Trinity Church, Barrow-in-Furness

Trinity Church was a Presbyterian church located on School Street in Barrow-in-Furness, England. It is not the same building as the joint Methodist and URC church in Parkside, Barrow-in-Furness known as the Trinity Church Centre.

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Barrow Grammar Schools

The Barrow Grammar Schools were two adjacent single-sex education schools in Barrow-in-Furness, Lancashire (now Cumbria), England during the 20th century. Both schools merged in 1979 to form the co-educational Parkview Community College of Technology. Parkview School itself was merged in 2012 with Thorncliffe School and Alfred Barrow School to form Furness Academy. Parkview School and all elements of the former Grammar Schools were demolished in 2014 with a new school building for Furness Academy being constructed in the playing fields of Parkview. The fictional detective Inspector Charles Parker was said in Dorothy L Sayers's Clouds of Witness to have been educated here.

Barrow-in-Furness

Barrow-in-Furness, commonly known as Barrow, is an industrial port town and civil parish in Westmorland and Furness, Cumbria, England. Historically in Lancashire, Barrow is at the tip of the Furness peninsula, 24 miles (39 km) south-west of Kendal and 18 miles (29 km) west of Lancaster. It is bordered by Morecambe Bay to the east, the Duddon Estuary to the west, and the Irish Sea to the south. In 2021, Barrow's population was 55,489, making it the second largest urban area in Cumbria after Carlisle and the largest in Westmorland and Furness. In the Middle Ages, Barrow was a small hamlet, with its economy controlled by Furness Abbey. In the 19th century, iron prospector Henry Schneider among other investors opened the Furness Railway to transport iron ore and slate from local mines to the coast, which led to the construction of docks, now the Royal Port of Barrow. The discovery of hematite deposits allowed the steel industry to develop in the town, and for a period, its steelworks were the largest in the world. It was incorporated as a municipal borough in 1867, and the town’s steel production and coastal location enabled it to develop as a centre for shipbuilding. The steel industry declined after World War II. Barrow served as the centre of the Borough of Barrow-in-Furness from 1974 until 2023, when the borough was abolished and a parish council established. Barrow is one of England's few planned towns and has a high level of heritage assets compared nationally. Natives of Barrow, as well as the local dialect, are known as Barrovian. Its economy remains dominated by the defence sector, although defence spending cuts since the end of the Cold War have increased unemployment in the town. As of 2025, the BAE Systems shipyard is the largest in the UK by workforce; it has produced Royal Navy flagships, nuclear submarines and other naval and commercial vessels. The town is a hub for energy generation and handling, particularly offshore wind farms.

The Forum, Barrow-in-Furness

The Forum (formerly Forum 28) is a theatre, media and arts centre located in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England. The complex is currently home to an adaptable auditorium and stage, several conference and function rooms, Barrow's main tourist information centre and a Costa Coffee outlet. The Forum is situated in Central Barrow, opposite the town hall. A fatal outbreak of legionellosis in 2002 was traced to the Forum's air conditioning system. The Forum is one of the area's main cultural and art centres and has hosted many musical artists, comedians and other performers, as well as hosting such events as the local multicultural festival and various career conventions. Many local and international theatre groups have used the Forum for their productions, plays and pantomimes.

2002 Barrow-in-Furness legionellosis outbreak

The 2002 Barrow-in-Furness Legionnaires' disease outbreak was a fatal outbreak of Legionellosis which occurred in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England. The first fatality occurred on 2 August 2002. The source of the bacteria was later found to be from steam coming out of a badly maintained air conditioning unit. The system was located in the council-run arts centre Forum 28, with the vent emitting the disease over a busy alleyway in the town centre. Ultimately seven people died and 172 cases were reported (a case fatality rate of around 4%), ranking as the second worst in British history and seventh worst globally by death count. The coroner for Furness and South Cumbria criticised the council for its failings with regard to health and safety at the conclusion of an inquest into the seven deaths. In 2006, council employee Gillian Beckingham and employer Barrow Borough Council were cleared of seven charges of manslaughter. Beckingham, the council senior architect, was fined £15,000 and the authority £125,000. The authority maintained that Beckingham was not responsible for the building or the defective plant and dismissed the building Technical Manager Kevin Borthwick. He was later re-instated to his position following a challenge by his union. The borough council was the first public body in the country to have faced corporate manslaughter charges. Beckingham maintained that a contract to maintain the plant was in place but failings of others meant that the work was never undertaken, nor was the lack of adequate maintenance pursued by those responsible for the building. Following the trials, the contractor responsible for maintaining the defective plant, Interserve, settled a £1.5 million claim by the Council for damages.