Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Barrow in Furness ferry to Walney Island


Barrow in Furness is a town of about 60,000 on the coast of Cumbria, England. The Barrow Shipbuilding Company, taken over by the Sheffield steel firm of Vickers in 1897, by which time the shipyard had surpassed the railway and steelworks as the largest employer and landowner in Barrow, constructed Vickerstown, modelled on George Cadbury's Bournville, on the adjacent Walney Island in the early 20th century to house its employees.

The ferry from the town to the island, seen here in this painting from about 1905 used as a postcard, was replaced by a 352 metre long bridge in 1908.  There are now plans for a second bridge for the 13,000 who live on the island.

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