Biggar, Cumbria

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Biggar
Biggar Village, Walney Island.jpg
Biggar Village
Location map United Kingdom Borough of Barrow-in-Furness.svg
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Biggar
Location in Barrow-in-Furness Borough
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Biggar
Location within Cumbria
OS grid reference SD186662
Unitary authority
Shire county
Region
Country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town BARROW-IN-FURNESS
Postcode district LA14
Dialling code 01229
Police Cumbria
Fire Cumbria
Ambulance North West
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UK
England
Cumbria
54°05′10″N3°14′35″W / 54.086°N 3.243°W / 54.086; -3.243

Biggar is a village towards the south of Walney Island in Cumbria, England. Along with the village of North Scale, it is the oldest settlement on the island. It now forms part of the Borough of Barrow-in-Furness.

Furness Abbey records from 1292 mention a grange at Biggar, of around 100 acres (0.40 km2) in size. [1] Biggar Dyke was built in the Sixteenth century [when the village was part of Dalton Parish] as coastal defence for the village and island. The first mention of the name the 'Queen's Arms' was in 1869 to distinguish it from the recently opened 'New Inn' in the village although it was a beer house as early as 1753.

Biggar has remained outside of the main urban limits of Walney and Barrow-in-Furness, and is still a small farming village. It lies on the eastern coast of Walney, to the north of a nature reserve, containing one of England's few oyster farms.

Biggar is mentioned alongside North Scale in the folk song 'Wa'ney Island Cockfight' [2] [3] The song has been recorded by Fiddler's Dram and Martin Wyndham-Reed.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Walney Lighthouse</span> Lighthouse

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The following is a timeline of the history of Barrow-in-Furness, England, United Kingdom.

"Wa'ney Island Cockfight" or "The Bonny Grey" is an English folk song, Roud 211. Variants of the song exist across northern England from Cumbria to Shropshire.

References

  1. Barnes, F.; 1968; Barrow and District; Second Edition; Barrow-in-Furness Corporation;
  2. Allan, Sue (2017). "FOLK SONG IN CUMBRIA: A DISTINCTIVE REGIONAL REPERTOIRE?" (PDF).
  3. Wyndham-Reed, Martin. English Sporting Ballads, Broadside BRO128.


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