54-522: The Islands of Furness are situated to the south-west and east of the Furness Peninsula. Within England, they are the third biggest collection of islands. They are generally quite small, though at 12.99 km Walney Island is the eighth biggest in England . Of these, only Walney Island , Barrow Island , Roa Island and Piel Island are inhabited. The majority of the islands lay within
108-413: A licence by King John to land one cargo of "wheat, flour and other provisions" to stave off a famine caused by the failure of the local harvest. Later in the century an unlimited cargo licence was granted and in 1258 ships owned by the abbey were placed under royal protection. The monks fortified the island, firstly with a wooden tower surrounded by a ditch with palisades, and then in 1327 they commenced
162-681: A major part of the local economy, but today only the Burlington Slate Quarries at Kirkby remain of note. The A590 is the main road into the region from the M6 Motorway . The A595 is the main route up the western coast of Furness, and the A593/A5084 run north-south from Low Furness to High Furness. The Furness Line provides railway connections to the West Coast Mainline through the south of Furness, and
216-642: A rising. After a fight at Hawcoat the resistance was quashed, and the Parliament ships left for Liverpool. After collecting the king's rents, the Royalists left for Cartmel. After the Restoration of the monarchy, one Furness landowner, Colonel Sawry, attempted a rising. Iron had been mined in Furness since prehistory, and by the late 18th century ore was being exported from Barrow. The Furness Railway
270-458: A small village to a large town during the 19th century, is characterized by a grid pattern of streets of terraced houses , surrounded by more contemporary suburbs. Though the Port of Barrow still contains much industry, there has also been significant redevelopment of former dock areas into retail parks, office blocks and spaces of light industry. The other major town in the area is Ulverston , at
324-516: A view out to Piel. The ownership of Piel Island eventually descended to the Duke of Buccleuch . The 5th Duke heavily developed industry around Furness, and in 1875 had the fishermen's cottages built on the island. The 7th Duke later donated the island to the people of Barrow-in-Furness in 1920 as a World War I memorial. Being separated from neighbouring Roa Island by the Piel Channel,
378-537: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Furness Furness ( / ˈ f ɜːr n ɪ s , f ɜːr ˈ n ɛ s / FUR -niss, fur- NESS ) is a peninsula and region of Cumbria , England. Together with the Cartmel Peninsula it forms North Lonsdale , historically an exclave of Lancashire . On 1 April 2023 it became part of the new unitary authority of Westmorland and Furness . The Furness Peninsula , also known as Low Furness,
432-628: Is an area of villages, agricultural land and low-lying moorland , with the industrial town of Barrow-in-Furness at its head. The peninsula is bordered by the estuaries of the River Duddon to the west and the River Leven in Morecambe Bay to the east. The wider region of Furness consists of the peninsula and the area known as High Furness , which is a relatively mountainous and sparsely populated part of England, extending inland into
486-432: Is in 1800. In 1813 a visitor painted a vivid picture of the life of the innkeeper at that time: "There is a public-house on the island, the only habitation, tenanted by an old Scotchman, who has been lord of this domain for many years, and goes through the duties of guide and expositor among the ruins of the castle with admirable fluency. The custom of the seamen from the roadstead, and the donations of occasional visitors in
540-486: Is made a 'Knight of Piel'. The ceremonial knighting is carried out by the King of Piel or a fellow knight. The present-day cost of becoming a knight is to buy a round of drinks for all those present. However, the privilege afforded to knights is that they may demand food and lodging of the innkeeper should they be shipwrecked on Piel. The longest recorded serving landlords were Thomas and Elizabeth Ashburner, c.1894-c.1922, and
594-438: Is now, like Barrow Island, part of the docks system. Chapel, Piel, Foulney and Sheep Islands are tidal and can be walked to at low tide, with appropriate care. Anyone wishing to walk to Piel and Chapel Islands should seek local advice as fast tides and quicksands can be extremely dangerous. 54°06′14″N 3°15′00″W / 54.1039°N 3.25°W / 54.1039; -3.25 This Cumbria location article
