The name
Carnforth is thought to derive from its old function as a ford of the
River Keer on which it is situated. Over time, the descriptive name
Keer-ford may have morphed into the modern
Carnforth. An alternative explanation is that the name derives from 'Chreneforde' and is Anglo-Saxon in origin, as cited in the Victoria County History of Lancashire. Another explanation is that it derives from the
Old English cranford meaning '
crane ford'. Much of the history of Carnforth revolves around the railway and
ironworks. Vast deposits of
limestone located locally made Carnforth an ideal place for an ironworks, as limestone is a key component of the
smelting process. In 1846, the Carnforth Ironworks Company established a works near to the railway station. In the same year, a recession occurred in the
Earl of Dudley ironworks in
Worcestershire, which meant there was a surplus of workers. A number of workers moved to the ironworks and lived in the nearby company village of Dudley (now called
Millhead). In 1864, the Carnforth
Haematite Company took over the works and production was vastly increased due to iron ore that was brought in by rail from the
Furness Peninsula. By 1872, steel production became the main focus for the works using the new
Bessemer process; this process had failed by 1879. Iron production continued at the works until 1929, when it eventually closed down. The site was taken over by the
War Department, as an
ordnance depot and remained as such until the 1960s. From then to the present, the site is now an
industrial estate housing several businesses. In the 19th century, Carnforth grew from a small village into a
railway town when it became the junction of three major railways.
Carnforth Motive Power Depot was located to the west of the West Coast Main Line and, until mid-1968, was one of the last to retain an allocation of
steam locomotives. The buildings are now occupied by
West Coast Railways who still maintain and overhaul steam locos in their premises. The concrete locomotive
coaling tower is a rare survivor. With the closure of Carnforth MPD in 1968, the station's facilities were reduced. The main line platforms were closed in May 1970 and subsequently removed when the line was electrified two years later, although services still run on the
Furness line and the
Bentham Line. From the 1920s to the 1980s, Morphy's Mill, in Oxford Street, was a major employer of women in Carnforth. Contrary to its name, it was not a
mill but a factory making blouses and other garments. ==
Brief Encounter==