A brief history of Arnside

Arnside village nestles between the wooded slopes of the knott and the Kent Estuary.  Many people believe that the name Arnside is Viking in origin. Certainly some of the place names such as thwaite, mere, fell and tarn are Viking words which have been absorbed into our language. In Norman times, Arnside was part of  Beetham manor. On Sundays the folk of Arnside would have had  a weary tramp to church over Whinscar, on Beetham Fell, climbing the narrow steps which are known as "the Fairy Steps". The oldest building in the area is Arnside Tower. These ruins are the remains of a fortified building known as a Pele Tower.  In the eighteenth century the river Kent was a busy highway with ships loading slate, gunpowder, coal and pig iron. Arnside village must have been a bustling place with boat-builders, ship-owners and customs officers. There were regular ferry trips and the Morecambe fishing fleet would use Arnside as a port.

Links St James' Parish Church Arnside Tower River Kent

The Albion is still serving thirsty tourists. At one time it was the residence of Richard Greenwood who owned a small shipping company.  A bell was rung to warn people on the sands of the approaching tide or perhaps to tell the passengers to get back on board their boats before the tide began to turn.              

All this changed in 1857 with the building of the viaduct.  Work was started in 1853 and after many difficulties the work was completed within four years. It has 50 piers and is 522 yards in length. The arrival of the railway changed Arnside from a small village to a holiday resort.

The building of the viaduct caused the silting up of the estuary. As the ships could no longer travel up beyond the viaduct, the Furness Railway Company built a  stone pier at Arnside to replace an old wooden one.         

St James' Parish Church was completed in 1866.

This site is still under construction.

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