Tourist Information on Barrow-in-Furness

Barrow-in-Furness is an attractive Victorian seaside town with miles of beautiful beaches set against the background of the Lake District Mountains.

Cumbria's largest town, Barrow-in-Furness once lead the world in building ships and submarines. The strikingly modern Dock Museum, suspended in a Victorian Graving Dock, illustrates the town's proud maritime, industrial and social history.

Barrow is the Lake District's premier shopping town with a pedestrianised centre featuring major high street names, specialist shops and indoor and outdoor markets.

The town also has a lively nightlife.

There are beautiful walks in Barrow and neighbouring Walney Island. Channelside Park marks the start of the new Red Man's Way, a coastal path running along the Walney Channel.

The Cistercian Way, the Cumbria Coastal Way, and the Cumbria Cycleway also pass through the town.

Out and about in the area, the market town of Dalton-in-Furness, four miles from Barrow, is the ancient capital of Furness. The South Lakes Wild Animal Park, the only zoological park in the Lake District, is recognised as one of Europe's leading conservation zoos.

The village of Askam once had the second largest iron ore deposits in the country but when these ran out in early 20th century the iron smelting furnases were demolished. Askam and the neighbouring village of Ireleth have since grown into one to become an attractive commuter area beside the sandy expanse of the Duddon Estuary.