Roa Island is linked to the Cumbrian mainland at Rampside to the east of Barrow in Furness by a 1 km long causeway. The ferry to Piel Island leaves from Roa.
Roa Island was built bought by a London banker called John Abel Smith in 1840. In 1846 he had the causeway built to the island and a 247 metre deep water pier reaching out to the west of the island into the Piel Channel. The Furness Railway, which made use of the causeway, opened in 1846. Steamers sailed to Fleetwood and later to Liverpool, Belfast and the Isle of Man from Piel Pier.
The pier and the causeway were damaged in a storm in 1852 and John Smith sold the island to the Furness Railway in 1852 because he couldn't afford the repairs. The pier was rebuilt in 1868 but closed in 1881 when the steamer services moved to Barrow. The area around the pier gradually silted up and the pier was dismantled in 1891. The railway closed in 1936.
There are 2 main roads on Roa Island lined with houses, a café, a telephone box, a yacht club and a lifeboat station. It was pouring with rain the afternoon we visited in June 1999, so we didn't explore it properly. I came back in August 2011 for a second visit in order to catch the ferry to Piel Island. The sun was shining and it was a lot more pleasant.
Roa Island was built bought by a London banker called John Abel Smith in 1840. In 1846 he had the causeway built to the island and a 247 metre deep water pier reaching out to the west of the island into the Piel Channel. The Furness Railway, which made use of the causeway, opened in 1846. Steamers sailed to Fleetwood and later to Liverpool, Belfast and the Isle of Man from Piel Pier.
The pier and the causeway were damaged in a storm in 1852 and John Smith sold the island to the Furness Railway in 1852 because he couldn't afford the repairs. The pier was rebuilt in 1868 but closed in 1881 when the steamer services moved to Barrow. The area around the pier gradually silted up and the pier was dismantled in 1891. The railway closed in 1936.
There are 2 main roads on Roa Island lined with houses, a café, a telephone box, a yacht club and a lifeboat station. It was pouring with rain the afternoon we visited in June 1999, so we didn't explore it properly. I came back in August 2011 for a second visit in order to catch the ferry to Piel Island. The sun was shining and it was a lot more pleasant.
Roa Island from Foulney
Beach at Roa Island
Café with Roa Island House behind
Watch Tower and Customs House
This was built c1849
This was built c1849
Lifeboat Station
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