Outbreaks of typhoid were reported nationwide throughout the 19th century, but only towards the end of the century was sewage-polluted mussel consumption identified as a cause. By this time the Ribble estuary (which extends from Blackpool to Formby Point) was becoming severely polluted by untreated sewage and in 1923 the Preston Port Sanitary Authority was given the legal right to stop anybody from ‘selling, distributing or offering for sale for human consumption’ any mussels taken from the estuary’s mussel beds.
Around this time, scientific research by Dr. R. W. Dodgson (the brother of author ‘Lewis Carroll’) identified that mussels could be cleansed if placed in uncontaminated water for 48 hours. He then went on to design a system of water tanks to achieve a consistent method of ‘purifying’ contaminated shell-fish.
Following many years of campaigning by local fishermen, Lancashire County Council agreed to build a set of mussel cleansing tanks at the then considerable cost of £8,000, to be used by the newly formed Lytham and Banks Fisherman’s Society. The Lytham Mussel Purification Station was opened at a special ceremony on the 3rd September 1935 by Sir Thomas Rosbotham, M.P. for Ormskirk.
There were three open air tanks, each fulfilling a separate process: a storage tank, a chlorination tank and a cleansing tank. Mussels were brought from all around the local coast, including from the large mussel beds of Morecambe Bay. By 1946, 12,000 bags of mussels were being processed each year.
Mussel gathering, as a winter source of income declined during the following decade and a
decision to close the tanks was made by the Lancashire County Council 1957
The tanks fell into disuse in the 1940’s and in 1957, the tanks were decommissioned as changes in the Ribble estuary meant that it wasn’t possible to harvest mussels from there any more. They were replaced by a new Lytham Lifeboat station, the Ribble Cruising club, and The Anchorage restaurant.
Ray Pickett has produced a book detailing the history of the mussel tanks.
If you have additional information or pictures that may usefully added to this page then please get in touch with us.