Some would say that the best thing about Barrow is Walney, the 20-kilometre long but rather narrow island that made Barrow such a perfect sheltered harbour for the nineteenth-century industrial boom. Most of those would be Walneyites, like myself. Mainland Barrovians tend to regard Walneyites as simple and inbred who never leave, but what would they know? They’re only jealous! Anyway, 13,000 people live on the island, most of them clustered in a compact area around the single bridge that connects it to the rest of the world. They share it with impressive numbers of gulls (mainly at the marshy southern end) and an assortment of reptiles and toads that enjoy the sand dunes to the north. Not to mention the assorted marine life that inhabits the whole perimeter. This blog will undoubtedly be returning to Walney again and again because it’s such a special place.
Posted by enitharmon 
