When iron ore mining and production led to industrialisation in Furness, Bardsea became a significant port, with steamers leaving for Fleetwood and Liverpool.

A branch line from Plumpton Junction, on the main railway to Barrow, which opened in 1883, was supposed to run to Bardsea and beyond, but the rails never got closer than Conishead Priory, about 1 mile (1.6 km) to the north.

The Hartley family bought the hall and set up a trust deed in memory of local men who were killed in the war, handing over the malt Kiln to the community.

[4] Nearby locations of interest are the common with prehistoric Birkrigg stone circle, Sea Wood [1] which once belonged to Lady Jane Grey, the Manjushri Centre at Conishead Priory and Chapel Island used as a sanctuary when crossing the sands.

When stood at the top of Birkrigg Common, it is possible to see the Sir John Barrow Monument and Morecambe Bay, as well as other local landmarks and the town of Ulverston.