Islands of Furness facts for kids
The Islands of Furness are a cool group of islands located off the coast of the Furness Peninsula in England. They are the third largest collection of islands in England! Even though most of them are quite small, Walney Island is pretty big, covering about 13 square kilometers. It's actually the eighth biggest island in England!
Out of all these islands, only a few have people living on them. These are Walney Island, Barrow Island, Roa Island, and Piel Island. Most of the islands are part of the Borough of Barrow-in-Furness. About 15,000 people live on these islands, which is a big part of the area's population. This group of islands is the largest one you'll find between Anglesey in Wales and the Firth of Clyde in Scotland.
Main Islands of Furness
Here are the main islands you'll find in the Furness area, along with how many people live on them:
- Walney Island: This is the largest island, with about 10,651 people living there. It has several small towns like Biggar, North Scale, North Walney, and Vickerstown.
- Barrow Island: About 2,616 people call this island home.
- Sheep Island: No one lives on this island.
- Roa Island: Around 100 people live here.
- Piel Island: Only about 10 people live on Piel Island.
- Foulney Island: This island also has no residents.
- Chapel Island: No one lives on Chapel Island.
Smaller Islets and Tidal Access
Besides the main islands, there are also tiny islands called islets. Two of these are Dova Haw, which is also known as Crab Island, and Headin Haw. Both of these small islets are located in the Walney Channel. There was once an island called Ramsey Island, but it's now part of the docks system, just like Barrow Island.
Some of these islands, like Chapel, Piel, Foulney, and Sheep Islands, are tidal. This means you can actually walk to them when the tide is low! However, it's really important to be careful. If you ever want to walk to Piel or Chapel Islands, you should always ask local people for advice first. The tides can change very quickly, and there can be dangerous quicksands, so safety is super important!
