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Barrow-in-Furness


 
 
Barrow-in-Furness is an industrial townManufacturing

Manufacturing, a branch of industry which accounts for about one-quarter of the world's economic activity, is the applicatio...
 and seaportSeaport Summary

A seaport is a facility for receiving seafaring ships and transferring cargo to and from them....
 in CumbriaCumbria

Cumbria is a county in the North West region of England....
, EnglandEngland

England is the largest and most populous constituent country of the United Kingdom....
. Often known simply as Barrow, the town is situated at the tip of the Furness peninsulaFurness

Furness is a peninsula in the southern part of Cumbria, in north-west England....
 bordered only by Morecambe BayMorecambe Bay

Morecambe Bay is a large bay in northwest England, nearly due east of the Isle of Man and just to the south of the Lake Dist...
 and the Irish SeaIrish Sea

The Irish Sea separates the islands of Ireland and Great Britain....
. It forms about half the territory of the wider Borough of Barrow-in-FurnessBarrow-in-Furness (borough)

!colspan=2 align=center bgcolor="#ff9999"|Borough of Barrow-in-Furness...
. Barrow is located just over north-west of LondonLondon

London is the capital city of England and of the United Kingdom....
 and south of the Scottish border.

HistoricallyHistoric counties of England

The historic counties of England are ancient subdivisions of England into around forty areas, which were used for both admin...
 a part of LancashireLancashire

Lancashire is a county in North West England, bounded to the west by the Irish Sea....
, Barrow was a small fishing village before the arrival of the Industrial RevolutionIndustrial Revolution

The Industrial Revolution was the major technological, socioeconomic and cultural change in the late 18th and early 19th cen...
 in the mid-19th century. The building of the Furness RailwayFurness Railway

The Furness Railway was a railway company operating in the Furness area of north-west England. ...
 allowed iron ore to be transported to the area; the village's location made it ideal for smelting and then exporting steel. The natural harbour the booming town possessed allowed the locally produced steel to be put to another use: shipbuilding.

The shipyard became a significant producer of naval vessels and from the 1960s increasingly specialised in the construction of nuclear-powered submarines.






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Timeline

1977   ''HMS Invincible'' is launched at Barrow-in-Furness by Queen Elizabeth II.






Encyclopedia


Barrow-in-Furness is an industrial townManufacturing

Manufacturing, a branch of industry which accounts for about one-quarter of the world's economic activity, is the applicatio...
 and seaportSeaport Summary

A seaport is a facility for receiving seafaring ships and transferring cargo to and from them....
 in CumbriaCumbria

Cumbria is a county in the North West region of England....
, EnglandEngland

England is the largest and most populous constituent country of the United Kingdom....
. Often known simply as Barrow, the town is situated at the tip of the Furness peninsulaFurness

Furness is a peninsula in the southern part of Cumbria, in north-west England....
 bordered only by Morecambe BayMorecambe Bay

Morecambe Bay is a large bay in northwest England, nearly due east of the Isle of Man and just to the south of the Lake Dist...
 and the Irish SeaIrish Sea

The Irish Sea separates the islands of Ireland and Great Britain....
. It forms about half the territory of the wider Borough of Barrow-in-FurnessBarrow-in-Furness (borough)

!colspan=2 align=center bgcolor="#ff9999"|Borough of Barrow-in-Furness...
. Barrow is located just over north-west of LondonLondon

London is the capital city of England and of the United Kingdom....
 and south of the Scottish border.

HistoricallyHistoric counties of England

The historic counties of England are ancient subdivisions of England into around forty areas, which were used for both admin...
 a part of LancashireLancashire

Lancashire is a county in North West England, bounded to the west by the Irish Sea....
, Barrow was a small fishing village before the arrival of the Industrial RevolutionIndustrial Revolution

The Industrial Revolution was the major technological, socioeconomic and cultural change in the late 18th and early 19th cen...
 in the mid-19th century. The building of the Furness RailwayFurness Railway

The Furness Railway was a railway company operating in the Furness area of north-west England. ...
 allowed iron ore to be transported to the area; the village's location made it ideal for smelting and then exporting steel. The natural harbour the booming town possessed allowed the locally produced steel to be put to another use: shipbuilding.

The shipyard became a significant producer of naval vessels and from the 1960s increasingly specialised in the construction of nuclear-powered submarines. The original iron- and steel- making enterprises closed down after World War IIWorld War II

World War II, or the Second World War, was a worldwide conflict fought between the Allied Powers and the Axis Powers ,...
, leaving boat building the area's main industry and employer. All of Britain's Vanguard class submarineVanguard class submarine

colspan=2 style="color: white; background: navy;">|June 20 1994...
s, which carry the Trident nuclear deterrent, were manufactured at the facility. With the end of the Cold WarCold War

The Cold War was the protracted geopolitical, ideological, and economic struggle that emerged after World War II between dem...
 and subsequent decrease in military spending the town suffered high unemployment.

Toponymy

The name was originally that of an island- the name 'Barrai' can be traced back to 1190. This was later renamed 'Old Barrow', recorded as Oldebarrey in 1537, and Old Barrow Insula and Barrohead in 1577. The island was then joined to the mainland and the town took its name. The name itself seems to mean 'island with promontory', combining BritishBrythonic languages

The Brythonic languages form one of the two branches of the Insular Celtic language family....
 barro- and Old NorseOld Norse

Old Norse is the Germanic language spoken by the inhabitants of Scandinavia and their overseas settlements during the Viking...
 ey, but it is more likely that ScandinaviaScandinavia

Scandinavia is a region in Northern Europe....
n settlers simply accepted barro- as a meaningless name, and so added an explanatory Old Norse second element.

