Dalton, the so-called 'Dale Town', lies at the centre of the amphitheatre formed by the high land around. The town's early history is inextricably interwoven with that of Furness Abbey, for it formed a part of the great estates of the powerful pre-Reformation Abbots. Situated on the A590 north of Barrow, it was at one time the main town of the Furness area until it was eclipsed by Ulverston and Barrow partly, it is thought, because of the plaque which hit the area in 1632.
This was one of the important parishes of mediaeval Cumbria, covering the area which is now Barrow in Furness, as well as part of Lakeland to the north. The old parish church, with its nearby castle (really a pele tower, and now housing a museum), sits on top of the hill in the old quarter, along with a number of 18th and 19th century houses, including the parsonage.
Dalton Castle also known as 'The Tower', commanded the main square from the 13th century, and was built by the Abbot of Furness to protect the Abbey from marauding Scottish Borderers. The only part of the castle which remains today is the tower which was for many years used as a local prison, and is believed to have been built in the reign of Edward III. It was in 1257 that reference is first made to a prison at Dalton, and in 1292 the Abbot of Furness claimed the right to erect gallows here, and was allowed a pillory and ducking stool. Beneath where the toilets now stand is the dungeon, the present entrance can be seen in the floor of the ladies toilet. It is thought that the original entrance would have been a grill in the floor and this then would have been used as a holding area for prisoners waiting to be taken to the court above.
The Dissolution of the Abbey in 1537 marked the end of the great monastic period, and in a smaller way, the end of the town of Dalton as the premier settlement in Furness. A thriving market and influx of visitors had enabled Dalton to prosper. The plague of 1631 helped reduce that prosperity. 306 of the town's total of 612 people were killed and the market was subsequently moved to Ulverston.
The nearness of the influence of Holker Hall favourite home of the Dukes of Devonshire in the Victorian years affected life in the parish. The Duke was the major land-owner involved in Barrow's meteoric rise, and he took enormous interest in Furness affairs from the 1850s until the 1880s.
George Romney the celebrated portrait painter (1734-1802) was born in Dalton and is buried in the churchyard.
The present church of St Mary at Dalton was dedicated by the Rev Harvey Goodwin, Bishop of Carlisle, on the 1st June 1885. It is built on exactly the same site as the earliest church which may well have been consecrated before Furness Abbey was founded.
The site of Dalton parish church is one of the finest in Britain and was probably chosen - some say by Agricola - for a Roman camp, for defence. It has nevertheless been the scene of Christian worship for an unbroken period of more than 800 years - a period which included the dissolution of the Monasteries, the Civil War and, of course, the Great Plague - which, incidentally, had its burial pit close by the churchyard in what is now part of the Vicarage garden.
The Dalton Book Club is believed to be the oldest in the country, with a continuous record of membership. Its members have met every month since it was established in 1764, and it is flourishing to this day.
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