| Synopsis: |
Morecambe Bay is an area about ten miles across and eighteen long, a bay open to the south-west with a 30ft tidal range. Brought to national attention in 2005 after the tragic deaths of 21 cockle pickers, it consists of huge sand-flats at low tide and for the fishermen there are plentiful and diverse pickings of cockles, shrimps, prawns and whitefish. Several bustling towns fringe the coast, including Barrow-in-Furness, renowned for its shipbuilding, Ulverston with its short canal, Grange-over-Sands and Morecambe, both of which developed through tourism, and Fleetwood, once a great trawling port. Arnside was home to the great Crossfield family, renowned for their Morecambe Bay nobby-type fishing boats, whilst Glasson was Lancaster's port. Fish was always the common link.This fascinating book explores all of these places as well as recounting the history of the fisheries, both by boat and onshore. Using horses to drag trawl-nets through the shallow waters is a practise unique to the British coast and perfectly illustrates the variety of fishing in this rich area. |