History

In the Middle AgesMiddle Ages

The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three "ages": the clas...
 the Furness peninsulaFurness

Furness is a peninsula in the southern part of Cumbria, in north-west England....
 was controlled by the Cistercian monks of the Abbey of St Mary of Furness, known as Furness AbbeyFurness Abbey

Furness Abbey, or St Mary of Furness is a Cistercian monastery situated in the Furness region of Cumbria....
. This was located in the 'Vale of Nightshade', now on the outskirts of the modern town. Originally founded for the Savigniac orderCongregation of Savigny

The Catholic Congregation of Savigny started in the abbey of Savigny is situated on the confines of Normandy and Britt...
, it was built on the orders of Stephen of BloisStephen of England

Stephen , the only King of England from the House of Blois, reigned from 1135 to 1154, when he was succeeded by his cousin H...
 in 1123. Soon after the abbey's foundation the monks discovered iron ore deposits, later to prove the basis for Furness' economy. These thin layers, close to the surface, were extracted through open cast workings, which were then smelted by the monks in small bloomeriesBloomery

A bloomery is a type of furnace once widely used for smelting iron from its oxides....
 (early furnaces). The proceeds from mining, along with agriculture and fisheries, meant that by the 15th century the abbey had become the second richest and most powerful Cistercian abbey in EnglandEngland

England is the largest and most populous constituent country of the United Kingdom....
, after Fountains AbbeyFountains Abbey

Fountains Abbey in North Yorkshire, England ,...
 in Yorkshire.
However, Barrow itself was an hamlet in the parish of Dalton-in-Furness on the Furness peninsula reliant on the land and sea for survival. Small quantities of iron and ore were exported from jetties which were constructed into the channel separating the then-village and Walney IslandWalney Island

Walney Island, also known as the Isle of Walney, is the eighth largest marine island in England....
. Amongst the oldest buildings in Barrow, are several cottages and farm houses in Newbarns (now a wardWard

Ward may refer to:* Ward, someone placed under the protection of a legal guardian...
 of the town) which date back to the early 1600s. Even as late as 1843 there were still only 32 dwellings including two pubs.

In 1839 Henry Schneider arrived as a young speculator and dealer in ironIron

Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26....
, and he finally discovered large deposits of haematite in 1850. He and other investors founded the Furness RailwayFurness Railway

The Furness Railway was a railway company operating in the Furness area of north-west England. ...
, the first section of which opened in 1846 to transport the ore from the slate quarries at Kirkby-in-FurnessKirkby-in-Furness

Kirkby-in-Furness is a village in the Furness peninsula, part of the administrative county of Cumbria, England....
 and haematite mines at Lindal-in-FurnessLindal-in-Furness Overview

Lindal-in-Furness is a village on the Furness peninsula in the administrative county of Cumbria, in the United Kingdom....
 to a deep water harbour near Roa IslandRoa Island

Roa Island lies just over half a mile south of the village of Rampside at the southernmost point of the Furness Peninsula i...
. The docks built between 1867 and 1881 in the more sheltered channel between the mainland and Barrow IslandBarrow Island (England)

Barrow Island is a built up island forming part of the town of Barrow-in-Furness, in Furness, England....
 replaced the port at Roa IslandRoa Island

Roa Island lies just over half a mile south of the village of Rampside at the southernmost point of the Furness Peninsula i...
. The increasing quantities of iron ore mined in Furness were then brought to Barrow to be transported by sea.

The investors in the burgeoning mining and railway industries decided greater profits could be made by smelting the iron ore into steel, and then exporting the finished product. Schneider and James Ramsden, the railway's general manager, erected blast furnaces at Barrow that by 1876 formed the largest steelworks in the world at the time. Its success was a result of the availability of local iron ore, coal from the CumberlandCumberland

Cumberland is one of the 39 historic counties of England, and a former administrative and ceremonial county, located in nort...
 mines and easy rail and sea transport. The Furness Railway, who counted local aristocrats The Duke of DevonshireWilliam Cavendish, 7th Duke of Devonshire Summary

William Cavendish, 7th Duke of Devonshire, KG, PC, known as Lord Cavendish of Keighley between 1831 and 1834 and 2n...
 and the Duke of Buccleugh as investors, kick-started the Industrial Revolution on the peninsula. The railway brought mined ore to the town, where the steelworks produced large quantities of steel. It was used for shipbuilding or derived products such as rails were exported from the newly built docks. This caused Barrow's population, originally 700 in 1851, to reach 10,000 by 1864 and 47,000 by 1881, forty years after the railway was built.

The sheltered straight between Barrow and Walney IslandWalney Island

Walney Island, also known as the Isle of Walney, is the eighth largest marine island in England....
 was an ideal location for the shipyard. The first ship to be built was the 'Jane Roper', launched in 1852; the first steamship, a 3,000 ton liner named Duke of Devonshire, in 1873. Shipbuilding activity increased, and on 18 February 1871 the Barrow Shipbuilding Company was incorporated. Barrow's relative isolation from the United KingdomUnited Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a country and sovereign state that lies off the northwest coast...
's industrial heartlands meant the newly formed company included several capabilities that would usually be subcontracted to other establishments. In particular, a large engineering works was constructed including a foundry and pattern shop, a forge, and an engine shop. In addition, the shipyard had a joiners' shop, a boat-building shed and a sailmaking and rigging loft.

During these boom years, Ramsden, who was also superintendent of the Furness Railway, proposed a planned town to accommodate the large workforce which had arrived. There are few planned townsTown and country planning in the United Kingdom

Town and Country Planning is the land use planning system by which the British government seeks to maintain a balance betwee...
 in the United KingdomUnited Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a country and sovereign state that lies off the northwest coast...
, and Barrow is one of the oldest. Its centre contains a grid of well-built terraced houses, with long tree-lined roads leading away from central squares. Later knighted, he later became the first mayor of Barrow, which was given municipal boroughMunicipal borough

Municipal boroughs were a type of local authority which existed in England and Wales between 1835 and 1974....
 status in 1867, and later county boroughCounty borough

County borough is a term introduced in 1889 in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, to refer to a borough or a c...
 status in 1889. The imposing red sandstone Town Hall, designed by W.H. Lynn, was built in a neo-gothic style in 1887. Prior to this, the borough council had met at the railway headquarters, the railway company's control of industry extended to the administration of the town itself.

