Picture of the month
October 2012
Bardsea Village with the Ship Inn
Comment:
This photograph shows the Ship Inn in the centre of Bardsea village. It is understood that the village appears in the Domesday Book as 'Barretsiege'. Until modern times agriculture and fishing were important economies for the rural community and during the 19th Century the village was an important port for the shipment of iron ore carted from the very large scale haematite mining operations centred around Lindal Moor 6 km to the west. Stone jetties are still to be found on the shore from where both the iron ore was shipped out and passenger ships would berth for excursions across Morecambe Bay and to the Welsh coastal towns. The jetties gradually became redundant following the arrival of the railways. The Ship Inn was operated in conjunction with a farm and has a long history of its own. The inn is now privately owned and includes a commercial restaurant. The former agriculural buildings that were part of the earlier combined farm and inn complex are now converted to private dwellings.