Holiday Homes in Barrow-in-Furness

At the very tip of the Furness peninsula, where Morecambe Bay meets the Irish Sea, Barrow-in-Furness is the largest town in this corner of Cumbria and a place with a proud industrial story. It sits well outside the national park, so this is a coastal and heritage base rather than a fellside one, but for visitors drawn to maritime history, big skies and the wildlife of the Furness coast it has plenty to offer, with the southern Lakes a drive to the north.

Barrow grew at extraordinary speed in the Victorian iron and steel boom, and shipbuilding remains at its heart to this day, with the famous shipyard still building submarines on the waterfront. You can explore that story at the excellent and free Dock Museum, which covers the town's shipbuilding, steel and wartime history. Just north of the town stand the magnificent red-sandstone ruins of Furness Abbey, founded in 1123 and once one of the wealthiest monasteries in England, while out beyond the docks lies Walney Island, with its nature reserves, beaches and seabird colonies.

As a base, Barrow suits those who want amenities, coast and history, with Morecambe Bay and the Furness peninsula on the doorstep and the southern Lakes, Coniston and the Furness fells within reach by road. For a maritime-flavoured base away from the crowds, choose one of our Barrow-in-Furness holiday homes.