Broughton in Furness
| Broughton in Furness | |
| Lancashire | |
|---|---|
 The Square, Broughton-in-Furness | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | SD2087 |
| Location: | 54°16’41"N, 3°12’50"W |
| Data | |
| Post town: | Broughton-in-Furness |
| Postcode: | LA20 |
| Dialling code: | 01229 |
| Local Government | |
| Council: | Westmorland & Furness |
| Parliamentary constituency: |
Barrow and Furness |
Broughton in Furness is a small town in Lancashire, on the Furness peninsula of Lancashire North of the Sands, on the southern boundary the Lake District National Park.
The town 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 Earl Tostig.[1] Dating from around the eleventh century, the original settlement grew to become the local market town for both fishing and agriculture. 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. Broughton's nearest railway station is now Foxfield railway station, 2 miles southwest of the town.
The creation of the National Park in the 1950s created some tourism, though most tourists still head further north or east. 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 has 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.