Barrow Island (England)

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For other places with the same name, see Barrow Island (disambiguation)

Barrow Island is a built up island forming part of the town of Barrow-in-Furness, in Furness, England. It is one of the Islands of Furness. The population of the Barrow Island political ward was 2,606 in the 2001 Census.

The name of the town of Barrow-in-Furness is believed to derive from the Norse word Barrae, meaning Bare Island, which actually referred to Barrow Island. Since the 19th Century it has been connected to the mainland as part of its channel was filled in for industrial purposes. The remainder of its channel is now totally developed as part of the dock system.

The World War Two defences constructed around Barrow Island have been documented by William Foot. They included a number of pillboxes to defend the docks. A seaborne landing was thought to be very unlikely unless Ireland was occupied first, rather the principle danger was and attempt to seize the docks by airborne troops.^[1]

The island is home to most of Barrow Docks, owned now by BAE Systems. Former owners include Vickers Shipbuilding, VSEL and Marconi Marine (VSEL), which became part of BAE in 1999. The docks remain one of the largest in the United Kingdom, rivalled only by those in Govan.

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[edit] General references

• Foot, William (2006). Beaches, fields, streets, and hills ... the anti-invasion landscapes of England, 1940. Council for British Archaeology. ISBN 1-902771-53-2. 

• Map sources for Barrow Island (England)