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#1732787298145648-538: Is one of the Islands of Furness , three of which sit near to Piel at the mouth of Walney Channel . The island is the location of Piel Castle , built by the monks of Furness Abbey in the fourteenth century. Historically within Lancashire , the island today is owned by the town of Barrow-in-Furness , having been given to the people by the Duke of Buccleuch in 1922. The council's administrative duties also include
702-727: Is the highest range, the Coniston Fells, with the Coniston Old Man (803 m) as its highest point (and historically the highest point in Lancashire). A lesser range extends from Torver to just north of Dalton, but south of that the landscape is flat; this area is also called Plain Furness. The low rolling hills of Low Furness are formed of glacial deposits, mainly boulder clay, above Triassic sandstone and Carboniferous limestone. There are large deposits of iron ore here, of very pure quality. The human geography of
756-527: Is the region's largest settlement, with a population of over 91,000. The remainder of Furness is predominantly rural, with Ulverston the only other settlement with more than 10,000 people. Much of High Furness consists of moorland, mountain or woodland environments. The name, which is first recorded in 1150 as Fuththernessa , is interpreted as "headland by the rump-shaped island," from Old Norse futh (genitive futhar ), meaning rump, and nes , meaning headland. The island in question may be Piel Island , with
810-597: The Barrow and Furness parliamentary constituency, while eastern High Furness is in Westmorland and Lonsdale . 54°16′12″N 3°05′19″W / 54.27004°N 3.08853°W / 54.27004; -3.08853 Piel Island Piel Island lies in Morecambe Bay , around 1 ⁄ 2 mile (800 metres) off the southern tip of the Furness peninsula in the administrative county of Cumbria , England. It
864-532: The Cumbria Coast Line is a slow rural branch line with services running north to Copeland and Carlisle . The Windermere Ferry in the east of Furness is England's only vehicular lake ferry. Furness seems to have been scantly populated in ancient times. A handful of Brittonic placenames survive around Barrow, suggesting this part was settled earliest. Anglo-Saxons arrived in Low Furness in
918-535: The Esk , the Duddon, and Morecambe Bay. The higher ground is rocky heathland, with frequent tarns , while the lower ground supports pasture and woodland. In the east there are two main chains of hills: one overlooking Windermere, with Latterbarrow (245 m) as its highest point, and the other, which reaches 300 m, overlooking Coniston Water. Between them is flat country and Esthwaite Water . West of Coniston Water
972-533: The Lake District and containing the Furness Fells . The inland boundary of the region is formed by the rivers Leven, Brathay and Duddon, and the lake of Windermere . Off the southern tip of Furness is Walney Island , 11 miles (18 kilometres) long, as well as several smaller islands . The Borough of Barrow-in-Furness , which developed when the Furness iron industry flourished in the 19th century,
1026-739: The Old Norse words fouder , meaning "fodder", and ay or oy , meaning "island". The island was part of the Liberty of Furness , granted in 1066 to Earl Tostig , and 1127 it formed part of the Liberty that was granted by King Stephen to the Savignac monks as part of a land grant for an abbey. When the Savignacs became part of the Cistercian order later in the 12th century,
1080-659: The historic county of Lancashire, which bordered Cumberland to the northwest and Westmorland to the northeast (the point where the three counties met is marked by the Three Shire Stone at the head of the Duddon). North Lonsdale is also called "Lancashire North of the Sands". In 1974, North Lonsdale – along with Cumberland, Westmorland, and part of the West Riding of Yorkshire (around Sedbergh ) – became part of
1134-485: The 18th century and customs men were permanently stationed there; smuggling was still rife at the time. In the second half of the 18th century the iron ore trade began to develop on the Furness Peninsula and the harbour continued to be important to the local economy. As the volume of shipping increased "His Majesty's boatmen" were stationed on Piel as harbour pilots and customs inspectors. In formal terms, it
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#17327872981451188-505: The 20-year licence of Rod and Karen Scarr which ended in November 2005 is the second-longest recorded. Following their departure in 2006 the pub was fully renovated by Barrow Borough Council , with work beginning in 2008, shortly before the new 'King of Piel', Steve Chattaway, was crowned (an event that was documented in the TV series Islands of Britain ). The Chattaways left in 2020, with
