Dalton, once part of “Lancashire over the Sands”, is a town of some 11,000 people in South Cumbria’s Furness peninsula. These days Dalton is dwarfed by neighbouring Barrow-in-Furness, but in medieval times it was Dalton that was the area’s administrative and commercial centre. This was once wild border country, raided by the Norsemen (some of whom settled to farm the land). The Normans made it safer, and in 1123 Count Stephen of Blois founded Furness Abbey, built in local sandstone, a mile south of the town. This became a hugely rich and powerful centre, with strong links to the Isle of Man (a king of Man is buried at the Abbey). It was the monks who built Dalton Castle in about 1330, a pele tower with walls six feet thick, to give refuge during the regular raids by the Scots. The castle now houses exhibitions on local history, and on the town’s most famous son, the Georgian portrait painter George Romney. Dalton’s market place stands before the castle, and the Victorian church of St Mary’s, designed by Lancaster architects Paley and Austin is also near. St Mary’s retains a 14th century font and a window from the same era, both from the ancient church that preceded it. There are some fine buildings in the town, and a real rarity: on the Market place is a shop with a cast-iron front. At the edge of the town is the South Lakes Wild Animal Park, a conservation zoo noted for its Amur and Sumatran tigers, and its kangaroo collection. The Furness peninsula was once a remote spot plagued by banditry – it was sometimes safer to walk there across Morecambe Bay (with a guide who knew the tides, quick-sands and channels) than through the forests to the east. These days there are no bandits on the wonderful 33 mile Cistercian Way walk from Grange-over-Sands to Piel Island, part of which connects Dalton with the ruins of Furness Abbey.
Attraction
South Lakes Wild Animal Park Ltd
Tytup Hall
Dentist
Doctor
Dr Johnson RN & Partners
Nelson Street Surgery
Estate Agent
Health and Fitness Club
Market
Pub and Bar
Black Dog Inn
Bridge
Brown Cow Inn
Cavendish Arms
Devonshire Arms
Golden Ball Inn
Horse & Jockey
Lord Nelson Inn
Masons Arms
Railway
Red Lion Inn
Wellington Hotel
White Horse Public House
Restaurant
Black Dog Inn
Bridge
Brown Cow Inn
Cavendish Arms
Hartley’s
Loft Restaurant
Lord Nelson Inn
Railway
Red Lion Inn
White Horse
Taxi
Sports Clubs
Dalton CC (Cricket)
Shops
Daisy Chain
V Wilton
The Tudor Cafe
Thomas Hird
Crooklands Garden Centre
Butterflies In The Attic
Head Office
Places to Stay near Dalton in Furness
Clarence House Country Hotel (0.31 miles)
Your first and lasting impression of family run Clarence House is of its cosy hospitality and relaxed informality. Guests are treated more like old friends and the welcoming country house ... More
Park Cottage Country Guest House (1.31 miles)
Welcome to Park Cottage, a beamed country house dating from the 17th century in 4 acres of ground, in a secret corner of Furness, South Cumbria. Surrounded by woodland and farmland, and overlooking a ... More | visit website
Abbey House Hotel (1.39 miles)
Set in 14 acres of private gardens and woodland this Sir Edwin Lutyens building is just 25 minutes drive from Lake Windermere. The hotel is very popular with locals for ... More
Glen Garth Hotel (2.02 miles)
Abbey Road Apartments (2.07 miles)
Lisdoonie Hotel (2.24 miles)
The Lisdoonie has been run by the Cook family for the past 30 years and has gained a reputation for its friendly atmosphere and good food. Our 12 en-suite bedrooms ... More
The Arlington (2.29 miles)
The Arlington House Hotel especially welcomes tourists and commercial travellers.Our guests are delighted to find that the rooms have just been refurbished to provide comfortable, quality accommodation and that there is a microwave for guests' use. Due to ... More | visit website
Michaelson House (2.36 miles)
Ormsgill Inn (2.44 miles)
The Ormsgill Inn is ideally situated for tourists visiting the Lake District or one of the nature reserves on our doorstep. We are also well placed for those visiting the ... More
Victoria Park Hotel (2.55 miles)
The Victoria Park Hotel (Barrow-in-Furness) is situated less than half a mile from the Town Centre, only five minutes away from the Barrow-in-Furness Train Station, and convenient for all ... More | visit website
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