Barrow in Furness (Travel Guide) - The Shipyard Town with Mountain Views and Spectacular Sunsets
Once compared to Chicago during its raucous 19th century boom years, Barrow has undergone many transformations over the years. Beginning as a sleepy hamlet in the mid 19th century it rose to become a powerhouse of iron and steel production with a world renowned shipyard. The steelworks are no more, and the shipyard is much reduced. However, what remains is not the post industrial wasteland so often suggested by lazy journalism. Under cover of the ship halls that dominate the town, a highly skilled workforce produces cutting edge nuclear submarines.
The grid pattern laid out by the Victorian town planners is still evident, as are the impressive architectural masterpieces of the town’s heyday; the lofty Town Hall being the most visible. Although it was never developed to the extent of the original ambitious plans, Vickerstown on Walney Island remains a fine example of a marine garden city
In industrial terms Barrow has suffered from its remote (in English terms) location. However, its location at the tip of the Furness peninsula, surrounded by sea and mountains is a bonus for residents and visitors alike. On a sunny day Barrovians have a choice of seaside pastimes or the pleasures of the nearby Lake District National Park. The ruins of Furness Abbey are majestic at any time of year, with a welcoming cafe if the weather turns inclement.
This film provides a short history of the town as well as a tour of its main attractions, from the excellent Dock Museum (free entry) to a stroll amongst the blossom in Barrow Park; not forgetting independent shopping, an outdoor pint on Dalton Street and the local football and rugby league teams!
Thank you to Martin Schofield (www.mjschofieldphotography.com) and Geoff Parkes of the Barrow Society of Artists.
www.travelobscurer.com
Пікірлер: 125
never seen anyone say anything nice about this place it's honestly kinda neat. nice to get some representation.
@BunniBee_ASMR24
3 жыл бұрын
True though , its quite nice to hear this
@keanymusic8664
3 жыл бұрын
hey i know you
@BunniBee_ASMR24
3 жыл бұрын
@@keanymusic8664 me?
@DEEN133
2 жыл бұрын
Good presentation and recording make enjoyable travel guide.💂
@kenjohnson1041
2 жыл бұрын
That’s because of having local knowledge.sure,you have some nice places like the beach on walney and a park and the Abbey ruins.look beyond that and the place has litter and dog poo all over the place.the locals don’t take kindly to outsiders either.heads will literally turn if they hear a different accent.work isn’t readily available either and once upon a time,Barrow had 3 times the national average for people leaving.just watch the walkthrough videos on KZread,a once bustling industrial town is no more. It’s a ghost town.im glad that I moved away as our 4 adult children all have jobs and our 3 youngest can follow that. It just wouldn’t have happened if we’d stayed.
Aww what a lovely tribute to our town Barra.
Great and well done
This is amazing. I’m coming to visit Barrow soon
My father was born in Barrow,he left in the great slump when there was no work.He walked the length and breadth of the country before finding work in the Stanlow oil refineries.He took us to Barrow many times when we were children and I loved it,the park,the Abbey,Peel Island and so much more.I noticed Duke Street and remembered the old family saying when we couldn't find something,we would be told "It's down that hole in Duke Street.When they retired my parents would spend weeks in their caravan on Silverdale beach.That is where we scattered his ashes so that he could be back home.
@TravelObscurer
3 жыл бұрын
Thank you for sharing such a moving story Wendy.
Thank you for such a great insight. I learnt more about my home town from your video than I ever did at school. You’ve made the town proud. Great work!!
@TravelObscurer
3 жыл бұрын
Wow, that's so great to hear Lee. Thanks!
Thank you for making us look good! It’s easy to only see the bad parts when living here, but we have some wonderful buildings and and nature!
@ZeKingDicePlushie
2 жыл бұрын
I never knew that Barrow was bad
Nice to hear some positivity about a town I've lived in all of my life, especially after being named in 'Britain's Worst Towns' and after most of the shops in the town center have been closed.
Had to have look.From Australia. Barrow making subs for us😊
@TravelObscurer
Жыл бұрын
You'll be getting good subs!!
I've never seen anyone paint this town in a positive light, without including BAE in the sentence
Spent several years living on Barrow Island. I think Barrow like many places,has its downside but the good far outweighs the not so good. When is beautiful, views of Lakes outstanding, and the people are kind ,warm and friendly. Great place to be at.
Seems rather poetic my father's family came from Barrow and settled in a community called Vickers Heights, Canada.
@TravelObscurer
5 ай бұрын
That's quite a coincidence!!
Fabulous scenery everywhere & the locals are well traveled & kind hearted & very chatty, We had 5 children & moved to Texas for work & opportunities & my children are now adults & their Texan partners love visiting Barrow , Furness & the Lakes, Seriously they love it 😍
Nice to see the town in a positive light for a change
I LIVE HERE THX FOR MY TOWN
I shall be visiting here soon to meet my lovely friend. What a lovely little place it looks like 😊😊
Thank you so much for showing light on our town
Great vid, but the locals will have you for pronouncing Furness as Furniss, and Roa (row) as Ro-a. Nice to see the old town again, though.
