Fleetwood to Knott End ferry out of action until February due to 'fault'

Currently run by Wyre Marine Services, using the vessel Wyre Rose, the ferry crosses the River Wyre in about five minutes, and can carry up to 35 passengers.

It provides a vital link between Fleetwood and the Over Wyre communities of Knott End, Preesall and Pilling.

But the operators posted an announcement on its Facebook page, saying they had made the “difficult decision” to close the Ferry early for its yearly annual maintenance.

They said: “The vessel has encountered a fault which requires parts and engineering work carried out.

“However due to the Christmas break many of our suppliers are closed and cannot procure the parts we require.

“Therefore we have made the decision to close a couple of week earlier than expected and start her annual maintenance work.

“We apologise for any inconvenience caused. We will update with a return to service date once we have one , this will be around Feb 2025.

They added: “We would like to take the opportunity to thank all of our customers for the their support, and wishing you all a Merry Christmas and New Year.”

Although not operated by Wyre Council, the authority supports the service along with Lancashire County Council.

Two years ago, the ferry service was saved thanks to an £80,000 investment from the two authorities.

The funding, extending over a four year period from 2022, helped secure the future of the service, which has run since 1841.

County councillor Charles Edwards said at the time: "Its value can't be over-stated."

The service was recently the subject of a short film, End to End' by Cleveleu-based filmmaker, Anton Arenko.