Askam and Ireleth

Askam and Ireleth
Civil parish
Logo of the parish council on a rubbish bin.
The parish council logo. The roundel includes the initials of the villages on a symbolic representation of the beach, sea and fells.
Askam and Ireleth is located in the former Borough of Barrow-in-Furness
Askam and Ireleth
Askam and Ireleth
Location in the former Barrow-in-Furness Borough
Askam and Ireleth is located in Cumbria
Askam and Ireleth
Askam and Ireleth
Location within Cumbria
Population3,462 (2011)[1]
OS grid referenceSD214777
Civil parish
  • Askam and Ireleth
Unitary authority
Ceremonial county
  • Cumbria
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townASKAM-IN-FURNESS
Postcode districtLA16
Dialling code01229
PoliceCumbria
FireCumbria
AmbulanceNorth West
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
Cumbria
54°11′20″N 3°12′14″W / 54.189°N 3.204°W / 54.189; -3.204

Askam and Ireleth is a civil parish close to Barrow-in-Furness in Westmorland and Furness, Cumbria, England. Historically part of Lancashire, it originally consisted of two separate coastal villages with different origins and histories which, in recent times, have merged to become one continuous settlement. In the 2001 census the parish had a population of 3,632,[2] reducing at the 2011 census to 3,462.[1]

Ireleth has its origins as a mediaeval farming village clustered on the hillside overlooking the flat sands of the Duddon Estuary.[3] Askam was established following the discovery of large quantities of iron ore near the village in the middle of the 18th century.

The pair originally fell within the boundaries of the Hundred of Lonsdale 'north of the sands' in the historic county of Lancashire.[4] Following local government reforms in 1974 the parish became part of the county of Cumbria, and after further reforms in 2023 it became part of Westmorland and Furness.

The nearby River Duddon estuary and surrounding countryside have made the area well known for its wildlife,[5] while the villages' exposed position on the eastern bank facing the Irish Sea have encouraged the establishment of wind energy generation, amid local controversy.

  1. ^ a b UK Census (2011). "Local Area Report – Askam and Ireleth Parish (E04002442)". Nomis. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 25 April 2021.
  2. ^ UK Census (2001). "Local Area Report – Askam and Ireleth Parish (16UC001)". Nomis. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 25 April 2021.
  3. ^ Maclean, Mark (1997). "A Short History of Ireleth and Askam-in-Furness" (PDF). Mark Maclean. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 9 March 2007.
  4. ^ "Lancashire AncC: Historical Boundaries". A Vision of Britain Through Time. Archived from the original on 1 October 2007. Retrieved 9 March 2007.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference estuary was invoked but never defined (see the help page).