Furness: the most picturesque places according to readers

Here is the list of locations our readers deemed the most beautiful in the Furness peninsula. 

Sir John Barrow Monument, Ulverston

The monument can be seen from miles around (Image: NQ)

Also known as the Hoad Monument after the 450ft hill it stands on which overlooks Ulverston, it was built in 1850. 8,000 citizens climbed Hoad Hill for the ceremony, and it continues to be a popular walk from the centre of the town. 

The monument can be seen from miles around and has become a symbol. Although it was designed to be a seamark, it has never had a functional light. When open, visitors can see panoramic views from the top after climbing its spiral staircase. 

South Walney

Reader Chris Linton took this photo enjoying the beach on a sunny day in Walney (Image: Chris Linton) Providing views of Morecambe Bay, the Walney Channel and out to the Irish Sea, the area is the perfect place for those who enjoy being near the coast, with miles of beaches available along the island to use outside of the nature reserve. 

The reserve, run by Cumbria Wildlife Trust, is home to the county's only colony of grey seals.  

Roa Island, Rampside 

The southern section of Roa Island provides views of the channel, with Piel Island in the middle (Image: Brian McGrevey)

A true island until 1847, it was connected to the peninsula by a causeway. The island saw commercial use for almost a century, with a deep water pier accommodating steamers until 1891, and a railway until 1936. 

Now it boasts a yacht club and the Villa Marina, a former army premises which still has seven cannons pointing out to sea. 

The southern section of the island near the lifeboat station provides an impressive view over the Walney Channel, with Piel Island in the centre which visitors can get the ferry to.

Furness Abbey, Barrow

Furness Abbey in Barrow is owned by English Heritage (Image: Gill Jepson)

The abbey was founded by Stephen, who became the King of England in the eleventh century. Abbot Pyle surrendered the monastery to the Crown in the spring of 1537. He feared a similar fate to the ringleaders of the Pilgrimage of Grace, a failed rebellion against the dissolution of the lesser monasteries which lead to the execution of its leaders under Henry VIII.

The abbey ruins has been a popular tourist destination for two centuries, and the subject of both paintings and verse. Poet William Wordsworth wrote about Furness Abbey in his Guide to the Lakes.