Vickerstown
Vickerstown | ||
---|---|---|
Shire county | ||
Region | ||
Country | England | |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom | |
Post town | BARROW-IN-FURNESS | |
Postcode district | LA14 | |
Police | Cumbria | |
Fire | Cumbria | |
Ambulance | North West | |
Vickerstown is an area of Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England, covered by the wards of Walney North and Walney South. It is an example of a model village built for workers by a company needing to expand, having been constructed in the early 20th century by Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering. Vickerstown contains two Conservation Areas and is home to the majority of the population of Walney Island.
History
Beginnings
Its construction was prompted by a lack of housing available for the workers at
Homes were designed to last, with the houses in a
Development
The first 1,000 houses were completed in 1901 and tenants soon moved in, with strict selection criteria. A toll bridge to the mainland was opened in 1908.
The rearmament programme and the First World War led to a second phase of building during which government loans were used to build accommodation for workers but these houses were more utilitarian than those in the original plans.
After the First World War, houses began to be sold on to tenants and in 1951, with only a handful of properties still under its control, the estate company was wound up.
Modern Vickerstown
Vickerstown remains part of the town of Barrow and much of the area was declared a conservation area in 1988, to keep the character of the estate intact. Barrow shipyard continues to be the largest employer in the town, though it is now owned by
In popular culture
The
See also
References
External links
- Cumbria County History Trust: Walney Island (nb: provisional research only – see Talk page)