Ulverston

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Ulverston
Lancashire

Market Street, Ulverston
Location
Grid reference: SD288780
Location: 54°11’35"N, 3°5’26"W
Data
Population: 11,210  (2001)
Post town: Ulverston
Postcode: LA12
Dialling code: 01229
Local Government
Council: Westmorland & Furness
Parliamentary
constituency: 		Barrow and Furness

Ulverston is a market town on the coast of Lancashire, on the western edge of the Leven estuary in the Furness area. It lies close to the Lake District, and just north of Morecambe Bay.

The town is home to many shops and pubs, some of which are located on the main street, Market Street. Market Street is paved in local stone and has many fine buildings. At its head is the war memorial to local soldiers who died in World War I.

Ulverston's most visible landmark is Hoad Monument, a concrete structure built in 1850 to commemorate Sir John Barrow, a local man who rose through extensive foreign travel to serve as Second Secretary to the Admiralty for 41 years until his retirement, during the Napoleonic wars and launching a new era of exploration in peacetime.[1][2] The monument provides scenic views of the surrounding areas, including Morecambe Bay and parts of the Lake District.

Ulverston Canal is no longer navigable, but it is claimed to be the deepest, widest and shortest canal in the United Kingdom at 1¼ miles long.[3] The canal was once a vital component of the town's economy.[4]

Geography

Ulverston parish is bounded in the east by the Leven estuary, Crake, Coniston Water, and Yewdale Beck. To the west is a chain of hills reaching out to the Westmorland boundary. South of the town is relatively low land. To the north are hills such as Coniston Old Man.

History

The name Ulverston, first recorded in the Domesday Book (1086) as Ulurestun, of unknown origin. The -tun is Old English but the first element appears to be Old Norse, perhaps referring to a wolf (Ulfr) or a personal name Úlfarr (an equivalent to the Old English Wulfhere).[5] The names Úlfarr and Wulfhere both translate roughly as 'wolf warrior' or 'wolf army',[6] which explains the presence of a wolf on the town's coat of arms. A Norse name can be attributed to the Scandinavian influence in the region. Locally, the town has traditionally been pronounced as Oostan.[7] Other variations of the name recorded throughout history include Oluestonam (1127), and Uluereston (1189).

The town's market charter was granted in 1280 by Edward I.[8] This was for a market every Thursday; modern Ulverston keeps its old market town appearance, and market days are now held on both Thursdays and Saturdays.[9] The charter also allowed for all public houses to open from 10:30 am until 11:00 pm irrespective of any other statute on the books. During the summer months the Saturday market day is themed with craft stalls, charity stalls and locally produced wares.

Historically, the ancient parish included several other chapelries or township]]s which later became separate civil parishes: Blawith, Church Coniston, Egton with Newland, Lowick, Mansriggs, Osmotherley, Subberthwaite and Torver.

The Laurel & Hardy Museum

Over the years the town has been the birthplace of several famous people. Sir John Barrow, born at Dragley Beck, Ulverston, was the Admiralty's Second Secretary: a much more important position than First Secretary. A monument to him—a replica of the third Eddystone Lighthouse—stands on Hoad Hill overlooking the town. Perhaps a more popularly known man of the town was the comedian Stan Laurel,[10] of Laurel and Hardy fame. The Laurel & Hardy Museum is situated in Ulverston,[11] and in 2009 a statue of the duo was unveiled by comedian Ken Dodd, outside Coronation Hall in the town centre.[12]

Transport

Ulverston railway station, which serves the town, is located on the Furness Line from Barrow-in-Furness to Lancaster.

A hazardous footpath over the sea sands of the Leven Estuary leads from Ulverston, but is not recommended.

Festivals

Ulverston calls itself a 'Festival Town' in reference to the many and varied festivals which take place in Ulverston over the course of the year.[13]

  • The Lantern Procession involves hundreds of local residents creating lanterns out of willow and tissue paper and parading them through the town in winding rivers of light. The annual event culminates in a lively display of theatrical performance and fireworks in Ford Park, and was organised by the community themselves for the first time in 2007.

Other popular festivals include:

The Dickensian Festival
  • Flag Festival
  • Dickensian Festival, held the final weekend of November, with a range of Christmas stalls and attractions.[14]
  • Beer Festival
  • Charter Festival
  • International Music Festival
  • Furness Tradition[15]
  • Comedy Festival
  • Word Market—including 'Pub Scripts'
  • Walking Festival
  • Spring Buddhist Festival
  • Print Fest
  • Ulverston Carnival Parade
  • Furness Festival of Tradition
  • Summer Music Festival
  • Festival of Fashion
  • The Feast of St George
  • Breastfeeding Festival

Details and dates of the festivals can be found on the ulverstonuk.co.uk website.

Picture gallery

  • Market Street, Ulverston
    Market Street, Ulverston
  • The Market Place in 1860
    The Market Place in 1860
  • View over to Hoad Hill
    View over to Hoad Hill
  • Side door of Ulverston Church of England
    Side door of Ulverston Church of England
  • Town Clock of Ulverston, 1845
    Town Clock of Ulverston, 1845
  • The Lanternhouse, home of Lanternhouse International, an arts company
    The Lanternhouse, home of Lanternhouse International, an arts company
  • Ulverston Canal
    Ulverston Canal

References

  1. ↑ UK Attraction Hoad Monument
  2. ↑ Sir John Barrow Monument: Biography
  3. ↑ "Ulverston". Visit Cumbria. http://www.visitcumbria.com/sl/ulverst.htm. Retrieved 2007-10-19. 
  4. ↑ Priestley, Joseph (1831). Historical Account of the Navigable Rivers, Canals, and Railways, Throughout Great Britain. Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown and Green. 
  5. ↑ A.D. Mills (2003). Dictionary of British Place Names. Oxford University Press. p. 475. 
  6. ↑ Viking Answer Lady. "Viking Answer Lady Webpage - Old Norse Men's Names". http://www.vikinganswerlady.com/ONMensNames.shtml#u. Retrieved 2007-11-04. 
  7. ↑ Rollinson, W. (1997), The Cumbrian Dictionary of Dialect, Tradition and Folklore, Smith Settle Ltd, p115
  8. ↑ "Ulverston". Visit Cumbria. http://www.visitcumbria.com/sl/ulverst.htm. Retrieved 2010-07-09. 
  9. ↑ "Ulverston Street Markets". South Lakeland District Council. http://www.southlakeland.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=350. Retrieved 2008-09-21. 
  10. ↑ "Stan Laurel". Internet Movie Database. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0491048/. Retrieved 2008-02-01. 
  11. ↑ "Laurel and Hardy Museum". lakedistrictletsgo.co.uk. http://www.lakedistrictletsgo.co.uk/attractions/attractions_pages/laurel_hardy.html. Retrieved 2008-02-01. 
  12. ↑ "Statue honours Laurel and Hardy". BBC News. 2009-04-19. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cumbria/8006614.stm. Retrieved 2009-04-19. 
  13. ↑ "Ulverston home". ulverston.net. http://www.ulverston.net/ulverston_home.asp. Retrieved 2008-02-01. 
  14. ↑ "Ulverston Dickensian Christmas Festival". http://www.dickensianfestival.co.uk/. Retrieved 2008-10-09. 
  15. ↑ http://www.furnesstradition.org.uk

Outside links

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