Ulverston

Festival-happy Ulverston knows how to celebrate events. The party capital of Furness hosts a series of specialist events throughout the year, where visitors also get the chance to sample the town’s wonderful collection of cosy pubs, traditional markets and cultural hotspots. Add in the colourfully rendered houses, cobbled streets and inviting side alleys and there's enough of interest to keep you smiling for days.
 
Surrounding the town is the gently rolling farmland of the Furness Peninsula. Along the seashore are some lovely coastal villages; Bardsea, Baycliff, Aldingham and Newbiggin, these all have stunning views over Morecambe Bay.
 
On the road into Ulverston, you’ll notice the prominent Sir John Barrow Monument at the top of Hoad Hill. The uphill climb to the monument is worth it for the breathtaking views over Morecambe Bay and the Lake District fells.

Food & Drink

Ulverston’s cafés, bars and restaurants reflect this truly unique, festival market town and wherever possible the menus use both local and seasonal produce.
Enter a different world of quirky cafés with certificates of excellence, selling homemade concoctions of oils, spices and pickles and all manner of other curiosities.

It’s an ideal time to browse while you’re waiting for your fabulous meal to arrive. Delicious Chowder, proper puddings with custard and all served up with a glass of cloudy lemonade. Or how about a visit to one of the cafes for breakfast? The full English is amazing with quality local bacon and sausages and then in the evening these excellent little cafes turn into Bistros, again offering the same superb standard of food. Sometimes you need to take your own alcohol with you, but this makes your meal excellent value for money.

Menus cater for Vegetarian and Gluten Free diets and many of the cafes/bistros are suitable for wheelchairs. But it’s not just the cafes which get all the glory here, there’s some pretty amazing pubs both in the town itself and in the surrounding villages of Lowick Green and Swarthmoor, where you’ll be offered deliciously inventive menus which go way beyond normal pub fayre. The service is spot on, while chefs are incredibly talented - and your superb food and cask ales are served amongst beautiful décor.

For a little unusual, how about an old converted barn turned bar and restaurant, the Cumberland pie is gorgeous and so is the local beer. Or if a traditional old English pub is your thing, complete with cosy fire, oak beams and Stan and Laurel memorabilia, then you’ve come to the ideal place for excellent food and ales kept in perfect condition.

For something a little bit continental, try one of the bistros offering beautiful Mediterranean tapas on small sharing plates, so you can try a selection of vegetarian, seafood and meat dishes, with explosions of different flavours and textures. Some of the bistros in Ulverston are tiny, but the atmosphere more than makes up for size, as does the quality of the food. And lastly but by no means least, Ulverston does fine dining impeccably. Cocktails in the gin parlour first and then off to the restaurant for a real taste sensation where you will be offered pure artistry - delicious food at its most creative.

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Culture & Heritage

The earliest signs of human life round here was on the limestone outcrops of Birkrigg Common and around Urswick, where finds dating back to the Bronze and Iron ages have been unearthed. At the time, much of the Furness Peninsula was covered with trees which were gradually felled over the centuries to create the patchwork of fields, farms and pockets of woodland that exists today.

After the Norman Conquest, Henry I granted the western forests of Furness and the whole of Walney Island to Stephen of Blois, crowned king of England in AD113, and the eastern section to William le Fleming. William's son, Michael, inherited the land in 1167 – as a result, it was known as the Manor of Muchland (Michael's land).

Ulverston was granted a market charter in 1280 by Edward I. Shortly afterwards, the Scots began raiding large parts of northern England in response to the king's attempts to quell Scotland and bring it under English rule. Large areas of Furness were devastated by the attacks, which prompted the building of several fortified buildings as defence.

It was after the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1537 that Ulverston came to prominence as a market town, whilst Dalton declined in importance. The fast-flowing Gillbanks Beck (now culverted under the town) provided water power for mills making cotton, paper, candles and other commodities. Goods including local iron ore and slates were taken by packhorse to loading bays at Ulverston, Bardsea and Baycliffe - a slow and laborious means of conveyance that was soon to be replaced by water transport.