The Barrow Shipbuilding Company was taken over by the SheffieldSheffield

!colspan=2 align=center bgcolor="#ff9999"|City of Sheffield...
 steel firm of VickersVickers Summary

Vickers was a famous name in British engineering that existed through many companies from 1828 until 2004....
 in 1897, by which time the shipyard had surpassed the railway and steelworks as the largest employer and landowner in Barrow. The company constructed VickerstownVickerstown

Vickerstown is an area located on the Isle of Walney, in the town of Barrow-in-Furness, England....
, modelled on George Cadbury's BournvilleBournville

Bournville is an area on the south side of Birmingham, best known for its connections with the Cadbury family and chocolate ...
, on the adjacent Walney IslandWalney Island

Walney Island, also known as the Isle of Walney, is the eighth largest marine island in England....
 in the early twentieth century to house its employees. It also commissioned Sir Edwin Lutyens to design Abbey HouseAbbey House, Barrow-in-Furness

Abbey House, Barrow-in-Furness in the modern county of Cumbria, formerly in Lancashire , is a Neo-Elizabethan H-plan mansion...
 as a guest house and residence for its managing director at the time, Commander Craven.

By the 1890s the shipyard was heavily engaged in the construction of warships for the Royal NavyRoyal Navy

The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services ....
 and also for export. The NavyRoyal Navy

The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services ....
's first submarine, Holland 1Holland 1

Holland 1 was the first submarine commissioned by the Royal Navy, the first in a six-boat batch of the Holland class sub...
, was built in 1901, and by 1914 the UK had the most advanced submarine fleet in the world, with 94% of it constructed by Vickers. Vickers was also famous for the construction of airships during the early 1900s. Well-known ships built in Barrow include the MikasaJapanese battleship Mikasa

Mikasa is a pre-Dreadnought battleship, formerly of the Imperial Japanese Navy, launched in 1900....
, Japanese flagship during the Russo-Japanese WarRusso-Japanese War

The Russo-Japanese War was a conflict that grew out of the rival imperialist ambitions of Russia and Japan in Manchuria and...
, the liner SS OrianaFacts About SS Oriana (1959)

SS Oriana was the last of the Orient Steam Navigation Company ocean liners....
 and the aircraft carriers HMS InvincibleHMS Invincible (R05) Summary

The sixth and current HMS Invincible is a light aircraft carrier, the lead ship of three in her class....
 and HMAS Melbourne.

During World War IIWorld War II

World War II, or the Second World War, was a worldwide conflict fought between the Allied Powers and the Axis Powers ,...
 Barrow was a target for the German airforce, the LuftwaffeLuftwaffe Summary

The Deutsche Luftwaffe or Luftwaffe is the commonly used term for the German air force....
, looking to disable the town's shipbuilding capabilities. The town suffered the most in a short period between April and May 1941. During the war, a local housewife, Nella LastNella Last

Nella Last was a housewife who lived in Barrow-in-Furness, England....
 was selected to write a diary of her everyday experiences on the home front for the Mass-ObservationMass-Observation Summary

Mass-Observation was a United Kingdom social research organisation founded in 1937....
 project. Her memoirs were later adapted for television. The difficulty in targeting bombs meant that the shipyards and steelworks were often missed, at the expense of the residential areas. Ultimately, 83 people were killed and 11,000 houses in the area were left damaged. To escape the heaviest bombardments, many people in the central areas left the town to sleep in hedgerows with some being permanently evacuated. Barrow's industry continued to supply the war effort, with Winston ChurchillWinston Churchill

Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, KG, OM, CH, TD, FRS, PC was an English statesman and author, best known as Prime Min...
 visiting the town on one occasion to launch the aircraft carrier HMS IndomitableHMS Indomitable

There have been two warships named Indomitable, but the most powerful ship of the lineage was its last....
.

The end of the war saw the beginning of a long decline of ore mining and steel-making as a result of overseas competition and dwindling resources. The Barrow ironworks closed in 1963, three years after the last Furness mine shut. The then small steelworks followed suit in 1983 leaving Barrow's shipyard as the town's principal industry. From the 1960s onwards it concentrated its efforts in submarineSubmarine

A submarine is a specialized watercraft that can operate underwater....
 manufacture, and the UK's first nuclear-powered submarine, HMS DreadnoughtHMS Dreadnought (S101)

The seventh HMS Dreadnought was the United Kingdom's first nuclear-powered submarine, built by Vickers of Barrow-in-Furn...
 was constructed in 1960. HMS ResolutionHMS Resolution

Twelve ships of the Royal Navy have borne the name HMS Resolution:...
, the Swiftsure-classSwiftsure class submarine

colspan=2 style="color: white; background: navy;">* Displacement: 4400 tons standard; 4900 tons submerged...
, Trafalgar-classTrafalgar class submarine

colspan=2 style="color: white; background: navy;">* Displacement: 4,750 tons surfaced, 5,208 tons submerged...
 and Vanguard-classVanguard class submarine

colspan=2 style="color: white; background: navy;">|June 20 1994...
 submarines all followed.

The end of the Cold WarCold War

The Cold War was the protracted geopolitical, ideological, and economic struggle that emerged after World War II between dem...
 in 1991 marked a reduction in the demand for military ships and submarines, and the town entered a period of decline. The shipyard's dependency on military contracts at the expense of civilian and commercial engineering and shipbuilding meant it was particularly hard hit as government defence spending was reduced dramatically. As a result, the workforce shrank from 14,500 in 1990 to 5,800 in February 1995, with overall unemployment in the town over that period rising from 4.6% to 10%. The rejection by the VSEL management of detailed plans for Barrow's industrial renewal in the mid-to-late 1980s remains a point of contention. This has led to renewed academic attention in recent years to the possibilities of converting military-industrial production in declining shipbuilding areas to those in the offshore renewable energy sector.

In August 2002 Barrow suffered the UK's worst ever outbreak of Legionnaires' DiseaseLegionellosis

Legionellosis is an infection caused by the genus of Gram negative bacteria Legionella, notably Legionella pneumophila...
. There were 172 people reported to have caught the disease, of which seven ultimately died. This made it the 4th worst outbreak in the world in terms of number of cases and 6th worst in terms of deaths (see list of Legionnaires' disease outbreaksLegionellosis

Legionellosis is an infection caused by the genus of Gram negative bacteria Legionella, notably Legionella pneumophila...
). The source of the virus was later found to be from steam coming out of a badly maintained air conditioning unit. The system was located in the council-run arts centre Forum 28, with the vent emitting the disease over a busy alleyway in the town centre.

