Flookburgh

Flookburgh is an ancient village on the Cartmel peninsula in Cumbria, England. Within the boundaries of the historic county of Lancashire and being close to Morecambe Bay, cockle and shrimp fishing plays a big part in village life. Flookburgh has a Haven Holidays site called Lakeland Leisure Park. Flookburgh is sometimes thought to derive its name from a flat fish, known as the Fluke, found in the area. (Many people in Flookburgh say, in fact, that Flookburgh wasn't named after the Fluke; the Fluke was named after the village.) However, it is far more likely that the name is Norse, an adaptation of 'Flugga's Town'.

1. Location

Flookburgh is located 3.2 miles (5.1 km) away from the nearest town, Grange-over-Sands. Travelling by road, it is 16.8 miles (27.0 km) to the south of Kendal, 11.7 miles (18.8 km) to the east of Ulverston, 21.9 miles (35.2 km) to the east of Barrow-in-Furness and 31.3 miles (50.4 km) to the west of Lancaster.

1. Governance

Flookburgh is part of the Westmorland and Lonsdale parliamentary constituency, of which Tim Farron is the current MP representing the Liberal Democrats. For local government purposes, it is in the Grange and Cartmel ward of Westmorland and Furness and Lower Holker civil parish.

1. Stan Laurel connection

Hollywood film comedian Stan Laurel was a regular visitor to Flookburgh as a child. His uncle and auntie, John and Nant Shaw, ran the village's co-operative store and Laurel and his grandmother, Sarah Metcalfe, would catch the train from Ulverston, where Laurel was born in 1890, to visit them. Laurel would play with his numerous cousins during his excursions to Flookburgh.

1. See also

Listed buildings in Lower Holker Haven Holidays

1. References


1. External links

Cumbria County History Trust: Holker, Lower (nb: provisional research only – see Talk page) Cross Bay Challenge from Flookburgh to Hest Bank by ITV's Keith Wilkinson (reporter) ITV Local report on Cross Bay Challenge from Flookburgh 2008 The Cumbria Directory page on Flookburgh