"Monday, September 20th, 1847.
"We anchored at seven in Fleetwood Harbour; the entrance was extremely narrow and difficult. We were lashed close to the pier, to prevent our being turned by the tide; and when I went on deck there was a great commotion, such running and calling, and pulling of ropes, etc. It was a cheerless evening, blowing hard."
"Tuesday, September 21st, 1847.
"At ten o'clock we landed, and proceeded by rail to London."
In 1860, a project was launched for a comprehensive scheme of
water supply for the towns of this district; a company was
established, and, in the session of 1861, an act of parliament was
obtained "for incorporating the Fylde Waterworks Company, and
for authorising them to make and maintain waterworks, and
to supply water at Kirkham, Lytham, Blackpool, Fleetwood,
Poulton, Rossall, Garstang, South-shore, and Bispham, in the
county palatine of Lancaster, and to shipping at Fleetwood and
Lytham." The act granted power to take the water from Grizedale
Brook, a tributary of the Wyre, which rises in Grizedale Fell,
one of the Bleasdale range, and, flowing through the gorge or
pass, called Nickey Nook, divides the township of Nether-Wyersdale
and Barnacre-with-Bonds, and falls into the Wyre a
mile or so before that river reaches Garstang. A dam or embankment,
upwards of 20 feet high, 70 feet wide at the base, and 12
feet wide at the top, was raised across the valley, converting the
upper portion of it into a reservoir. At the west end of the
reservoir, below the embankment, is a culvert, through which
the water passes to a guage, where a stipulated quantity is turned
into the brook, and the rest enters the pipe for the Fylde.
Twelve miles of twelve inch pipes carry the water to the service
reservoir at Weeton. The course is down Grizedale, under the
railway, through Greenhalgh Green, Bowgrave, leaving Garstang
to the right, then past Catterall Mill, through the grounds
of Catterall Hall, and onward to the east of St. Michael's,
through Elswick, to Weeton. The service reservoir, situated on
the most elevated ground, called Whitprick Hill, in the township
of Weeton, has a diameter at the base of 400 feet, and at the top
468 feet. The embankment is at the base 70 feet in diameter, and
12 feet at the top, with a puddle trench in it, varying from 8 feet
8 inches to 6 feet wide. To the south a 10 inch main takes the