@TravelObscurer
3 жыл бұрын
The perils of local pronunciation!
@philhartley833
3 жыл бұрын
Hahahaha was gonna say! Cheers for making it look nice 😅😂
@lorrainearmstrong2625
3 жыл бұрын
LOL, great video. I was born in Barrow but now live in Canada and I was cringing at the pronunciation, glad I wasn’t the only one. 😄 Really makes you miss the town though, hope I can get back in the not so distant future.
This place is awesome! Thanks for the share.
So professional. A must watch.
Okay this has made me a bit homesick! Great video :)
Good vid about my home town!
I grow up on Walney Island before moving to Canada at 11 years old.
@tomohawk5567
3 жыл бұрын
Nowt t brag about
@swaldron5558
3 жыл бұрын
Lucky you!
@Boilingfrogg
2 жыл бұрын
Cowboy Town eh 🤠
That was wonderful thank you
Very interesting, well done, thank you
What a fantastic travel video for Barrow! Thank you for bringing attention to our storied history and the reflection that has on our development today. - A Barrovian
@TravelObscurer
3 жыл бұрын
Thanks Glenn!
Lovely video of a lovely town :) I love living in Barrow 💕
@TravelObscurer
3 жыл бұрын
Thanks Kelly!
@ZeKingDicePlushie
2 жыл бұрын
Same
Love Barrow, down to earth people down to earth place, go take a look, great pubs!
Thanks for showing Barrowxin a good light. We are visiting next month and when we tell people they cringe and ask why. Looking forward to maki g aome videos up there too.
Walney Island really nice place and friendly people Will be back soon
Great video. Very professional
@TravelObscurer
3 жыл бұрын
Thanks!
Such a great video! Spent my childhood on bigger bank!
@TravelObscurer
2 жыл бұрын
Thanks Anna 😊
✨💞😃See u Summer time Barra!
Great video, showed me lots that I didn't know about. I've visited Barrow lots (too much to be honest) working to support one of BAe's projects and never had the time to look round the place. The bits we did see, near the ship hall, weren't the most attractive although the time we spent on Walney was pleasant even though we were working.
Subscribed.
Looks like an amazing place, thanks for sharing...Dropped a like! :)
@TravelObscurer
3 жыл бұрын
Thank you so much. Have subscribed to your channel:)
I deeply regret moving from Barrow, I lived there ten years, was and will never be as happy as I was then.
Actually feel proud after watching that #walneyisland resident
Your channel must get lots of subscribers! Few seconds after watching the first part of this video I clicked subscribe!!! Feeling like I'm judging the voice chair turner! ahaha Keep up the good work very informative! You have a good speaking voice!
@TravelObscurer
3 жыл бұрын
Thank you!!
Excellent video - thanks for shining a light on places that get so badly done down by the wider media. Barrow certainly has its issues, but it has a proud history and hopefully a bright future too. In Northern accents its pronounced Fur-nus just like a furnance for forging. But I'm sure there are other pronounciations!
@TravelObscurer
Жыл бұрын
Thank you!
Thank you for being nice about my home town its not very often that happens. Tbh there is more good spots around Barrow as well
@TravelObscurer
3 жыл бұрын
Walney video coming soon!
if I didn't all ready live here I'd move tomorrow
Check out Millom next time your around the area, I'd love your take on my hometown. Great video, it's sad as I now live in barrow and the wide tree lined streets like Abbey Road and grand architecture reminds you of how much prosperous it used to be. On the flip side it is a lot cleaner and less polluted these days.
@TravelObscurer
3 жыл бұрын
Millom/Haverigg is on the list Paul. Watch this space!
If I get to the Lake District, I'll be sure to make a detour to Barrow.
@dansfilms7901
2 жыл бұрын
I've lived here all my life, please do not, you will get robbed as a tourist
I live in Dalton in Furness and love this. There's so much negativity going on lately because we are losing shops at the speed of light in Barrow , BUT surely we aren't the only ones yet Barrow has been made to look like a slum and it's just not. We have MANY amazing places like the seal sanctuary where new pups have lined our shore line recently and dolphins have been spotted in our waters. A ten minute drive from Barrow, in Dalton, we have South lakes wild animal park, we have the hoad in ulverston- basically what I'm saying is that in Barrow and surrounding there are TONS of fantastic things to see and do. Not shop. But to simply see and enjoy and you'll never meet friendlier people than around here. We are a lovely lot 🙂
@TravelObscurer
Жыл бұрын
Absolutely true Leanne. Barrow has plenty to shout about. Glad you liked the film 😊
WHERES SODOR?!?!
I was born and raised on walney. There were wee villages on the island before vickertown was built. Also Thomas the tank engine was based on walney
My dad was from barrow. The family worked on the ships. They lived on Delhi street.
