Barrow Jute Works

The Barrow Jute Works was a jute and flax mill located in Barrow-in-Furness, Lancashire (now
Cumbria), England during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.[1] The mill was built for the
Barrow and Calcutta Jute Company which was founded by James Ramsden in 1870 in an
attempt to diversify Barrow's economy which was heavily focused on iron and steel production.
[2]
The Jute Works itself was designed by architects Paley and Austin and occupied over 12-acres
with a 580 feet (177 m) facade on Hindpool Road and 360 feet (110 m) along Abbey Road.[3][1]
The mill was served by its own railway station on a branch of the Furness Railway which
connected it to the town's docks, steelworks and cornmill.[3]
The mill's all female workforce peaked at 2,000, many of whom were Irish immigrants.[2] The
jute fabrics produced were used for a wide range of items including telegraph cables, ropes and
artificial hair, later including the production of Kalemeit for carpets, rugs and window drapery.[3]
The quality of produce was acknowledged in 1878 at the Exposition Universelle in Paris, France
where the Barrow and Calcutta Jute Company was awarded a gold medal in the field.[3]
Two fires damaged the works during its history - 1879 and 1892, the latter occasion destroying
half of the mill that was never rebuilt.[2] Competition from the Indian jute trade as well as the
large jute works in Dundee lead to the mill's ultimate demise.[2] Barrow Jute Works' iconic
chimney was demolished in 1930, followed by the offices in 1948. The site is now occupied by
'The Range' - a retail outlet, and prior to that it was a B&Q store, but more importantly was the
Barrow home of Lakeland Laundry Ltd for many years. Another portion of the former jute works
was occupied by the 'John Whinnerah Institute', a local education office facility for the town,
until it too was partially demolished to make way for a shoe shop and retail clothing outlet,
including 'Next'. The Barrow rugby league team ground of Craven Park was adjacent to Clive
Street and the Barrow Corporation Bus Depot until its demolition in the 1980s. Craven Park,
home of rugby league team Barrow Raiders. Nearby are a number of retail outlets. Nearby 'Jute
Road' and 'Calcutta Street' were named as such to commemorate the former works.