Broughton-in-Furness
| Broughton in Furness | |
|---|---|
 St Mary Magdalene's Church, Broughton-in-Furness | |
| Population | 529 ([1]) |
| OS grid reference | SD2087 |
| Civil parish | |
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | BROUGHTON-IN-FURNESS |
| Postcode district | LA20 |
| Dialling code | 01229 |
| Police | Cumbria |
| Fire | Cumbria |
| Ambulance | North West |
| UK Parliament | |
Broughton in Furness is a small market town on the southern boundary of England's Lake District National Park. It is located in the Furness region of Cumbria, which was part of Lancashire before 1974. It lies near the River Duddon, just inland from the coastal hamlet of Foxfield.
Broughton is mentioned in the Domesday Book as one of the townships forming the Manor of Hougun held by Tostig Godwinson, Earl of Northumbria.[1] Dating from around the eleventh century, the original settlement grew to become the local market town for both fishing and agriculture, and now holds a regular farmers cattle market. The central obelisk in the town square was constructed to mark the Jubilee of King George III in 1810.
In 1859, the Coniston branch of the Furness Railway, which passed through the town, was opened. Nearly one hundred years later, in 1958, the line was closed and dismantled, and the cleared ground is now a public bridleway. Broughton's nearest railway station is now Foxfield railway station, 2 miles (3.2 km) south west of the town.
The creation of the National Park in the 1950s produced some tourism for the area, though most tourists still head further north or east into the central lakes. In the 1990s the A595 road was diverted in an attempt to improve the environment of the town and help it retain its rural feel.
The town contains, amongst other shops, a Post Office/newsagents, a grocer/butcher, a bakery and a number of pubs/restaurants. There is a Tourist Information Centre located in the main square.
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