The coroner for Furness and South Cumbria criticised the council for its failings with regard to health and safety at the conclusion of an inquest into the seven deaths. In 2006, council employee Gillian Beckingham and employer Barrow Borough CouncilBarrow-in-Furness (borough)

!colspan=2 align=center bgcolor="#ff9999"|Borough of Barrow-in-Furness...
 were cleared of seven charges of manslaughter, but both admitted breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act. Beckingham, the council senior architect ultimately responsible for health and safety at the centre, was fined £15,000 and the authority £125,000. The borough council was the first public body in the country to have faced corporate manslaughter charges.

Regeneration

The Waterfront

Many areas of the town have seen regeneration in the 1990s, and on 28 September 2007 Barrow's £200 million Dockland regeneration project began. Due to be completed by 2020, the project includes a new 'Barrow Marina Village' which will incorporate a £8 million 400 berth marinaMarina

----A marina is a port within a well-sheltered harbour where boats and yachts are kept in the water and where basic service...
, 600 homes, restaurants, shops, hotels and a new state of the art bridge across Cavendish Dock. A large watersports centre is also being built, with the possibility of a cruise shipCruise ship

A cruise ship is a passenger ship used for pleasure voyages, where the voyage itself and the ship's amenities are considered...
 terminal.

Shipyard

The shipyard has been given planning permission to construct a new tall assembly hall. Dubbed 'Son of DDH' in a reference to the existing Devonshire Dock Hall shipbuilding facility, the building will be used initially for the construction of aircraft carrier sections. Following a decline in employment levels at the shipyard over the last 20 years, BAE recently announced that the current workforce of 3,835 could soon grow to 5,000, although this is still only a third of the 14,000 employed in the 1980s.

Bridges


For many years there have been discussions whether or not to construct bridges across Morecambe BayMorecambe Bay

Morecambe Bay is a large bay in northwest England, nearly due east of the Isle of Man and just to the south of the Lake Dist...
 and the Duddon EstuaryDuddon Estuary

The Duddon Estuary is the sandy estuary of the River Duddon that lies between Morecambe Bay and the west Cumbrian coast....
, leading to the Build Duddon and Morecambe Bridges party contesting national elections in the borough of Barrow and FurnessBarrow and Furness (UK Parliament constituency) Summary

Barrow and Furness is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom....
, receiving 409 (1.1%) votes in the 2005 general electionUnited Kingdom general election, 2005

The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005 and won by the Labour Party, led by Tony Blair....
.

Morecambe Bay Bridge

This project has recently received more coverage. Construction of the structure would create Europe's longest bridge, and the 7th longest in the worldList of bridges by length

This is a list of the world's bridges sorted by their full length above land or water....
. Connecting HeyshamHeysham

Heysham is a large coastal village near Lancaster in the county of Lancashire, England....
 in LancashireLancashire

Lancashire is a county in North West England, bounded to the west by the Irish Sea....
 to RampsideFacts About Rampside

Rampside is a village located a few miles south of the town of Barrow-in-Furness, on the very north-western corner of Moreca...
, the bridge would also produce 200MW of renewable energy from a tidal stream systemFacts About Tidal power

Tidal power is a means of electricity generation achieved by capturing the energy contained in moving water mass due to tide...
, enough to power over 400,000 homes. The bridge would have a major economic impact on the area through increased employment and tourism, and would cut journeys to ManchesterManchester

The City of Manchester is a major city and metropolitan borough in the North of England, historically notable for its centra...
 from Barrow from two hours down to under one, which would put Barrow within commuting range of a major city. The project's backer, Bridge Across the Bay Ltd., intend to seek planning permission in 2010. Subject to approval and the provision of finance, construction could begin around 2011, and the company estimates the bridge could be completed in 2015. The bridge is becoming ever more likely, as a second bridge to Walney Island from mainland Barrow is planned to relieve congestion, the Morecambe Bay bridge proposal is also being discussed by local councils.

Duddon Estuary Bridge

A smaller bridge crossing the Duddon Estuary linking Askam and MillomMillom

Millom is a town on the estuary of the River Duddon in Cumbria, England, which, in Victorian Times, was merely a small hamle...
, would definitely help improve transport links to the area. There has also been talk of building a road and rail tunnel under the Duddon instead of a bridge.

Governance

Barrow is the largest town in the Borough of Barrow-in-FurnessBarrow-in-Furness (borough)

!colspan=2 align=center bgcolor="#ff9999"|Borough of Barrow-in-Furness...
 and the largest settlement in the peninsula of FurnessFurness

Furness is a peninsula in the southern part of Cumbria, in north-west England....
. The borough is the direct inheritor of the municipal and county borough charters given to the town in the late 1800s. Historically it is part of the Hundred of LonsdaleLonsdale (hundred)

Lonsdale was a hundred of the English county of Lancashire....
 'north of the sands' in the historic county boundariesHistoric counties of England

The historic counties of England are ancient subdivisions of England into around forty areas, which were used for both admin...
 of LancashireLancashire

Lancashire is a county in North West England, bounded to the west by the Irish Sea....
. Since the local government reforms enacted in England in 1974 the town has been within the administrative shireShire county

A shire county or non-metropolitan county in England, is a county level entity which is not a metropolitan county....
 and ceremonial countyCeremonial counties of England

The Ceremonial counties of England are areas of England that are appointed a Lord-Lieutenant, and are defined by the governm...
 of CumbriaCumbria

Cumbria is a county in the North West region of England....
. It still forms a part of the official UK government administered Duchy of LancasterDuchy of Lancaster

The Duchy of Lancaster is one of the two Royal Duchies in England, the other being the Duchy of Cornwall....
. The Barrow-in-Furness Borough CouncilBarrow-in-Furness (borough)

!colspan=2 align=center bgcolor="#ff9999"|Borough of Barrow-in-Furness...
 forms the 'lower' tier of local government under Cumbria County CouncilCumbria

Cumbria is a county in the North West region of England....
. The town, along with Walney IslandWalney Island

Walney Island, also known as the Isle of Walney, is the eighth largest marine island in England....
, is unparished and forms the bulk of the wards which make the entire borough's area. They can be seen in the box below.

