On 31 January 2008 an almighty storm blew a cargo ferry off course where Blackpool meets Cleveleys – to give us the Riverdance Shipwreck.
Riverdance Shipwreck
The Riverdance Ferry ran aground at Anchorsholme, the last place on the map at the northernmost end of Blackpool seafront.
It was the latest in a long line of ships to have wrecked over the centuries on the Fylde Coast. Have you seen the Shipwreck Memorial which marks all of these lost vessels? It’s at the boundary between Cleveleys and Blackpool.
The Riverdance Ferry had set sail from Ireland on its route to Heysham. During an exceptional storm and winds that reached up to 80mph she was ‘broadsided’ by a huge wave, which made the cargo shift and the ferry list.
It started to run aground at Anchorsholme, which is at the northern end of Blackpool seafront, where it meets Cleveleys.
Technically the Riverdance Shipwreck was just in Blackpool. But this bit of seafront feels like it’s part of Cleveleys, and it was widely reported as a Cleveleys event.
Find out More
You can find out all about this incident from our Visit Cleveleys website. There you’ll find photos, videos and much more, about the wreck itself and the clean-up operation.
Other Shipwrecks
Riverdance wasn’t the only ship to have wrecked off the Fylde Coast. A number of others have also met their fate in these waters. Find out more about other Fylde Coast Shipwrecks here.
While you’re here…
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