Furness

Furness
/ferr"nis/, n.
Horace Howard, 1833-1912, and his son Horace Howard, 1865-1930, U.S. Shakespearean scholars and editors.

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      region, administrative county of Cumbria, historic county of Lancashire, England. Except for a narrow coastal plain, Furness is predominantly upland, with such eminences as the Old Man of Coniston and Wetherlam. Principal rivers are the Duddon, Leven (draining Windermere), and Crake (draining Coniston Water), flowing south into Morecambe Bay on the Irish Sea coast. Between the Duddon estuary and Morecambe Bay is a peninsula, off which lies the Isle of Walney, 8 miles (13 km) long and 1 mile wide. Much of Furness is in the Lake District, and Roudsea Wood is a nature reserve.

      Furness became important in the Middle Ages because of its abbey, the ruins of which are north of the principal town, Barrow-in-Furness. The abbey was founded in 1127 by Benedictine monks from Savigny, France, who later joined the Cistercian order. They were granted the lordship of Furness by Stephen (ruled 1135–54), and the abbey became one of the richest in England. At Conishead was an Augustinian foundation, and at Cartmel is the fine parish church of a former abbey (1188). Ulverston became a market town for the region.

      Industry was based on the iron ore of the limestones in the southwest, worked from early times and exploited by the monks of Furness. Production reached a peak in the 1880s and has since declined. Opening of the Furness Railway (1846) initiated industrial development, and Barrow grew as an ore-exporting port and a shipbuilding and iron and steel centre. Decline of these industries in the 20th century resulted in heavy unemployment, and attempts to attract new manufacturing have been handicapped by the region's inaccessibility. Farming remains an important activity, with emphasis on fat lambs and store cattle, while tourism has become increasingly significant. A coastal railway connects Barrow and the region with Carlisle to the north and the rest of historic Lancashire to the south.

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • Furness — (IPAEng|ˈfɘˑnəs) is a peninsula in the southern part of Cumbria, in north west England. As a socio cultural unit, it is more loosely defined. At its widest extent, it is considered to cover the whole of North Lonsdale, that part of the Lonsdale… …   Wikipedia

  • Furness — es una península en el sur de Cumbria, Inglaterra (Reino Unido). En su extensión más ancha, se considera que abarca todo North Lonsdale, aquella parte de la hundred de Lonsdale que es un enclave del condado histórico de Lancashire, que queda al… …   Wikipedia Español

  • Furness — ist der Name einer Halbinsel in der englischen Grafschaft Cumbria, siehe Furness (Halbinsel) Furness ist außerdem der Familienname folgender Personen: Deborra Lee Furness (* 1955), australische Schauspielerin Thelma Furness, Viscountess Furness… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Furness — [fʉr′nis] Horace Howard 1833 1912; U.S. Shakespearean scholar …   English World dictionary

  • Furness — 54° 16′ 12″ N 3° 05′ 19″ W / 54.27004, 3.08853 Furness est une …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Furness — I Furness   [ fəːnɪs], Halbinsel in der County Cumbria, Nordwestengland, an der Morecambebai; die Eisenerzlagerstätte bei Barrow in Furness ist erschöpft. II Furness   [ fəːnɪs], Frank Heyling, amerikanischer Architekt, * Philadelphia 1839, ✝… …   Universal-Lexikon

  • Furness — This surname, of Old Norse Viking pre 8th century origins, is a locational name from Furness a district on the south coast of Cumberland, but formerly in Lancashire. The area is recorded as Fuththernessa , in the register of the Priory of Hexham… …   Surnames reference

  • Furness — Sp Fèrnesas Ap Furness L p lis Jungtinėje Karalystėje (Anglijoje) …   Pasaulio vietovardžiai. Internetinė duomenų bazė

  • Furness (disambiguation) — Furness is a peninsula in the southern part of Cumbria, in north west England.Furness may also refer to:* Caroline Furness Jayne (1873 1909), American ethnologist * Furness Vale, High Peak, Derbyshire, East Midlands, England, United Kingdom *… …   Wikipedia

  • Furness (Halbinsel) — Furness ist eine Halbinsel im Süden von Cumbria, England. Historisch war sie, obwohl sie nördlich der Morecambe Bay liegt, ein Teil von Lancashire. Das Gebiet wird in Low Furness und High Furness geteilt. Low Furness ist die eigentliche Halbinsel …   Deutsch Wikipedia

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