Historian's new book reveals how Barrow grew from villages to industry

A local historian who has spent more than 40 years studying the Furness area has released a new book shedding light on the rich but often overlooked history of Barrow-in-Furness.
Peter Laird, who published a detailed history of Walney Island last year, has now brought out his latest work, titled Barrow: Born of Villages, Built by Industry.
The book traces how modern Barrow developed from its earliest beginnings, exploring the origins of the villages and hamlets that once made up the region, including Cocken, Ormsgill, Hawcoat, Newbarns, Roose, Rampside, Walney, Salthouse, Barrow Island and the original Barrow village.
It also looks at how Furness’ landscape influenced the town’s industrial growth, using historic maps, photographs and archival records – many of which have never been publicly available before.
Mr Laird said he has spent more than four decades collecting material on the area, with a strong focus on Barrow and Walney in recent years. He said the new Barrow book felt like a natural continuation after last year’s Walney publication.
He added that while interest in local history is increasing online, much of the information available lacks depth, and he hopes his book offers people a more detailed and meaningful understanding of Barrow’s past.
Readers will learn about the role of Furness Abbey and later the Furness Railway, why the iron and steel works were established and became some of the largest in the world, and how Barrow Island was bought and sold for a large profit by someone with links to the buying company.
The book also covers how telecommunications eventually reached the town despite early resistance, including objections from a councillor who said he “could not see any earthly good it was going to be to the council or the town at large.”
Written in an accessible style and supported by extensive references, the book is available at Douglas Street Stores on Walney, Heath’s, The Dock Museum, The Queen’s at Biggar, Sutton’s of Ulverston, Barrow Archives and on Amazon.
Peter Laird will present an illustrated talk based on the book at Signal Film and Media on December 4.





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