Central Backbarrow

Backbarrow, like many other villages has been cut in half by the A590 with part of the village on one side of the A590 road (Brow Edge) and the other leading off from the old centre of the village towards the village of Finsthwaite, this being along Finsthwaite Lane.
 
The centre of the village, which was built around the old blue mills (now White Water Hotel) housed the school and surgery, although technically in latter years the surgery was just over the boundary in Haverthwaite.

The Square Backbarrow

In past times across from the bridge over the river Leven was "the Square" a dilapidated set of buildings like tenements with outside toilets and water pipes.
 
These were removed in the early part of the 20th Century and the residents rehoused in Haverthwaite's newly built Levens Garth.

Our thanks to Ron Mein for the drawings

The Village School

The "new" centre of the village revolves around the Post Office & village store, the Church of England Primary School and the Health Centre, which although it is situated in Backbarrow, is called Haverthwaite Surgery; presumably a carry-over from the previous surgery which was further along the road at the end of the village and actually just over the parish boundary and thus in Haverthwaite.

The Doctor's Surgery

You can find out more about the surgery opening times by clicking on the link above.

Read more about the history of Backbarrow

The Blue Mills
 
The Iron Works