Walney Island
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Walney Island, also known as the Isle of Walney, is the eighth largest marine island in England.
The island lies in the Irish Sea to the west of the Furness peninsula in north-west England. Until 1974 both the island and the peninsula were a detached part of the county of Lancashire but are now in Cumbria, the island being part of the borough of Barrow-in-Furness to which it has been connected by bridge (Jubilee Bridge) since 1908. Prior to the bridge a ferry was used to transport the workers.
Despite not being joined to the mainland by bridge until 1908 axe and arrow heads that date from the bronze age have been found on Walney. So people have been living on the island for at least somewhere around 3,000 years. The name Walney comes from the Old Norse valna ey, which means 'Isle of the British'. This name would have been given when Norse settlers were present in the area during the Viking Age. One of the main areas of settlement, Biggar Village has been inhabited since at least the 11th Century, as it is mentioned in the Domesday Book.
The island is around eleven miles long and less than a mile wide at its widest point. Its total area is 5.01 square miles (12.99 sq km). The island was developed to house workers of Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering Ltd, with an area of the island retaining the name Vickerstown today.
Walney has 4 primary schools (North Walney, South Walney, St Columbas and Vikerstown) and a secondary school (Walney School).
Walney has a golf course, an outdoor children's play area and two wildlife reserves (North and South). There are a number of Sites of Special Scientific Interest, providing a habitat for Natterjack Toads as well as many species of birds.
Recently an offshore wind farm has been built 7km off the West coast of the island. The wind farm consisits of 30 windmills. Construction was completed in September 2006. There are plans for more wind farms with upto 100 wind turbines off the coast. These ideas have been met with opossition among most locals as the Island is famous for its sunsets and views off the West coast and if the proposed number are built this would surely affect its popularity.
Walney Island has a small airport (Barrow/Walney Island Airfield) located at the northern end of the island, home to the Lakes Gliding Club.
It has a population of approximately 13,000 with four main settlements:
- Biggar
- North Scale
- North Walney
- Vickerstown