By the 19th century, Ulverston was a thriving commercial port, exporting cotton from Ellers Mill, slate from Burlington Quarries, iron from its foundries, limestone from Stainton and leather from its numerous tanneries (there is still a Leather Lane in Ulverston). Other industries included brick making, paper manufacture and brewing beer. The malty aroma from Hartley's Brewery was a feature of the town until 1991, when it was bought out by Robinson’s, who moved production to Stockport.

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Surrounding Areas

Bardsea - a lovely little village sitting on the coast road that takes you from Ulverston through to Barrow. The beach itself is mostly shingle and offers a wonderful view across the bay looking towards Heysham and Morecambe.

Gleaston - located between Barrow-in-Furness and Ulverston, this beautiful village boasts of a 17th century Water Mill that has now become a tourist attraction. Moreover, the remains of Gleaston Castle are still visable.

Haverthwaite - the famous Lakeside & Haverthwaite steam railway runs between Haverthwaite on a 3.5 mile journey via Newby Bridge to Lakeside station on Lake Windermere, where you can pick up regular steamer services on Lake Windermere.

Newby Bridge - Newby Bridge is located at the foot of Lake Windermere and offers magnificent views into the heart of the Lake District. Spanning the River Leven, the bridge itself is a lovingly crafted crossing made from local stone.

Greenodd - The extensive broadleaved woodlands of the Rusland Valley have not always presented the tranquil scene they do today. Leven and Crake valleys acted as conduits for the transport of goods and materials and at their confluence is Greenodd.

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Did you know?

STAN LAUREL (1890–1965)

The town’s most famous son is legendary comedian Stan Laurel who, with comedy partner Oliver Hardy, became one of the best-known slapstick duos of the 20th century. Stan Laurel was born in Ulverston in 1890 and christened Arthur Stanley Jefferson. He teamed up with Oliver in 1926, changed his name to Stan Laurel and went on to produce over 100 films based on the popular Laurel and Hardy brand of comedy.

CHAPEL ISLAND

The monks of Conishead Priory built a chapel on Chapel Island as a place of rest for weary travellers and to offer daily prayers for the safety of those crossing the treacherous sands of Morecambe Bay. A light was kept burning at night or in foggy conditions to guide travellers to the island.

GLEASTON CASTLE

Built around 1325 by Sir John de Harrington as a defence against Scottish raids but only occupied for around 100 years. By the 16thC the castle, then in a ruinous state, belonged to Henry Grey and his daughter, Lady Jane Grey, who were both executed in 1554 for treason. The castle is now part of a working farm and on private land, but can be viewed from the road.

CONISHEAD PRIORY

Buddhist Temple and historic mansion set in 70 acres of woodlands and gardens that provides a place of spiritual rest and reflection for thousands of visitors each year, and home to one of the largest Buddhist communities in Europe. The original Conishead Priory was founded by Augustinian monks in 1160 as a hospital for the poor. The kitchen garden is now the site of the Kadampa World Peace Temple - a golden Temple that symbolises the purity of Buddha, and used daily for meditation and prayers.

SIR JOHN BARROW MONUMENT

Prominent memorial on the top of Hoad Hill that announces your imminent arrival in Ulverston. The tower was modelled on an earlier version of the Eddystone Lighthouse and built in 1850 in honour of Sir John Barrow, naval explorer and Secretary to the Admiralty. The uphill climb is well rewarded by breathtaking views over Morecambe Bay and the Lake District Fells.

ULVERSTON CANAL

The Canal was opened in 1796 to facilitate transport to the Leven Estuary. Vessels carrying iron ore, gunpowder and leather amongst other things could now sail down the waterway and into the open waters of the estuary. Trade reached its peak in 1846 as this was the year the Furness Railway started carrying iron ore from the Low Furness mines to Barrow where larger ships were able to dock. After the railway was extended to Ulverston in 1854 canal traffic declined and eventually ceased operating in 1916.