Geography


Barrow-in-Furness is situated at the tip of the FurnessFurness

Furness is a peninsula in the southern part of Cumbria, in north-west England....
 peninsulaPeninsula

A peninsula is a geographical formation consisting of an extension of land from a larger body, surrounded by water on three...
 on the north-western edge of Morecambe BayMorecambe Bay

Morecambe Bay is a large bay in northwest England, nearly due east of the Isle of Man and just to the south of the Lake Dist...
. The town centre and major industrial areas sit on a fairly flat coastal shelf, with a gentle incline leading away from the coast. Ten miles (16 km) to the north-east is the southern boundary of the English Lake DistrictLake District

The Lake District National Park is one of fourteen National parks in the United Kingdom....
.

Islands

The town is sheltered from the Irish Sea by Walney IslandWalney Island

Walney Island, also known as the Isle of Walney, is the eighth largest marine island in England....
, a 10 mile (20 km) long island connected to the mainland by the BasculeBascule bridge Summary

A bascule bridge is a drawbridge with a counterweight that continuously balances the span, or "leaf", throughout the entire ...
 type Jubilee bridge. About 13,000 live on the isle's various settlements, mostly in VickerstownVickerstown

Vickerstown is an area located on the Isle of Walney, in the town of Barrow-in-Furness, England....
, which was build to house workers in the rapidly expanding shipyard. Another significant island which lay in the Walney channel is Barrow IslandBarrow Island (England)

Barrow Island is a built up island forming part of the town of Barrow-in-Furness, in Furness, England....
, but following the filling of the channel to create land for the yard is now directly connected to the town. Other islands which lie close to Barrow are Piel IslandPiel Island

Piel Island lies half a mile off the southern tip of the Furness Peninsula in the administrative county of Cumbria, though f...
, whose castle protected the harbour from marauding Scots, Sheep IslandSheep Island (England)

Sheep Island is a small grassy area just over 1/4 mile from the shore of Walney Island, opposite Snab Point....
, Roa IslandFacts About Roa Island

Roa Island lies just over half a mile south of the village of Rampside at the southernmost point of the Furness Peninsula i...
 and Foulney IslandFoulney Island

Foulney Island is a low-lying grass and shingle area 1 mile to the south-east of Roa Island, off the southern tip of the Fur...
.

Climate

Economy


Barrow has one of the largest shipyards in BritainGreat Britain

Great Britain is an island lying off the northwestern coast of mainland Europe and to the east of Ireland, comprising the ma...
 which is currently owned and operated by BAE SystemsBAE Systems

BAE Systems plc is the world's fourth largest defence contractor and a commercial aerospace manufacturer....
. It was expanded by construction of a new covered assembly facility, the Devonshire Dock Hall (DDH), completed by Alfred McAlpineAlfred McAlpine

Alfred McAlpine plc is a British construction firm headquartered in London....
 in 1986 on land that was created by infilling part of the Devonshire Dock with 2.4 million tonnes of sand pumped from nearby Roosecote Sands. DDH is the tallest building in Cumbria and has dominated the Barrow skyline for over 20 years. With a length of 268 m (879 ft), width of 51 m (167 ft) and an area of it is the largest shipbuilding construction complex of its kind in Europe. However, BAE Systems has recently obtained planning permission from Barrow Borough Council for an even taller 54.2 m (178 ft) building; the new Central Assembly Shop dubbed 'Son of DDH' will provide over 700 new jobs, initially in construction of a large section of the new Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carrierQueen Elizabeth class aircraft carrier

The first Royal Navy aircraft carriers to be named the Queen Elizabeth class were the proposed CVA-01 design from the 19...
s.

The DDH provides a controlled environment for ship and submarine assembly, and avoids the difficulties caused by building on the slope of traditional slipwaySlipway

A slipway, boat slip or just a slip, is a ramp on the shore by which ships or boats can be moved to and from the...
s. Outside the hall, a 24,300 tonne capacity shiplift allows completed vessels to be lowered into the water independently of the tide. Vessels can also be lifted out of the water and transferred to the hall. The first use of the DDH was for construction of the Vanguard-classVanguard class submarine

colspan=2 style="color: white; background: navy;">|June 20 1994...
 submarines, and later vessels of the Trafalgar-classTrafalgar class submarine Overview

colspan=2 style="color: white; background: navy;">* Displacement: 4,750 tons surfaced, 5,208 tons submerged...
 submarines were also built there
The shipyard does not build submarines exclusively: recent years have seen the fitting out and commissioning of helicopter carrier HMS OceanHMS Ocean (L12)

The sixth HMS Ocean of the Royal Navy is a Landing Platform, Helicopter carrier, the only one in its class....
 (although the ship was built by Kværner in GovanGovan

Govan is a district and former burgh in the southwestern part of the Scottish city of Glasgow....
, GlasgowGlasgow

The city was formerly a royal burgh, and was known as the "Second City of the British Empire" in the Victorian era....
), and construction of Wave Class tankerWave Knight class tanker

The Wave Knight class tankers are Royal Fleet Auxiliary fast fleet tankers tasked with providing fuel, food, ammunition ...
 Wave KnightRFA Wave Knight (A389) Overview

RFA Wave Knight is a fast fleet tanker in the Royal Fleet Auxiliary....
 and Albion ClassAlbion class landing platform dock

The State Of The Art Albion class landing platform dock ships are the newest amphibious assault vessels in the Royal Nav...
 amphibious assault ships HMS AlbionHMS Albion (L14)

The ninth and current HMS Albion is a state of the art Landing Platform Dock ship of the Royal Navy....
 and HMS BulwarkHMS Bulwark (L15)

HMS Bulwark is an Albion-class landing platform dock, the UK's newest class of amphibious assault warship....
.

