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The island lies in the Irish Sea to the west of the Furness peninsula in north-west England. Until 1974 both the island and the peninsula were a detached part of the county of Lancashire but is now in Cumbria, the island being part of the town of Barrow-in-Furness to which it has been connected by bridge (Jubilee Bridge) since 1908. Jubilee Bridge spans Walney Channel and until its commission, a ferry was used in order to cross the channel. Despite not being joined to the mainland by bridge until 1908, axe and arrow heads that date from the bronze age have been found on Walney indicating that people have been living on the island for at least around 3,000 years. The name Walney comes from the Old Norse valna ey, which means "Isle of the British". This name would have been given when Norse settlers were present in the area during the Viking Age. One of the main areas of settlement, Biggar Village has been inhabited since at least the 11th century. It is mentioned in the Domesday Book as Hougenai, or "island of Hougun" from the Old Norse word haugr meaning mound or hill. The island is around eleven miles long and less than a mile wide at its widest point. Its total area is 5.01 square miles (12.99 km2). The island was developed to house workers of Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering Ltd, with an area of the island retaining the name Vickerstown today. Walney has four primary schools (North Walney Primary, South Walney Juniors, Columba's and Vickerstown Primary) and a secondary school, Walney School. Walney has a golf course, an outdoor children's play area and two wildlife reserves, North Walney (which is a National Nature Reserve), and South Walney. There are a number of Sites of Special Scientific Interest, providing a habitat for Natterjack Toads as well as many species of birds. The island is said by the Northwest Evening Mail to be the windiest lowland site in England. Recently an offshore wind farm has been built 7 km off the West coast of the island. The wind farm consists of thirty 90 m 3 MW wind turbines. Construction was completed in September 2006. There are plans for more wind farms with up to 100 wind turbines off the coast. These ideas have been met with opposition among some locals as the Island is famous for its sunsets and views off the West coast and if the proposed number are built this may affect its popularity . Walney Island has a small airport (Barrow/Walney Island Airport); privately owned by BAE Systems located at the northern end of the island, home to the Lakes Gliding Club . It has a population of approximately 13,000, making it the 7th most populated island in England. The five main settlements are: *Biggar *North Scale *North Walney *South Walney *Vickerstown |
