The site of the present town of Fleetwood was at no very distant period, less than half a century ago, a wild and desolate warren, forming part of the Rossall estate, and belonging to the late Sir Peter Hesketh Fleetwood, bart. At that date the northern side showed unmistakable evidences of having at an earlier epoch been bounded by a broad wall or rampart of star-hills, continuous with the range until recent years visible near Rossall Point, or North Cape, as that portion of the district was locally called, but which has now been destroyed and levelled by the sea. Beyond the warrener’s cottage and a small farm-house on the Poulton road, no habitations existed anywhere in the vicinity; the whole tract of sandhills and sward had been usurped by myriads of rabbits, which were some little time, even after the erection of dwellings, before they entirely deserted the spot where for centuries they had found a home. During the stormy months of winter, and in the breeding season, immense flocks of sea-fowl made their way to these shores, and like the rabbits, were allowed to remain in undisputed and undisturbed possession of the domain they had appropriated. Whether this district or locality was populated in the earlier eras of history by any of the aboriginal Britons, invading Romans, or piratical Danes, is a question difficult to solve, but the existence of a paved Roman road, discovered some depth beneath the sand when the trench for the sea-wall was being excavated opposite the Mount Terrace, and traced across the warren in the direction of Poulton, proves beyond a doubt that there was traffic of some description, either peaceful or war-like, over the ground at a very remote age. The road is commonly designated the Danes’ Pad, from a tradition that these freebooters made use of it during their incursive warfare in the Fylde.[82] Evidence in support of the belief that this part of the coast was visited by the Danes or Northmen, as the inhabitants of Scandinavia were called, is to be found in “Knot End,” the name by which the projecting point of land on the opposite side of Wyre has been known from time immemorial. In early days there were both the “Great and Little Knots,” or heaps of stones, but the works carried out for the improvement of the harbour involved the destruction of the small, and mutilation of the big “Knot.” Now arises the question, why were these round collections of boulder stones called “Knots?” In answer to which it may be stated that the word “knot” is of pure Scandinavian origin, and in that ancient Northern language always marked a round heap, and we believe also a round heap of stones. This interpretation would be characteristic of what these knots or mounds of stones were before they were despoiled by the Wyre Harbour Company. Such an application of the word to rounded hills of stone is common at no great distance, and must have been applied by the same people to all