Fulwood, Lancashire

Fulwood
Fulwood Barracks
Fulwood  Fulwood shown within Lancashire
Population	33,171 (2001)
OS grid reference	SD5431
District	Preston
Shire county	Lancashire
Region	North West
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	PRESTON
Postcode district	PR2
Dialling code	01772
Police	Lancashire
Fire	Lancashire
Ambulance	North West
EU Parliament	North West England
UK Parliament	Wyre and Preston North
List of places: UK • England • Lancashire

Fulwood is an unparished area of the City of Preston, Lancashire, England, about 2 miles (3.2 km) north of the city centre. It had a population of 33,171 in 2001.

Economy and society

Fulwood remains a distinctive division of Preston. The suburb is widely considered to be a safe and sought-after area of Preston.

Fulwood has expanded in the 20th century, and has been popular with housing and business developers, with its close links to the M6 and M55 motorways. Since the 1970s when the Central Lancashire New Town was proposed, large sites have been made available for development, such as Longsands, which is a residential area, and "East Preston", where many businesses are currently located, including the Lancashire Evening Post (LEP), Asda, Royal Mail sorting office, Independent Inspections, Xchanging, CPC, EDS and Holiday Inn. The B6241 (Eastway) provides a vital route, bypassing much of the residential and central areas of Preston, and a road via Longsands connects it to the M6 motorway (at junction 31A which was opened in the 1990s) and the Bluebell Way business park on the boundary with Brookfield.

It is also the home of the Royal Preston Hospital, served by the Number (Preston Bus) 19, 19A, 22, 23, 88A, 88C, (Stagecoach in Lancaster) 40 & 41 bus routes. Sharoe Green Hospital was also in Fulwood until its closure in 2004.

Fulwood Barracks has been the home of the Queen's Lancashire Regiment, and other regiments, and is the site of the Queen's Lancashire Regiment Museum.

A notable former resident was Major John Rouse Merriott Chard, of the Royal Engineers, V.C., officer commanding at Rorke's Drift in 1879. He was posted to Preston between 1887 and 1892, and is recorded in the 1891 Census living at 80 Victoria Road, Fulwood.

Amenities

Fulwood has a large number of local amenities. The neighbourhood has a large number of local shops, primary and high schools, pubs, libraries, a large Asda supermarket and Booths supermarket, Preston's main hospital, a college, parks, and many other services.

Parks

The town has six different greens, consisting of Conway Drive, South Drive, Mill Lane, Sherwood, Levensgarth Avenue and Tower Lane. This makes Fulwood one of the greener districts of Preston.

Education

Public education is under the control of Lancashire County Council.

Highfield Priory School, a preparatory school that educates between nursery and age 11, is located on Fulwood Row.

Also, the main high school, is a catholic one, now called Our Lady's Catholic High School, previously known as St. Cuthbert Mayne.

Politics

The electoral wards which make up the area of Fulwood are; Sharoe Green, College, Cadley, Greyfriars, Moor Park and Garrison. Parts of the rural wards, named as Preston Rural East and Preston Rural North, were in the former Preston Rural District. Preston Council meetings are hosted every 3 months classified as Area Forum Meetings, of which Fulwood is the Northern Area Forum.

Until 2010, the wards which make up Fulwood were split between a number of parliamentary constituencies due to local government boundaries changing between the Boundary Commission for England's reports on parliamentary boundaries. Thus, Fulwood was split unevenly between three constituencies;

• Ribble Valley - parts of Rural North and Rural East, Greyfriars, Garrison, the northern parts of College, Sharoe Green, Cadley
• Preston - southern parts of College ward
• Fylde - elements of Preston Rural North and West.

Following their review of parliamentary representation in Lancashire, the Boundary Commission have moved the whole of Fulwood into a new constituency of Wyre and Preston North.

For Preston city council elections, see Preston local elections

Between 1894 and 1974 Fulwood was governed by Fulwood Urban District council which was merged with other districts under the Local Government Act 1972 to become the new non-metropolitan district of the Borough (now City) of Preston.

Sport

The local cricket teams are Harris Park CC, Grasshoppers CC and Fulwood & Broughton CC who play in the Palace Shield. In 2005 they were the most successful cricket side at club level in Britain,^{[citation needed]} winning nine trophies between the senior and junior teams.

The local football team is Fulwood Amateurs F.C. who play in the West Lancashire League.

The local rugby team is Preston Grasshoppers R.F.C. who play in the national league structure.

Fulwood Leisure Centre is on Black Bull Lane.

Transport

Fulwood railway station was once in Gamull Lane, on the border between Fulwood and Ribbleton, on the Longridge Branch Line. It was renamed Ribbleton railway station in 1900 and closed in 1930.

Fulwood is served by several bus routes operated by Preston Bus and Stagecoach in Lancaster. These services include routes (Preston) 4, 7, 14, 19, 19A, 22, 23, the 88A/88C Orbit service & (Lancaster) the 40/41 service.

There are cycle paths from Fulwood through Lancaster to Carnforth as well, and people are encouraged to use them.