Furness
The Furness Peninsula in south west Cumbria is divided into Low Furness and High Furness.
Low Furness is the peninsula and juts out into the Irish Sea. It delineates the western edge of Morecambe Bay. The southern end of the peninsula is dominated by the bay’s tidal mudflats. The long thin island of Walney lies off the peninsula’s south-west coast.
High Furness is the northern part of the area, that is not on the peninsula itself. Much of it is within the Lake District National Park, and contains the Furness Fells. It borders England’s largest body of water, Windermere.
Additionally, the Cartmel Peninsula is often included in definitions of Furness, though strictly speaking Cartmel is not part of Furness, forming a separate peninsula between the estuaries of the rivers Leven and Kent.
The town of Barrow-in-Furness dominates the region with about 60% of the population. Other principal settlements of the region are Ulverston, Dalton-in-Furness, Coniston, Broughton-in-Furness, and Askam and Ireleth. The population of Furness stands at around 100,000.
The Low Furness Peninsula has been inhabited by people for at least 3,000 years and the history and archaeology add to the influences left by Druids, Romans, Vikings, and the Victorians.
The area has miles of wild and diverse coastline to explore from the endless sands of Bardsea beach to the atmospheric Roa Island and Piel Island. Inland are the limestone pavements, and the heights of Birkrigg Common with its views of Morecambe Bay and of the nearby Lakeland fells.
Read more about Furness here
Local activities and attractions
Furness Abbey - a popular tourist
attraction steeped in history.