The shipyard is currently constructing the Astute-class submarinesAstute class submarine

colspan=2 style="color: white; background: navy;">* HMS Ambush, planned to be in service 2010...
 the first of which was launched on 8 June 2007. With firm orders for submarine pressure domes for the Spanish NavySpanish Navy

The Spanish Navy is the maritime arm of the Spanish Military. ...
 and a large section (hull lower block 3) of the new aircraft carriers, as well as eventual replacement of the Trident missile systemBritish replacement of the Trident system

The British replacement of Trident is a proposal to replace the existing Vanguard class of four submarines each armed wi...
 for which the British House of CommonsBritish House of Commons

|align=left|*Parliament**State Opening of Parliament...
 voted in 2007, the future of Barrow's shipyard seems assured.

Associated British Ports HoldingsAssociated British Ports Holdings

Associated British Ports Holdings plc is a holding company that owns and operates 21 ports throughout the United Kingdom....
 owns and operates the port of Barrow which can berth vessels up to long and with a draughtDraft (hull)

The draft of a ship's hull is the vertical distance between the waterline and the bottom of the hull , with the thickness o...
 of . Principal traffic includes the export of condensate by-product from the production of gas at the Rampside Gas Terminal, wood pulpWood pulp

Wood pulp is the most common material used to make paper....
, and locally quarried limestone which is exported to Scandinavia for use in the paper industry. The port, which has deep water access, also handles the shipment of nuclear fuelsNuclear fuel

Nuclear fuel is any material that can be consumed to derive nuclear energy, by analogy to chemical fuel that is burned to de...
 and wasteRadioactive waste

Radioactive waste is waste type containing radioactive chemical elements that does not have a practical purpose....
 for BNFLBNFL

British Nuclear Fuels plc or BNFL manufactures and transports nuclear fuel, runs reactors, generates and sells electri...
's nearby SellafieldSellafield

Sellafield is the name of a nuclear site, close to the village and railway station of...
 plant.

In 1985, gas was discovered in Morecambe BayMorecambe Bay

Morecambe Bay is a large bay in northwest England, nearly due east of the Isle of Man and just to the south of the Lake Dist...
, with the products processed onshore at the gas terminal in Rampside, south of the town. A new 30 turbine wind-farmWind turbine

A wind turbine is a machine for converting the kinetic energy in wind into mechanical energy....
 which has recently been built in the Irish SeaIrish Sea

The Irish Sea separates the islands of Ireland and Great Britain....
 off the coast of Walney IslandWalney Island

Walney Island, also known as the Isle of Walney, is the eighth largest marine island in England....
, although the electricity generated is sent by undersea cable to HeyshamHeysham

Heysham is a large coastal village near Lancaster in the county of Lancashire, England....
.

James Fisher and Sons Public Limited Company, a service provider in all sectors of the marineMarine (ocean)

Marine is an umbrella term for things relating to the ocean, as with marine biology, marine geology, and as a term for a nav...
 industry and a specialist supplier of engineering services to the nuclearNuclear power

Nuclear power is the controlled use of nuclear reactions to release energy for work including propulsion, heat, and the gen...
 industry in the UK and abroad, was founded in Barrow in 1847 and is the largest company to have its headquartersHeadquarters

Headquarters denotes the location where most, if not all, of the important functions of an organization are concentrated....
 situated in CumbriaCumbria

Cumbria is a county in the North West region of England....
. Annual revenue stood at almost ££

The symbol ' represents the Pound currency....
90 million in 2007 (up 55% from £57 million in 2006), as well as staff numbers standing at over 1,000 worldwide, with 120 of those in the Barrow headquarters.

Other major employers include the NHS, through Furness General Hospital, which employs 1,800 staff and the Kimberly Clark paper mill which has 400 employees.

Employment

Below is a list of how many people were employed by each sector, the percentage in brackets is that of the total working population of Barrow. The + or - signs at the end indicate whether the percentge employed in that sector is slightly higher +, much higher ++, slightly lower- or much lower-- than EnglandEngland Summary

England is the largest and most populous constituent country of the United Kingdom....
's average .

  • ManufacturingManufacturing

    Manufacturing, a branch of industry which accounts for about one-quarter of the world's economic activity, is the applicatio...
     - 8,087 employed (28.03% of towns working population) ++
  • Retail: 4,671 (16.19%) -
  • HealthHealth

    Health is the functional and/or metabolic efficiency of an organism, at any moment in time, at both the cellular and global ...
     and Social WorkSocial work

    Social work is a helping profession focused on "social change, problem solving in human relationships and the empowerment an...
    : 3,635 (12.60%) ++
  • Real EstateReal estate

    Real estate, or immovable property, is a legal term that encompasses land along with anything permanently affixed to ...
    , renting and business activities: 1,852 (6.42%) –
  • ConstructionFacts About Construction

    In project architecture and civil engineering, construction is the building or assembly of any infrastructure on a site....
    : 1,797 (6.23%) -
  • EducationEducation

    Education is the process by which an individual is encouraged and enabled to develop fully his or her innate potential; it m...
    : 1,765 (6.12%) -
  • Hotels and CateringCatering

    Catering is the business of providing food service at a remote site. ...
    : 1,730 (6.00%) ++
  • TransportTransport

    Transport or transportation is the movement of people and goods from one place to another....
     Storage and CommunicationCommunication

    Communication is the process of sharing information....
    : 1,490 (5.16%) -
  • Public AdministrationPublic administration

    Public administration is, broadly speaking, the study and implementation of policy....
     and DefenceFacts About Defence

    Defence or defense can refer to:...
    : 1,427 (4.95%) -
  • Other: 1,179 (4.09%) -
  • Financial IntermediationFinance

    Finance studies and addresses the ways in which individuals, businesses and organizations raise, allocate and use monetary r...
    : 471 (1.63%) –
  • ElectricityElectricity

    Electricity is a general term for the variety of phenomena resulting from the presence and flow of electric charge....
    , GasGas

    A gas is one of the four main phases of matter , that subsequently appear as a solid material is subjected to increasingly h...
     and WaterWater

    Water is a tasteless, odorless substance that is essential to all known forms of life and is known as the universal solve...
     supply: 379 (1.31%) +
  • AgricultureAgriculture

    Farming redirects here. For Farming in computer games, see Farmer ....
    : 252 (0.87%) -
  • FishingFishing

