Museums · North West England
Carnforth
Carnforth is a market town and civil parish in the City of Lancaster in Lancashire, England, situated at the north-east end of Morecambe Bay. The parish of Carnforth had a population of 5,521 in the 2
JThomas — CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 1.5 h–3 h
- Best time of year
- Year-round
- Family-friendly
- Limited wheelchair access
About
Carnforth is a market town and civil parish in the City of Lancaster in Lancashire, England, situated at the north-east end of Morecambe Bay. The parish of Carnforth had a population of 5,521 in the 2021 census and 5,560 in the 2011 census, an increase from the 5,350 recorded in the 2001 census. The town is situated around 7 miles north of Lancaster, 17 miles south of Kendal, 40 miles east (bisected by Morecambe Bay) of Barrow-in-Furness and 28 miles north-west of Settle. The town is also close to the Cumbria/Lancashire border. Carnforth grew in the 19th century through the presence of the railway and ironworks. Due to the closeness of the coast and the hills, Carnforth is a popular base for walkers and cyclists exploring the area. The River Keer, the West Coast Main Line (WCML), the A6 and the Lancaster Canal pass through the town. The M6 motorway passes just to the east, linked to Carnforth by the A6070 (formerly the A601(M)) which was originally part of the Lancaster bypass before the M6 was extended north.
Photo gallery
From the Wikipedia article
Carnforth is a market town and civil parish in the City of Lancaster in Lancashire, England, situated at the north-east end of Morecambe Bay. The parish of Carnforth had a population of 5,521 in the 2021 census and 5,560 in the 2011 census, an increase from the 5,350 recorded in the 2001 census. The town is situated around 7 miles north of Lancaster, 17 miles south of Kendal, 40 miles east (bisected by Morecambe Bay) of Barrow-in-Furness and 28 miles north-west of Settle. The town is also close to the Cumbria/Lancashire border. Carnforth grew in the 19th century through the presence of the railway and ironworks. Due to the closeness of the coast and the hills, Carnforth is a popular base for walkers and cyclists exploring the area. The River Keer, the West Coast Main Line (WCML), the A6 and the Lancaster Canal pass through the town. The M6 motorway passes just to the east, linked to Carnforth by the A6070 (formerly the A601(M)) which was originally part of the Lancaster bypass before the M6 was extended north.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
History
The name Carnforth is thought to derive from its old function as a ford of the River Keer on which it is situated. Over time, the descriptive name Keer-ford may have morphed into the modern Carnforth. An alternative explanation is that the name derives from 'Chreneforde' and is Anglo-Saxon in origin, as cited in the Victoria County History of Lancashire. Another explanation is that it derives from the Old English cranford meaning 'crane ford'. Much of the history of Carnforth revolves around the railway and ironworks. Vast deposits of limestone located locally made Carnforth an ideal place for an ironworks, as limestone is a key component of the smelting process. In 1846, the Carnforth…
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 54.1230, -2.7660
- County
- Lancashire
- District
- Lancaster
- Parish
- Carnforth
- Postcode
- LA5 9AW
- Parliamentary constituency
- Morecambe and Lunesdale
Sources
- wikipedia: Carnforth (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Nearby
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Frequently asked questions
- Where is Carnforth?
- Carnforth is in North West England, in the United Kingdom — coordinates 54.1230°, -2.7660°.
- Is Carnforth wheelchair accessible?
- Partially — OpenStreetMap notes limited wheelchair access at Carnforth. Check ahead for specific facilities.