Barrow on The Doorstep of The Lake District (Barrow-in-Furness in General)

Member Name: rosiesmum

Product:	Barrow-in-Furness in General
Date:	12/04/01 (152 review reads)
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Barrow in Furness is on the doorstep of the Lake District and as a town itself it has had quite a face lift over the last ten years.

One of the treasured landmarks of this town is the Furness Abbey Ruins; The English Heritage centre records the fascinating history of the monks from the abbey going back to 1127. The Custodian’s cottage nearby has been restored recently and is a beautiful building.

The monks also built Dalton Castle as a prison and courthouse, it is now an exhibition centre for the life and work of George Romney, who is buried at Dalton Church.

More history is found on Piel Island you can take a ferry across for a few pounds and the crossing is about ten minutes. There you can find the ruins of the old fort and a local pub, which serves a mean pint of Bitter. The famous poet William Wordsworth was supposed to have spent many hours on the island.

Barrow in Furness is famous for its ship and submarine building, there is a gigantic hall built alongside the docks it is called Devonshire Dock Hall, and quite a sight on the skyline.

The town has a dock museum and it shows how the town has developed from a 19th century hamlet to the worlds largest producer of tin and steel and then on to a major shipbuilding force and all within forty years. Admission is free.

The town hall clock tower stands out above the rooftops and the Victorian town hall built from sandstone is a fantastic building with its stained glass windows. The interior is panelled in dark oak and it has a staircase that is out of this world.
The jewel in Barrow’s crown that is what you will hear the locals say.

The best beaches around the area are at Roanhead and Walney Island has its nature reserves.
And the biggest tourist attraction is the South Lakes Wild Animal Park at Dalton.

Pubs, tearooms, cafes, hotels, wine bars and restaurants are all available in Barrow in Furness and there are a wide range of
choices from Chinese, Indian, Turkish, Mexican and Italian for eating out.
Of course there is also the favourites like Macdonald’s, Pizza Hut, and Kentucky Fried Chicken on the new Holidaywood Park shopping complex.

Entertainment in this town is not hard to find. There is the new six-screened cinema, a good bowling alley that offers special rates for families so not too expensive for a treat. A bingo hall and several night clubs.
The Forum 28 opposite the town hall often has shows on and famous entertainers from comics to magicians.

Shopping in the town has improved over the last few years, the flagship being Portland Walk, here you will find most of the famous shops like Debenhams and Next.
There is a good indoor market that trades four days a week and a small outside one.
Supermarkets are plentiful in this town we have at the moment five large superstores and a sixth one about to be built.

Leisure and Sporting facilities in the town are second to none
Golf courses can be found at Hawcoat and Walney, and there is a driving range called The Stroke One.

Sea fishing is excellent particularly off Walney and Piel Island.

Tennis and Squash can be played at Dalton Leisure Centre, and there is a well-stocked gym at the Barrow leisure Centre in the main park.

Rollerblading can be practiced at the rink in Dalkeith Street; ideal for the youngsters and the cyber café down at the bottom of Cavendish Street is popular.

Gliding is available at the Lakes Gliding Club at Walney Airport, for fifteen pounds you can have a flight that lasts about twenty minutes, or you could become a member and take up the sport seriously.


Next time you are in Cumbria call at Barrow it is well worth the visit.

Summary: This town has changed over the last few years well worth a visit