The river rises in the
Forest of Bowland in central Lancashire, as two distinct tributaries—the Tarnbrook Wyre and the Marshaw Wyre—whose
confluence is near the village of
Abbeystead. In 1984, a pumping station, built just below the confluence as part of a water transfer scheme in the 1980s, saw the
Abbeystead disaster, an explosion in which 16 people were killed and a further 22 were injured. From Abbeystead, the river flows south through
Dolphinholme to
Garstang, where the
Lancaster Canal crosses on a small
aqueduct. south, at
Catterall, it meets its first major tributary, the
River Calder. The river then turns westwards, flowing through
St Michael's on Wyre, where it is joined by its second major tributary, the
River Brock. It becomes tidal below the weir at St Michael's. It is crossed by
Cartford Bridge, a
toll bridge, between
Little Eccleston and
Out Rawcliffe. A former toll bridge,
Shard Bridge, close to
Poulton-le-Fylde, has been rebuilt and is now free. The
Wyre Estuary Ferry runs between
Fleetwood and
Knott End, but the ferry to the
Isle of Man no longer runs. Major industry existed at the former
ICI Hillhouse site at
Burn Naze, close to the estuary of the river. It was originally an
alkali works taking
brine from mines and
wells across the river in and around
Preesall. Later processes undertaken on the site included those dealing with
vinyl chloride monomer, although this was later moved to
Runcorn and ICI activity on the site ceased. Industrial activity by a number of various companies continues by the river, albeit on a much reduced scale. The area around Burn Naze on the western side of the Wyre Estuary was formerly known as
Bergerode, believed to be an
Old English term for "shallow harbour",
beor grade. From
Skippool, just downstream of Shard Bridge, to Fleetwood, the banks of the river form the
Wyre Estuary Country Park. Facilities exist on the western bank. The park has its headquarters at Stanah. It has been the recipient of a
Green Flag Award. Fleetwood, at the mouth of the river, was a major fishing port up until the latter part of the 20th century. Wyre Dock was built there between 1869 and 1877. With the decline in the size of the fleet, most of the dock complex has subsequently been converted to a
marina and the adjacent
Affinity Lancashire outdoor shopping centre. The river drains a total catchment area of approximately 175 square miles (450 km2). The tidal portion of the river below Cartford Bridge drains a catchment area of approximately . The Wyre is the only one of the major Lancashire rivers that flows wholly within the ceremonial county; the
Ribble starts in
North Yorkshire, and the
Lune starts in
Cumbria. ==Settlements==