Editing Crossens (section)

==History==
Formerly ''Crossenes'' or ''Crosnes'', meaning a “ness” or headland with a cross. The cross was possibly a guide for shipping or people crossing the [[Ribble and Alt Estuaries|Ribble Estuary]] from [[Freckleton]] (near Lytham). A hospice or lodging house was sited in Crossens where travellers could rest after making the crossing. It is also believed to be the point at which 2,000 horsemen from a retreating Royalist force crossed the Ribble estuary following the [[Battle of Marston Moor]]. They later joined the [[Siege of Lathom House]].

Sited as it was on the shore of Martin Mere and at the seaward end of Crossens Sluice, Crossens formed the basis of a substantial fishing industry supporting the surrounding area and the nearby village of [[Banks, Lancashire|Banks]].  After Martin Mere was largely reclaimed for farmland, the focus of the town increasingly turned to agriculture, and to this day the high-quality soil supports several flower and vegetable farms in the east of the district.  Farming of some scale or other has been a feature of this area since medieval times. However, the [[Industrial Revolution]] led to Crossens' incorporation into Southport as a site for housing for the larger town's burgeoning worker population.  The first half of the 20th century saw the area becoming home to some light industry (including the [[Vulcan (cars)|Vulcan motor works]]), but apart from some small industrial units the area is now primarily a commuter suburb for Southport, [[Preston, Lancashire|Preston]] and [[Ormskirk]].<ref name=BAHRS/>