1242-499: The 7th century, but do not seem to have spread to High Furness, which remained almost empty until it was populated by incoming Scandinavians in the 10th century. It has been suggested that they had a small mountain kingdom there, centred on Coniston (which means "king's town"). The prevalence of names with the element "thwaite" in High Furness (from Norse thveit , "clearing"), and the absence thereof in Low Furness, suggests that
1296-810: The Monasteries in 1537 Piel Island and its castle became the property of the king. The castle's fortifications were strengthened at the time of the Spanish Armada but from then until the Civil War nothing of note happened on the island. The area of Furness was a Parliamentarian stronghold during the Civil War. For this reason the Parliamentarian fleet retreated to Piel Harbour when the Royalists captured Liverpool . In 1662, following
1350-718: The Royal Navy's first submarines built there. During the wars this allowed Furness to escape many of the economic problems that other areas suffered, due to the constant work provided by the military. After World War II demand for ships and submarines remained high, while the development of the Lake District National Park further fostered tourism. Attractions such as the Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway , steamers on Windermere and Coniston Water, and fell walking, caused parts of Furness to become dependent on
1404-525: The Ship Inn is James Hool as he is listed in the 1841 census as a publican. The landlord of the Ship Inn pub is known as 'The King of Piel', a title instituted in the 19th century and harking back to Lambert Simnel and his attempt to usurp the English throne. A tradition handed down by fishermen for centuries is the 'Knighthood of Piel'. In a room of the inn is a large oak chair and anyone who sits in it
1458-493: The abbots of Furness to defend the market town of Dalton and the port of Barrow respectively. The area had been raided by Scots in 1316 and again in 1322, though in the latter year the abbot paid Robert the Bruce a ransom to stop his men harrying Low Furness. The pretender Lambert Simnel landed with his army at Piel Island in 1487. A few locals joined him, including Sir Thomas Broughton of Broughton Tower, who would be killed at
1512-495: The area is dominated by the town of Barrow-in-Furness . Barrow is located on the tip of the peninsula and Walney Island , and the Borough of Barrow-in-Furness , which includes the small town of Dalton-in-Furness and the town of Millom (the latter of which, although statistically in "Furness" for this purpose, is not actually part of the defined geographic area known as Furness) has a population of 69,100. Barrow, which grew from
1566-435: The beach. A marsh pond in the centre of the island now attracts many other types of bird. The origins of the Ship Inn are obscure; it is said to be over 300 years old, but the evidence is uncertain. In 1746 a lease for agricultural land situated within the castle ditch was granted to an Edward Postlethwaite, who is described as an innkeeper from the 'Pile of Fowdrey'. The earliest direct reference to an inn, or 'publick house',
1620-500: The border of Low and High Furness, and the population of Ulverston and its surrounding villages is 17,307. The corridor along the main A590 road between Ulverston and Barrow is relatively densely populated and urban. Despite decline, industry remains a bigger employer in this part of Furness than most of the UK, with BAE Systems , Kimberly-Clark (both Barrow) and GlaxoSmithKline (Ulverston)
1674-686: The boundary of the former Borough of Barrow-in-Furness , with some 15,000 residents constituting 20% of the district's population. They are the largest group of islands between Anglesey in Wales and the Firth of Clyde in Scotland . The main islands are: As well as these, the small islets of Dova Haw , also known as Crab Island and Headin Haw sit in Walney Channel , whilst the old Ramsey Island
Islands of Furness - Misplaced Pages Continue
1728-405: The building of a motte and bailey fort (also known as a " peel "—hence the island's modern name). This structure was, at the time, the largest of its kind in northwest England. It was probably built as a fortified warehouse to repel pirates and raiders, but it would appear to have had a measure of success in keeping the customs men at bay as well; smuggling was widespread at the time and the abbey
