Books by Gill Jepson

The magnificent ruins of Furness Abbey are now in the care of English Heritage and attract thousands of visitors every year. Dating back to the twelfth century, the abbey was one of the wealthiest Cistercian monasteries in the country. Over the centuries, writers and artists including William Wordsworth and Turner have been inspired by the splendour of the sandstone ruins and the tranquillity of their location in a peaceful valley. In Furness Abbey Through Time, local historian Gill Jepson, Chair of the Furness Abbey Fellowship, presents an excellent visual chronicle that looks at how the abbey precinct has changed over the last century and more. Using an impressive collection of archive photographs, postcard views and colour photographs, readers will see that successive generations have been drawn here to explore the abbey's heritage and enjoy the scenery. In addition to the main abbey precinct, photographs of its closer landholdings, such as Piel Castle, Bow Bridge, Abbot's Wood and Dalton Castle, are also included, to provide a more comprehensive collection. This superbly illustrated book will be of interest to local people and visitors to the abbey and the surrounding area.

A fascinating collection of merged historic and modern images that reflect the changes in Barrow-in-Furness through the decades.

A fascinating journey along the byways of Barrow-in-Furness highlighting the people, places and heritage of this Cumbrian town.

Barrow-in-Furness is a small post-industrial town at the end of a long peninsula in the north of England. Its isolated location has produced a stalwart and close population. It started life as a small hamlet and grew to become an industrial leader, first in iron and steel and later in ship-building and engineering, drawing a workforce from all over the country. The ship-building industry continues to be a major employer but today there is less diversity than in Barrow's heyday. Although the town is known for its industry, it sits in one of the most beautiful areas of Cumbria. It boasts a rich heritage and spectacular views to the Lake District and across Morecambe Bay and, surrounded on three sides by the sea, it enjoys its own temperate climate. Furness Abbey was a great influence on the area in the medieval period and there are castles, churches, monuments and memories just waiting to be discovered by the unsuspecting visitor.