Barrow-in-Furness is a port town and civil parish in the Westmorland and Furness district, in the ceremonial county of Cumbria, England. Historically in Lancashire, it was incorporated as a municipal borough in 1867 and merged with Dalton-in-Furness Urban District in 1974 to form the Borough of Barrow-in-Furness. In 2023, the borough merged with Eden and South Lakeland districts to form a new unitary authority: Westmorland and Furness. At the tip of the Furness peninsula, close to the Lake District, it is bordered by Morecambe Bay, the Duddon Estuary and the Irish Sea. In 2021, Barrow's population was 55,489, making it the second largest urban area in Cumbria after Carlisle, and the largest in the Westmorland and Furness unitary authority.
Barrow-in-Furness was a local government district with borough status in Cumbria, England. It was named after its main town, Barrow-in-Furness. Other settlements included Dalton-in-Furness and Askam-in-Furness. It was the smallest district in Cumbria, but the most densely populated, with 924 people per square kilometre. The population was 71,980 in 2001, reducing to 69,087 at the 2011 Census.
Barrow Island is an area and electoral ward of Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England. Originally separate from the British mainland, land reclamation in the 1860s saw the northern fringes of the island connected to Central Barrow. Barrow Island is also bound to the south and east by the town's dock system and to the west by Walney Channel. The Ward population taken at the 2011 census was 2,616.
Portland Walk is a mixed-use complex in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England. Constructed in 1998 on the site of the former Forshaw Street, it was designed as a modern extension to Dalton Road; Barrow's principal shopping district. Barrow Indoor Market is also located adjacent to the southern entrance of the centre. Up until 2023 Portland Walk had a total retail floor area of around 200,000 sq ft (19,000 m2) and contained 30 units, this has since reduced substantially following the development of a training facility by BAE Systems. The complex is entirely open-air, however, there have been unsuccessful proposals to cover it with a roof. A 500-space multi-storey car park provides access to Portland Walk.
The Dock Museum is situated in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England. Most of its exhibits concern the history of the town, focusing on the shipbuilding industry at VSEL, the steelworks industry — of which Barrow once had the world's largest, the Furness Railway and the World War II bombings of the town. There has been a museum in Barrow since 1907 and in its current location since 1994, when 50,000 people visited it in its first year, visitor numbers peaked at 120,000 in 2001. The museum has free entry and remains under public ownership.
Hawcoat is an area and electoral ward of Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England. Historically part of Lancashire, it is one of Barrow's most northerly wards and is bordered by Roose, Newbarns, Parkside, Ormsgill and the town of Dalton-in-Furness to the north.
Central Barrow refers both to the town centre of Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England and to the electoral ward that roughly covers the eastern part of that town centre. In 2001 5,584 lived in the Central ward. The population density was 55.96 per hectare, which was well above the local average of 9.24, and England average, 3.77. The population of Central ward had reduced to 4,583 at the 2011 Census.
The Barrow Blitz is the name given to the Luftwaffe bombings of Barrow-in-Furness, United Kingdom during World War II. They took place primarily during April and May 1941, although the earliest Luftwaffe bombing occurred in September 1940. VSEL shipyard was the main target for bombing alongside Barrow's steelworks, which were formerly the largest in the world.
Ormsgill is an area and ward of Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England. It is bordered by Hindpool, Parkside, Hawcoat, Roanhead and Walney Channel. The population of the ward in 2001 stood at 5,961 ,increasing to 6,033 at the 2011 Census. Almost three quarters of Ormsgill is greenspace, with the majority of residents living in the densely populated south-east corridor. The western part of the ward is predominantly industrial and includes a large Kimberly-Clark plant and numerous other industrial estates which provide a base for companies including Blyth, BT, Gyrodata, McBride and Oil States International.
Newbarns is an area and electoral ward of Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England. It is bordered by Hawcoat, Parkside, Risedale and Roose, the local population stood at 5,515 in 2001, decreasing to 5,487 at the 2011 Census.
Abbey Road is the principal north to south arterial road through Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England.
Parkside is an area and electoral ward of Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England. It is bordered by Hindpool, Ormsgill, Hawcoat, Newbarns and Risedale and had a population of 5,742 in 2001, reducing to 5,584 at the 2011 Census. It is one of the town's most centralised wards and contains Barrow's main park, as well as the newly established Furness Academy.
Barrow-in-Furness Main Public Library is a Grade II listed Beaux-Arts style building located at Ramsden Square, Barrow-in-Furness, England. Operated since 1974 by Cumbria County Council, it is the largest library in the town and the present structure, designed by J A Charles was originally built as a Carnegie library with support from the Carnegie Foundation.
The Hindpool Retail Parks are a set of four conjoined retail parks in the Hindpool area of Barrow-in-Furness, England, United Kingdom. Some thirty stores and leisure facilities contain a total of 43,000 m2 (460,000 sq ft) of retail space. The four retail parks are Cornerhouse Retail Park, Cornmill Crossing, Hindpool Retail Park and Hollywood Park. The largest and only other retail park in Barrow is Walney Road Retail Park - Asda, Argos, Home Bargains, Matalan, Pound Stretcher, Starbucks and Stollers.
The Nan Tait Centre is a Grade II listed building located at Abbey Road in the Hindpool area of Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England.
The Barrow Jute Works was a jute and flax mill located in Barrow-in-Furness, Lancashire, England during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The mill was built for the Barrow and Calcutta Jute Company which was founded by James Ramsden in 1870 in an attempt to diversify Barrow's economy which was heavily focused on iron and steel production. The Jute Works itself was designed by architects Paley and Austin and occupied over 12-acres with a 580 feet (177 m) facade on Hindpool Road and 360 feet (110 m) along Abbey Road. The mill was served by its own railway station on a branch of the Furness Railway which connected it to the town's docks, steelworks and cornmill.
The following is a timeline of the history of Barrow-in-Furness, England, United Kingdom.
Ramsden Square is a square located at the intersection of Abbey Road and Duke Street in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England. It marks the boundary of the Central and Hindpool wards and now acts as a major roundabout. Ramsden Square was first laid out in the 1840s to act as a focal point of Sir James Ramsden's master plan for the new town of Barrow, separating its burgeoning industries and commercial core. The centerpiece of the square is a statue of Ramsden himself while it is framed by a number of historic buildings including Barrow Central Library, the National Westminster Bank Building and formerly the Barrow Jute Works.