    Fishing is the activity of hunting for fish....
    : 8 (0.03%) +

Tourism

Being only around 20 minutes from the Lake DistrictLake District

The Lake District National Park is one of fourteen National parks in the United Kingdom....
, Barrow has been referred to as a 'gateway to the lakes', a status which could be enhanced by the new marinaMarina

----A marina is a port within a well-sheltered harbour where boats and yachts are kept in the water and where basic service...
 complex and planned cruise shipCruise ship Summary

A cruise ship is a passenger ship used for pleasure voyages, where the voyage itself and the ship's amenities are considered...
 terminalTerminal

Terminal may mean:In travel and transport:...
. Barrow itself has several tourist attractions, including the Dock MuseumDock Museum

The Dock Museum is situated in the British town of Barrow-in-Furness ....
. The museum tells the history of Barrow's shipbuilding, as well as offering gallery space to local artists and schoolchildren. It is built upon and around the old graving dock. Barrow also has a popular indoor market, which features a food hall as well as stalls selling clothes and other goods. Barrow has been described as the Lake District's premier shopping town, with big name shops mingling in with small local ones, and being home to Portland Walk Shopping CentrePortland Walk Shopping Centre

Portland Walk is a medium sized inner-city shopping centre situated in the town of Barrow-in-Furness, North West England....
. The town also features Hollywood Park - a leisure facility with restaurants, shops and Cumbria's largest cinema. The town also features several other retail parks. The Park Leisure Centre is a fitness suite with a pool, set in the Barrow Park.

Transport

Barrow's principal road link is the A590A590 road

The A590 is a trunk road in southern Cumbria, in the north-west of England, running from M6 junction 36, through the towns o...
, linking it to UlverstonUlverston

Ulverston is a market town in the county of Cumbria in north-west England....
, the Lake District and to the M6 motorwayM6 motorway Summary

The M6 motorway is the longest motorway in the United Kingdom....
. Just north of Barrow is the southern terminus of the A595A595 road

The A595 is a primary route in Cumbria, in northern England that starts in Carlisle, and passes Whitehaven and Workington, a...
, linking the town to WhitehavenWhitehaven

For the neighbourhood in Memphis, Tennessee see Whitehaven, Memphis....
, WorkingtonWorkington Overview

Workington is a town on the west coast of Cumbria, England at the mouth of the River Derwent....
 and eventually CarlisleCarlisle

Carlisle is a city in the extreme northwest of England, some 16 km from the border with Scotland....
. The possibility of a bridge link over Morecambe BayMorecambe Bay

Morecambe Bay is a large bay in northwest England, nearly due east of the Isle of Man and just to the south of the Lake Dist...
 is occasionally raised, with feasibility studies currently underway.

Bus services within the town are operated by Stagecoach North WestStagecoach North West

Stagecoach North West is a major operator of bus services in North West England....
. There is no specifically designated bus station, although many buses start and terminate their routes near the Town Hall. The original bus depotBus station

A Bus station may be:*A bus terminal or bus terminus for intercity bus lines, etc....
 was known for its role in a 1970s television commercial for ChewitsChewits

Chewits are a British confectionery manufactured by the Leaf Corporation....
 sweets before its demolition. Other services link Barrow with outlying villages as well as longer distance routes to Dalton-in-FurnessDalton-in-Furness

Dalton-in-Furness is a small town of approximately 11,000 people outside Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England....
, UlverstonUlverston

Ulverston is a market town in the county of Cumbria in north-west England....
 and KendalKendal

Kendal is a small town in Cumbria, England....
.

Barrow-in-Furness railway stationFacts About Barrow-in-Furness railway station

Barrow-in-Furness railway station is a railway station that serves the town of Barrow-in-Furness in Cumbria, England....
 provides connections to Whitehaven, Workington and Carlisle to the north, via the Cumbrian Coast LineCumbrian Coast Line

The Cumbrian Coast Line runs from Carlisle to Barrow-in-Furness via Workington and Whitehaven....
, and to Ulverston, Grange-over-SandsGrange-over-Sands

Grange-over-Sands is a town in Cumbria, England, and in the traditional county of Lancashire....
 and LancasterLancaster, Lancashire

Lancaster is a city in Lancashire, in the north-west of England....
 to the east, via the Furness LineFurness Line

The Furness Line runs from Barrow-in-Furness to Ulverston and Grange-over-Sands, connecting with the West Coast Main Line at...
. It handles 503,800 passengers annually. Barrow has a second railway station, called Roose railway stationRoose railway station

Roose railway station is a railway station that serves the suburb of Roose, which is in the town of Barrow-in-Furness in Cum...
, which serves the suburb of RooseRoose

Roosecote or Roose is a suburb of Barrow-in-Furness in Cumbria....
.

Other means of transport in and out of Barrow include air, with the town being home to a regional airfield, owned and operated by BAE SystemsBAE Systems

BAE Systems plc is the world's fourth largest defence contractor and a commercial aerospace manufacturer....
. It is one of two airports in the county, the other being Carlisle AirportCarlisle Airport

Carlisle Airport is located 5 nautical miles east northeast of Carlisle, Cumbria, England....
. The nearest international airport is Blackpool International Airport, although most people from Barrow use the larger Liverpool John LennonLiverpool John Lennon Airport

Liverpool John Lennon Airport is one of Europe's fastest growing airports, having more than quintupled its annual passenger...
 and Manchester Airports. Despite being one of the UK's leading shipbuilding centres, Barrow is only a minor portPort

A port is a facility for receiving ships and transferring cargo to and from them....
. Although there are no ferry links to Barrow, there are proposals to create a cruise ship terminal.

Sport

Barrow A.F.C

Barrow A.F.C.Barrow A.F.C. Overview

Barrow A.F.C. are a football team based in the town of Barrow-in-Furness in Cumbria, England....
 next year 2008-09 will play in the Conference NationalConference National

Conference National is the top division of the Football Conference....
 division of English football. The team, founded in 1901, are nicknamed "the Bluebirds" and play their home games at the Holker StreetHolker Street Overview

Holker Street is a sports stadium located in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, United Kingdom....
 stadium. The side were members of the Football League until they were demoted in 1972. In 1990, they won the FA TrophyFA Trophy

The Football Association Challenge Trophy is an English football competition for clubs playing in the Football Conference, S...
 beating Leek TownLeek Town F.C.