1782-524: The disastrous Battle of Stoke Field . The abbey was closed in 1536 after the monks lent their support to the Pilgrimage of Grace , and the abbot's lands were seized by the crown, becoming part of the royal duchy of Lancaster . Later they were granted to the dukes of Buccleuch and Devonshire . In May 1643, Furness was occupied and plundered by a large Royalist force commanded by Richard Viscount Molyneux . Later that year they prepared to march to
1836-477: The eastern boundary, with the rest being made up of the Leven , from its source at Windermere's southern tip to its mouth at Morecambe Bay. In total Furness has an area of about 250 square miles (650 square kilometres). The Furness Fells are formed of Ordovician volcanic rocks, and Silurian shales and slates to the south. They are cut through by Windermere, Coniston Water , and numerous valleys which drain into
1890-465: The island came under the control of the Cistercians at nearby Furness Abbey . The Cistercians increased their power, and soon controlled the whole of the Furness, including Piel. In the early 13th century the Cistercians used Piel as a safe harbour and built a warehouse for the storage of grain, wine and wool. Some of these commodities were shipped over from Ireland . In 1212 the monks were granted
1944-410: The island is accessible via a ferryboat from Roa Island pier during summer and subject to the tides and weather. Piel can be reached on foot or by off-road vehicle (licenses are required to drive on the sands) from Walney Island , but this route is only passable with care at low tide; local guidance is recommended. Piel Castle is managed by English Heritage and there is free, unlimited access once on
1998-439: The island. The castle, located on the southeast tip of Piel Island, is an impressive ruin made up largely of stones from the beach. The three-storey keep affords good views of the island although it is no longer accessible to visitors. Campers may pitch a tent on the island. The island is a haven for wildlife with many different species of sea bird to be found. Visitors should take care not to disturb nesting birds while walking on
2052-502: The largest employers. In Barrow and up the west coast of Furness, the Sellafield Nuclear site is also a significant employer. The rest of Furness is rural, with the mountainous, wooded and lacustrine environments. To the west, the main settlements of Kirkby-in-Furness and Broughton-in-Furness are dominated by farming and commuting. The Lake District National Park covers most of High Furness, with Coniston and Hawkshead
2106-574: The latter had already been deforested by the time the Scandinavians arrived. Scandinavians probably formed the majority of the Furness population, and Old Norse remained a living language in the region until at least the late 12th century. Before the Conquest, Furness, assessed to contain 82 ploughlands , was part of the Manor of Hougun , held by Tostig, Earl of Northumbria . By 1086, Furness
2160-572: The main centres for tourism, while major tourist attractions include Grizedale Forest , the Aquarium of the Lakes , South Lakes Safari Zoo and the Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway . The northern and eastern communities of Furness share more in common with the Lake District towns of Ambleside and Bowness , outside of the region, than with the more urban areas of Low Furness. Mining was once
2214-529: The name originally referring to the headland immediately opposite (where Rampside is), before being extended to the entire region. Alternatively it could be Walney Island : though it little resembles a rump today, erosion could have altered its shape over time. Furness's border follows the River Duddon up to Wrynose Pass , and then the Brathay until it flows into Windermere . The mere forms most of
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2268-431: The new administrative county of Cumbria . At the district level, it now consists of the borough of Barrow and part of South Lakeland . From April 2023, Furness will form part of the new unitary council area of Westmorland and Furness , which will replace Cumbria County Council and the districts of Barrow and South Lakeland , all of which will be abolished. Low Furness and the western part of High Furness are in
2322-476: The newer attractions. Transport has become an increasingly controversial issue, with conservation groups and local business clashing over the need for improvements to the A590 trunk road, the main link to the M6 Motorway . Proposals for a road bridge over Morecambe Bay have appeared, but are yet to progress beyond the planning stages. Furness formed the greater part of the North Lonsdale exclave of
