Walney Island
Geography | |
---|---|
Location | Barrow-in-Furness Irish Sea |
Coordinates | 54°06′11″N 3°15′07″W / 54.103°N 3.252°W |
Area | 5.01 sq mi (13.0 km2) |
Length | 11 mi (18 km) |
Width | 1 mi (2 km) |
Administration | |
England | |
Ceremonial county | Cumbria |
Historic county | Lancashire |
Unitary authority | Westmorland and Furness |
Demographics | |
Population | 10,651 |
Pop. density | 2,595/sq mi (1001.9/km2) |
Walney Island,
Walney Island formed during the last
The planned worker town of Vickerstown was built on the island in 1898, resulting in a large population increase, and the construction of Jubilee Bridge connecting Walney to the mainland in 1908. Walney's contemporary population now forms about a fifth of the overall population of Barrow-in-Furness. The island contains two nature reserves, at either end, and its sandy beaches make it a popular leisure site.
Etymology
The name Walney is thought to come from Old Norse. Whilst the suffix "-ey" is a common feature of island names, the source of "waln" is less clear.[3] The island is listed in the Domesday Book as Hougenai.[4] The manor of "Hougun" – possibly modern day Millom – is listed in the book as owning the settlements of the whole of Furness, so that 'Hougenai' appears to mean "island of Hougun". The Old Norse word haugr means mound or hill.[5] However, other Norse etymologies have also been suggested for the source of the island's name.[3]
History
Excavations of sand dunes on Walney have revealed evidence of
However, Walney was soon caught up in the rapid expansion of industry at
Vickers operated facilities constructing submarines and other shipping in Barrow in the early parts of World War I, and these or nearby installations may have been the targets of the German submarine
Walney continued to grow through the twentieth century, with a number of suburban housing developments on the island.
Geography
Location and transport
Walney lies off the southwest coast of Cumbria in the Irish Sea. It is 11 miles (18 kilometres) long from north to south, but never more than 1 mi (2 km) wide from east to west,[14] with spits at either end. The channel separating it from the Great Britain mainland is also narrow, and named Walney Channel. The northern portion of the channel opens into the Duddon Estuary and is both narrower and shallower; at low tide, it is passable on foot, with stepping stones known locally as 'Widow's Crossing' assisting pedestrians.[15] The southern half of the channel is wider and is regularly dredged to allow shipping to access the Port of Barrow. This half opens into Morecambe Bay and includes a number of small islands, of which Barrow Island, Roa and Piel are inhabited. North of Earnsie Point are secluded beaches, backed by dunes, which tend to be used by naturists.
Walney Island has a small airport (Barrow/Walney Island Airport), privately owned by BAE Systems. It opened in 1935 and was initially used for military purposes during World War II, before Barrow council purchased the airfield. It was purchased by Vickers in 1968 and has remained with the company's successors ever since. A few attempts at scheduled passenger services have occurred – Air Ecosse, Air Furness and Telair have all operated flights from the island – but none has lasted longer than two years.[18]
Settlements
The main settlement on Walney, Vickerstown, is effectively a continuation of Barrow-in-Furness, lying on the Barrow-facing east coast at the island's centre, clustered around the Jubilee Bridge. The first parts of Vickerstown were constructed in the 1890s as a workers' community for Vickers Shipyard,[11] but this area has since been expanded by suburban development. The only residential areas on the west coast are at Earnse Bay and Biggar Bank, both of which are extensions to the central Vickerstown settlement. Beyond Vickerstown, the island retains two older villages.[19] North Scale, lies near to and to the north of Vickerstown on Walney's east coast, and consists mainly of suburban homes.[20]
Biggar is the more isolated of the two villages, located around 2 mi (3 km) to the south of Vickerstown. Biggar is situated on the east coast of the island and is a more agricultural community, with farms extending south of the village as far as the South Walney Nature Reserve. It is possibly the oldest settlement on Walney, with Furness Abbey records from 1292 mentioning a grange at Biggar,[21] and today is still a farming village.