@mehallica666
Жыл бұрын
I grew up round the corner from Delhi Street.
Ive always wonderd why people hate barrow , but you make it seem like a famous place 😭😭
@davidquirk8097
3 жыл бұрын
Possibly because all they've seen of the place, like me, is the smack heads sitting on the curbs in the town centre of Dole day. Tough place to live if you're not working at BAe as there doesn't look to be much else, workwise, round there. Beautiful area, I'm well aware that I haven't seen the best of the place and I don't think the problem of post industrial towns is a problem unique to Barrow.
Brilliant! Barrow born and bred - well walney- and proud! I do wish you had asked a local how you pronounce furness though....we psay furnace not fur-ness! And row island not ro-a. ALSO THE ISLAND OF Sodor in the Thomas the tank books is based on walney
@TravelObscurer
3 жыл бұрын
Thanks Dawn. Funnily enough I have always said Barrow in 'Furnace' but I saw something on the Furness railway which put the stress on the second syllable so thought (wrongly!) that on its own Furness was pronounced differently. I confess I had no idea that Roa was Row. Nobody here in Ulverston had ever corrected me. I will be doing a film about Walney and will most certainly be mentioning Sodor. I was a huge fan as a child!
@rambaby23
3 жыл бұрын
@@TravelObscurer brilliant doing a film of walney. There is so much diversity and Walneyites certainly seem to have their own identities away from Barrow. Very much a village feel with everyone knowing everyone and generations of families. No one really moves away! with two nature reserves a seal colony and it's very own Walney Geranium that flowers nowhere else, it really is a special place to live
Furness Abbey isn't to the east of the town: it's in the northern part of the town. I think it may come as news to the owners of The Abbey House Hotel that it has been "long forgotten". Last I heard it was still open, and I can't think of a time when it wasn't.
@TravelObscurer
Жыл бұрын
The Furness Abbey Hotel was a different hotel located adjacent to the abbey itself. It was demolished in 1953. As to where the abbey is, I guess we could agree on north-east of the town centre.
as someone from barrow, dont ever go here lmao, that boat at 0:20, im pretty sure its still there, nothing ever moves or changes in barrow
👍 👍 👍
Barrow AFC!!!
Fur-ness not f'niss and Row island not Ro-a, apart from that lovely homesick making film.
@TravelObscurer
3 жыл бұрын
I'll make sure to put that right in future films!
I'm from there
Great content. My Nana was from Walney. She emigrated to the New York in 1927 with her family. By the way, your mic audio is off balance and left channel heavy
@TravelObscurer
Жыл бұрын
Thanks. That's a great story. Noted on the audio. I have a much better camera now!
What was the name of the coffee shops in Barrow?
@TravelObscurer
2 жыл бұрын
I'm not sure which coffee shop you're referring to.
@Boilingfrogg
2 жыл бұрын
The log
Great video. One thing that you forgot to mention was that Barrow is home the self proclaimed funniest comedian in Barrow.....ME :-). Take a look at my channel, even some videos about Barrow on there too.
It will be interesting when 'Cumbria' is abolished later this year (2022) how it will feel when it becomes part of the new "Westmorland & Furness" rather than reverting to it's mother County of Lancashire
@dansfilms7901
2 жыл бұрын
You wot
It doesn’t mention that the shipyard built the first of class of EVERY submarine the navy has ever had
@TravelObscurer
Жыл бұрын
Wow, I didn't know that!
Decent little video. Just a pity he couldn't pronounce Furness or Roa.
@TravelObscurer
2 жыл бұрын
Yep, I've since learnt!!
Apparently the bus station isn’t very tasty.
it is furness not fur-ness
You could make Iraq look nice 🤭
@TravelObscurer
3 жыл бұрын
You need to watch my Beirut video!
@757Poppy
2 жыл бұрын
@@TravelObscurer barrow had it's own Gaza Strip
Let’s not beat around the bush here, it’s a complete and utter dump!
Just goes t show that ya can't polish a turd but ya can roll it in glitter.
could have done with working out for to pronounce furness.
It's pronounced like "furnace", not "fur-NESS"
You can't even say Furness properly. And you struggle with Barrow
Oh I live here, and the town is a shithole. Love the Lake District though
Travel advice? Don't go there if you want to hold onto your sanity!
Yeah it's got some beautiful in parts but the people let it down drugs and drink drivers everywhere to seen and lads think Thier playing GTA and to much antisocial behaviour never use to be that way when younger.
@TravelObscurer
3 жыл бұрын
Pretty much every town in England has the same issues, sadly.
@mickpinches9294
3 жыл бұрын
If you look for the negative you will always find it. Just look for the good stuff, it's all around you. By the way, the folks in Barrow are definitely part of the good stuff!
@swaldron5558
3 жыл бұрын
Every town are the same problems anyway.
it's a toilet
@cb4883
Ай бұрын
SO ITS SHITE 😮
Just don't let your children wander round unaccompanied.. Groomer alert!