2376-557: The relief of Thurland Castle in South Lonsdale, then besieged by Colonel Rigby , but Rigby took some of his men over the sands and met the Royalists at Lindal , where they were routed. The Parliamentarians looted the Dalton neighbourhood before retreating to Cartmel the same night. In 1644 the Royalists remained in control of Furness, though the country folk were hostile to them, and Parliament ships landed at Piel Island to aid in
2430-412: The restoration of Charles II, the lordship of Furness was given to the Duke of Albemarle and this included the castle and parts of the island. After this date activity on Piel seems to have revolved around shipping and industry. A salt works is recorded as existing on the island from as early as 1662, which was still apparently present in the 1690s. Piel Island became an important trading post during
2484-468: The selection of the "King" of Piel, who is the landlord of the island's public house, the Ship Inn. Piel is about 26 acres (11 hectares) in size. The landlord and their family and three others who live in the old Ship's pilots' cottages are the island's only permanent residents. In the Middle Ages Piel was known as Fowdray (or Fouldrey or Fowdrey) island. This name would seem to be derived from
2538-404: The summer time, support him in a state of which he has no right, he thinks, to complain; but he acknowledged that when there were no vessels in the roadstead he found his situation rather too lonesome, and apt to drive him to his beer-barrel for company." The earliest map reference, in 1833, refers to the inn as 'The Herdhouse', and the first person who can confidently be identified as a landlord of
2592-404: The tourist trade. In the early 1990s, the decline of shipbuilding led to mass redundancies in the area. The shipyard's employment figures fell from 20,000 to 3,000 in a 20-year period. However, the shipyard at Barrow remains England's busiest and the only nuclear submarine facility in the country. Tourism has increased even more, with the Aquarium of the Lakes and South Lakes Safari Zoo among
2646-453: Was a creek (outstation) of the port of Lancaster , and known as Piel Foudray. The impact of industry was relatively low on the appearance of the island, however, and in the 19th century the ruins of the castle became a major attraction to the romanticist art movement. The island was painted in 1805 by Sir George Beaumont , a painting which inspired William Wordsworth 's Elegiac Stanzas , based also on his own time living at Rampside with
2700-692: Was being passed off as Edward, 17th Earl of Warwick , the Yorkist heir, by John de la Pole, Earl of Lincoln in his attempt to regain the throne for the Yorkists . Simnel and 2,000 German mercenaries made their way via Piel to do battle for the throne. They were eventually defeated at the Battle of Stoke near Newark-on-Trent in Nottinghamshire on 16 June 1487. Following the Dissolution of
2754-457: Was built in the 19th century to cater to the increasing demand. Iron and steelworks were established at Barrow, and the town's population grew from 325 in 1847 to 51,712 in 1891, surpassing Dalton's and Ulverston's. Mining in Furness reached its peak in 1882, when 1,408,693 tons of ore were won. At the same time, tourism in the Lake District increased, popularised in part by the work of John Ruskin and William Wordsworth . Tourism in High Furness
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#17327872981452808-460: Was in the possession of the crown. In 1127 Prince Stephen founded Furness Abbey , granting the abbot most of the land in Furness and giving the rest to a Fleming named Michael. Henry III later granted the rent due from the lord of Michael's Land (£10 per year) to the abbot of Furness, making him the sole tenant-in-chief , and thus one of the most powerful abbots in the country. In the 14th century Dalton Castle and Piel Castle were built by
2862-584: Was known to have been involved. Indeed, in 1423 an accusation was made against the Abbott of Furness that he smuggled wool out of the country from "la Peele de Foddray". The red sandstone ruins of the fort came to be known as the "Pile of Fouldrey", and are known today as Piel Castle . The next noteworthy episode in the island's history occurred on 4 June 1487 when Lambert Simnel and his supporters arrived from Dublin . Simnel, crowned as "Edward VI" in Ireland,
2916-462: Was promoted by the writings of Beatrix Potter in the early 20th century. Potter was one of the largest landowners in the area, eventually donating her many properties to the National Trust . Shipbuilding later replaced iron and steel as Low Furness's main industry, and Barrow's shipyards became the largest in England. In particular, submarine development became a specialty of the town, with
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