Situated in the Duddon Valley on the southern edge of the Lake District in the UK and beneath stunning fells lies the idyllic 11thcentury town of Broughton-in-Furness. Largely unspoiled and full of historical interest this quaint little market town has much to offer visitors and tourists.
The older buildings in the town date back to Saxon times and there is even an entry in the Doomsday Book describing the area. There is an impressive market hall and square selling local fish and produce, and the original fish slabs can still be seen outside. Around three sides of the square there is evidence of its history with its Georgian houses, in the centre of which stands an obelisk dedicated to King George III in his Silver
Jubilee year of 1810. On the 1st August each year at the market square there is the traditional reading of the Market Charter where pennies are thrown for the children by members of the council.
For outdoor enthusiasts wildlife abounds, with spectacular scenery, excellent walks and climbs all around, this town is certainly a jewel in the British crown.
Some Must-see in Broughton-in-Furness area include:
- Swinside Stone Circle – Swinside Stone Circle is one of the three most important stone circles in Cumbria, and consists of 55 stones set in a ninety foot diameter circle. You have to view the circle from a nearby public footpath, since the circle is located on private ground. The circle is located on the eastern flank of Black Combe.
- Hard Knott Pass – Hardknott Pass, and then Wrynose Pass in the Lake District, is a single track road right through the middle of the Lake District. It is very steep and twisting. Hardknott Pass carries the minor motor road between Eskdale and the Duddon Valley. Wrynose Pass then continues, taking the road to the Langdale Valley, and on to Ambleside. The Hardknott Pass vies with Rosedale Chimney in North Yorkshire for the title of steepest road in England, with both achieving a gradient of 1 in 3 (about 33%). The road snakes its way up the Duddon Valley side of the pass. Hard Knott Fort (known to the Romans as MEDIOBOGDUM) is near the Eskdale end of Hard Knott Pass The fort, one of the loneliest outposts of the Roman Empire, built between AD120 and AD138, is on a spectacular site overlooking the pass which forms part of the Roman road from Ravenglass to Ambleside and Brougham at Penrith.
- West Park
- The Manor Arms
- Melville Tyson