Environment
Walney is low-lying, narrow and windswept – it is said by the
South Walney is home to a wide number of birds, many of which use the island as a stop whilst migrating. Breeding bird species at South Walney include common eider, common ringed plover, Eurasian oystercatcher, lesser black-backed gull and herring gull.[24] South Walney is also the home of the Walney Bird Observatory. North Walney provides a habitat for
Since 2005, the coast off Walney has become a centre for the construction of offshore wind farms. Four wind farms have been built and a fifth is planned.
Name | Number of Turbines | Capacity (MW) | Construction Began | Operation Began |
---|---|---|---|---|
Barrow Offshore Wind Farm[26] | 30 | 90 | 2004 | 2006 |
Ormonde Wind Farm[27] | 30 | 150 | 2010 | 2011 |
Walney Wind Farm 1 [28] | 51 | 184 | 2010 | 2011 |
Walney Wind Farm 2 [28] | 51 | 183.6 | 2011 | 2011 [29] |
West of Duddon Sands Wind Farm[30] | 108 | 389 | 2013 | 2014 |
Walney Extension Wind Farm[31][32] | 108 | 660 | 2017 | 2018 [33] |
Government, economy and education
Since 2023 Walney has been part of
At the
Walney has one
Sport and culture
Football and rugby league are the most popular amateur sports in the Furness area. Walney Central amateur rugby league club currently play in the Cumbria Men’s Amateur Rugby League. The club was formed in 1936,[39] and have played on the island ever since. They reached the second round of the Challenge Cup in 1960, losing to Oldham[39] and they competed in the National Conference League between 1991 and 2007. In football, Vickerstown Football Club play in the West Lancashire Football League (WFL) Premier Division (level 11 of the English football league system),[40] while Walney Island Football Club, formed as Nautical FC in 1970,[41] compete in the WFL Division Two.
Walney has become an important location for
In literature, Walney most notably appears, or rather disappears, in The Railway Series books by the Rev. W. Awdry, which was adapted into the television series Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends. The books and television series are all set on the fictional Island of Sodor, which is located in the position of Walney, though significantly larger. Its east coast resembles that of Walney, and the main town to the east of the island is 'Vicarstown', located at the same place as Vickerstown.[46]
In music, Walney appears in the song "Wa'ney Island Cockfight", which describes a cockfight between the lads of North Scale and Biggar on the island.[47][48] The song has been recorded by Fiddler's Dram and Martin Wyndham-Reed.
Public houses located on Walney are The Castle (Biggar Bank), The Queens Arms (Biggar village), The King Alfred (Ocean Rd), The Ferry (promenade) and The Crown (north scale). Former public houses closed or demolished are the periscope, the George and the Vickerstown institute.
See also
References
- ^ "Walney Island". Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 22 January 2019.
- ^ "Cumbria's Electoral Wards - Population Estimates - 2011 Census". Cumbria County Council. Archived from the original (Microsoft Excel) on 6 March 2014. Retrieved 23 May 2013.
- ^ a b c d e Walney Island History Archived 19 August 2022 at the Wayback Machine Walney Island.com 29-08-11
- ^ Cumberland Doomesday Book
- ^ Standard English words which have a Scandinavian Etymology (The Vikings in England)
- ^ THE PREHISTORIC PERIOD John Hodgson and Mark Brennand North West Region Archaeological Research Framework Prehistoric Resource Assessment Draf. November 2004. Accessed 17-09-11
- ^ Vikings in Low Furness Archived 2 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine Steve Dickinson. August 2003. Accessed 17-09-11
- ^ : http://www.walney-island.com/carr_lane_01.htm>The English coast: a history and a prospect. Peter Murphy. 2009. Continuum Publishing. 1847251439
- ^ a b Guide to the Lakes. William Wordsworth
- ^ BIGGAR BANK - Walney Island Walney Island.com. Accessed 17-09-11
- ^ a b c d The Evolution of a Naval Shipbuilding Firm in a Small Economy: Vickers at Barrow-in-Furness. Kieth Grime. 1987. in The Geography of Defence. Michael Bateman and Raymond Charles Riley (eds). Routledge. 0709939337
- ISBN 9780954011529.
- ^ Timeline Walney Island.com. Accessed 14-10-11
- ^ Introduction Archived 23 April 2016 at the Wayback Machine Walney Island.com Accessed 14-10-11
- ^ "Bridge is walk highlight". Archived from the original on 6 April 2012. Retrieved 21 May 2020.
