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.