Walney Island
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Walney Island, otherwise the Isle of Walney is the eighth-largest marine island off the coast of England. It is the largest to have a direct road bridge to the mainland.
Geographically, it is in the Irish Sea to the west of the Furness peninsula. 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 since 1908.
It is around eleven miles long and at no point is it as much as a mile wide. Total area is recorded as 5.01 sq mi (12.99 sq km). The island was originally used to house workers of Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering Ltd, with an area of the island retaining the name Vickerstown today.
Walney has a golf course, an out-door children's play area and two wildlife reserves. The whole area is peppered with areas of Special Scientific Interest; Natterjack Toads – Bufo calamita – can be found on the island, as well as many types of birds.
Walney Island has a small airport, located on the Northern end of the island which is home to the Lakes Gliding Club.
It has a population of approximately 13,000 with four main settlements:
- Biggar
- North Scale
- North Walney
- Vickerstown
See also
External links
- [Walney Isle in words and pictures]
- [The Walney Island website]
- [Map sources] for Walney Island
- [Directory website]
- [Earnse Bay Naturist beach]
- [Information about the island's coastal artillery]
- [Walney bird observatory]
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