Leek Town F.C. are an English football club who play at Harrison Park in Leek, Staffordshire....
 3-0 in the final at Wembley Stadium, LondonLondon

London is the capital city of England and of the United Kingdom....
. Football players born in Barrow include England internationals Emlyn HughesEmlyn Hughes

Emlyn Walter Hughes, OBE was an English footballer who captained the Liverpool F.C....
 and Gary StevensGary Stevens

Michael Gary Stevens was an English footballer who shot to fame in the great Everton side of the 1980s....
, as well as Harry HadleyHarry Hadley

Harold Hadley was an English professional footballer and football manager....
, and Vic MetcalfeVic Metcalfe Summary

Vic Metcalfe was a professional footballer who played as a midfielder for Huddersfield Town and Hull City....
.
Of current professional footballers, Wayne CurtisWayne Curtis

Wayne Curtis is an English football striker....
, MorecambeMorecambe F.C.

Morecambe F.C. is an English football club based in Morecambe, Lancashire; it currently plays in the Football Conference....
 striker, and Iran Under-20 and HibernianHibernian F.C.

Hibernian Football Club is a Scottish football club from Edinburgh....
 winger Shana Haji both hail from the town.

Holker Old Boys F.C.

Holker Old Boys, based at Rakesmoor Lane, are the town's second most successful football team, and they play in the North West Counties Football LeagueNorth West Counties Football League

The North West Counties Football League is a football league in the north west of England....
 Division One.

Barrow Raiders

Rugby leagueRugby league

Rugby league is a team sport, played by two teams of 17 players, with 13 on the field at any one time and 4 'on the bench' ....
 is a well-established sport and the town is considered as one of the game's traditional heartlands at professional and amateur levels. The professional team, Barrow RaidersBarrow Raiders

Barrow Raiders are a British rugby league team from Barrow-in-Furness in Cumbria....
, whose home games are at Craven ParkCraven Park (Barrow)

Craven Park is a rugby league stadium in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England....
, play in National League Two. In the 1950s the side played in three Challenge Cup finals, winning the last of these against Workington Town. In the 1997 reorganisation of the sport the original Barrow RLFC team merged with Carlisle Border RaidersCarlisle RLFC

Carlisle RLFC were a rugby league team based in Carlisle, Cumbria. ...
 to form Barrow Border Raiders, with the word "border" later dropped. Players who were born in the town and played at a professional level include brothers AdeAde Gardner

Ade Gardner is a rugby league player from Barrow-in-Furness in Cumbria....
 and Mat GardnerFacts About Mat Gardner

Mat Gardner is a rugby league player, who currently plays for the Salford City Reds....
  and Willie HorneWillie Horne Overview

Willie Horne was born in Barrow-in-Furness, Lancashire on 23rd January, 1922....
. The latter captained Barrow to their Challenge Cup victory and represented Great Britain at an international level. He was inducted in to the "Barrow Hall of Fame" along with former Barrow players Phil JacksonPhil Jackson (rugby league)

Phil Jackson is a former Great Britain rugby league captain and centre as well as a Barrow club legend....
 and Jimmy LewthwaiteJimmy Lewthwaite

Jimmy Lewthwaite , who was born in Broughton RoadCleator Moor, Cumberland, was a rugby league winger for Barrow and Great Br...
.

Motor Racing

Barrow in Furness has staged speedway racing at three venues since the pioneer days in the late 1920s. The first track was at Holker Street. This venue had a revival for a short spell in the early to mid 1970s. In 1930 the sport moved to Little Park but this a somewhat hazy venue. The sport had a revival in 1978 at Park Avenue Industrial Estate but this was relatively short lived.

Golf

Barrow is home to two large golf clubs. Barrow Golf Club, founded in 1922, is situated in Hawcoat and covers some with 18 holes. Furness Golf Club, possibly the more famous of the two, is located on Walney Island, just from the Irish Sea. It also offers an 18-hole course, a shop and other facilities.

Culture

Radio

Barrow is served by two commercial radio stations. The BayThe Bay (radio station)

The Bay is a radio station owned by the CN Group broadcasting from the city of Lancaster to the region of North Lancashire a...
 is broadcast from LancasterLancaster, Lancashire Overview

Lancaster is a city in Lancashire, in the north-west of England....
 and serves the area around Morecambe BayMorecambe Bay

Morecambe Bay is a large bay in northwest England, nearly due east of the Isle of Man and just to the south of the Lake Dist...
. Abbey FM begun broadcasting from Barrow after being awarded a commercial radio license by OfcomOfcom

The Office of Communications, usually known as Ofcom, is the UK's communications regulator....
 in 2005. The station, whose target remit is 25 to 64 year-olds living in Barrow and the FurnessFurness

Furness is a peninsula in the southern part of Cumbria, in north-west England....
 peninsula, is owned by The Radio Business Ltd, CN GroupCN group

In mathematics, in the realm of group theory, a group is said to be a CN group or centralizer nilpotent group if the central...
 and The Local Radio Company Ltd. The BBC's local radio service is BBC Radio CumbriaBBC Radio Cumbria

BBC Radio Cumbria is the BBC Local Radio service for the English county of Cumbria and broadcasts from studios in Carlisle....
, who have studio facilities in the town.

Newspapers

There is one paid-for evening daily paper - the North West Evening Mail. There is also a weekly freesheet called the Advertiser, which is delivered to most households in the Furness area. Both are owned by independent publisher the CN groupCN group

In mathematics, in the realm of group theory, a group is said to be a CN group or centralizer nilpotent group if the central...
, formerly Cumbrian Newspapers.

Television

Barrow lies in the Granada TV/ North West EnglandNorth West England

North West England is one of the nine regions of England....
 region with the main signal coming from the Winter HillWinter Hill

Winter Hill may be:* Winter Hill between Chorley and Bolton, in Lancashire, England - Winter Hill transmitting station loca...
 transmitter near Bolton. There is also a relay transmitter at MillomMillom

Millom is a town on the estuary of the River Duddon in Cumbria, England, which, in Victorian Times, was merely a small hamle...
 whose signal can be received in the northern end of the town. The signal f