attracted a lot of attention, and consequently it became what is probably the most photographed location in the village.

Despite the gradual silting of the estuary the local fishing industry was able to continue for the time-being, and it was at this point that, for over a hundred years, the Parkgate fishermen landed their catches of herring, flatfish, shrimps and shellfish; their nets were hung out to dry on the railings here. 

Before the coming of the railway to Parkgate in 1866 the market for these catches was relatively local and, therefore, limited; for, while the herring could be cured by salting or smoking, the flatfish and shellfish could not be preserved in this way.

The railway now offered speedy access to new customers and so revived the fortune of this business by creating a wider market for the produce. 

In addition to meeting local demand large quantities of fish could now be conveyed in sacks by donkey cart from here to Parkgate Station for onward carriage to the towns of Lancashire, Yorkshire and the Midlands. 

In the 19th century the Parkgate fishermen’s boat was the yawl, a two-masted vessel known locally as a ‘jigger’ or ‘jigger boat’.  By the early 20th century, however, they were mainly using the Morecambe Bay Prawner, known locally as a ‘nobby’; with its single mast and gaff-rigged sail; with its large sail area and shallow draught it was ideal for sailing in the shallow waters of the estuary; these boats varied in length from about 20 to 35 feet. 

Some fishermen used a smaller boat, known as a ‘punt’, for catching shrimps and shellfish; one used a horse and cart in the shallow water for this purpose; while others staked out their nets on the beach at low tide and waited to see what the tide brought in.

Before the Great War the 1911 census shows around fifty fishermen living in Neston parish, most resident in Parkgate.  By the time of the Second World War, however, the business was in serious decline, as it had now become almost impossible, even for vessels of shallow draught, to sail from here on normal tides; by then the number of fishermen had reduced by about a third. 

After this war a few Parkgate fishermen were still able to continue running their business, but they were now having to put out to sea from further down the estuary – Heswall and Thurstaston.  Nowadays, however, there is no Parkgate family still selling locally caught fish; the last fisherman has finally retired and his former shop now sells and repairs bicycles.

It is understood that the small house opposite the slipway, adjacent to the road – ‘The Old Watch House’, seen in a number of these photos – was originally built for the coastguard service in the early 18th century; the building then consisted of just two small rooms, one above the other, connected by an external staircase.

At this time smuggling was quite prevalent in the area, with a variety of goods being brought in clandestinely from the Isle of Man and, no doubt, other places too.  This building was, therefore, leased between 1799 and 1828 by HM Customs, whose officers could then keep a better eye on what was going on at this end of the village. 

With the demise of the local shipping trade in the early years of the 19th century, however, this building was sold out of government service along with the custom house in Station Road, as being now surplus to requirements.

Following its re-designation as a private home, the Watch House was enlarged and extended on several occasions, giving the building a most unusual lay-out.  It may seem surprising that it continues to exist in view of the hazard it presents to the large amount of traffic that currently uses The Parade; in fact, though, it is probably its continued presence that today contributes to the suppression of the speed of traffic on The Parade.

Photos: David Scott collection – with thanks to Burton & Neston History Society.

Last Updated January 2023