- ^ The Jubilee Bridge - the road to Walney BBC. 01-05-08. Accessed 14-10-11
- ^ New hope for second bridge to Walney Island Archived 29 February 2012 at the Wayback Machine Evening Mail. 03-11-09. Accessed 14-10-11
- ^ A history of Walney Airfield Cumbria Industries.
- ^ Walney Voices BBC Cumbria. March 2005. Accessed 02-11-11
- ^ North Scale Residents Association Accessed 02-11-11
- ^ Barnes, F.; 1968; Barrow and District; Second Edition; Barrow-in-Furness Corporation;
- ^ "On The Crest of a Wave Archived 2007-09-26 at the Wayback Machine," Northwest Evening Mail (26/01/2007).
- ^ Natural Walney Archived 21 April 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Walney-Island.com Accessed 02-11-11
- ^ "Cumbria seabirds' breeding success after tough few seasons". BBC News. 21 October 2023. Retrieved 8 March 2024.
- ^ North and South Walney Nature Reserves Archived 2009-12-18 at the Wayback Machine BAE Systems. Accessed 02-11-11
- ^ It's windy .... and it's officially open Barrow Offshore Wind. 25-09-06. Accessed 02-11-11
- ^ Work on Ormonde Wind Farm off Barrow completed BBC News. 03-08-11. Accessed 02-11-11
- ^ a b About the Project Walney Wind Farms. Accessed 02-11-11
- ^ First Power from Walney 2 Offshore Wind Farm DONG Energy. 01-11-11. Accessed 02-11-11
- ^ "West of Duddon Sands generates first electricity". Renewable Energy Magazine. Retrieved 6 February 2014.
- ^ "UK firm set to play important part in Walney Extension". North West Evening Mail. Retrieved 15 September 2015.
- ^ "Walney Extension" (PDF). DONG. Retrieved 15 September 2015.
- ^ World's largest offshore wind farm opens off Cumbria coastSky News, 6 September 2018. Accessed: 6 September 2018.
- ^ [1] Cumbria County Council. Accessed 23/05/2013
- ^ a b Ward Labour Market Profile 16UCGB : Walney North Archived 5 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine NOMIS. Accessed 04-11-11
- ^ a b Ward Labour Market Profile 16UCGC : Walney South Archived 5 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine NOMIS. Accessed 04-11-11
- ^ Walney Island Comprehensive School Archived 28 September 2013 at the Wayback Machine. Walney-Island.com. Accessed 04-11-11
- ^ Walney School Department for Education. Accessed 04-11-11
- ^ a b 1st Team - Homepage Walney Central ARLFC. Accessed 04-11-11
- ^ "Vickerstown CCFC". Archived from the original on 13 October 2013. Retrieved 30 September 2013.
- ^ History Archived 25 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine Walney Island Football Club. Accessed 04-11-11
- ^ BKSA championship round 2 for Walney Island Northwestkitesurfing.co.uk
- ^ Barrow- Very Windy Walney Archived 3 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine BSKS.
- ^ Isle of Walney Sports & Outdoors VirtualTourist. Accessed 07-11-11
- ^ Sporting venues, clubs and activities in Barrow and Furness Archived 2007-08-28 at the Wayback Machine Barrow Borough Council. Accessed 07-11-11
- ^ Where is Sodor, home of Thomas the Tank Engine? BBC News. 04-07-11. Accessed 07-11-11
- ^ Allan, Sue (2017). "FOLK SONG IN CUMBRIA: A DISTINCTIVE REGIONAL REPERTOIRE?" (PDF).
- ^ Wyndham-Reed, Martin. English Sporting Ballads, Broadside BRO128.
External links
- Cumbria County History Trust: Walney Island (nb: provisional research only – see Talk page)
- Walney Isle in words and pictures
- The Walney Island website Archived 3 August 2009 at the Wayback Machine
- Walney websites Archived 1 April 2022 at the Wayback Machine
- Directory website Archived 1 August 2016 at the Wayback Machine
- Information about the island's coastal artillery
- Walney bird observatory