Historic settlement originating as a string of hamlets beside a winding and undulating medieval Furness coastal road;
Rural setting in Low Furness situated between low fells and the Duddon Estuary;
Sloping topography giving rise to interesting views both into, out of and within the town;
St Mary’s Church and churchyard, located almost out of sight of the town, with Norman origins and possibly some Saxon fabric;
Prime example of a planned Georgian town square built in the 1760s at the behest of John Gilpin Sawrey, then Lord of the Manor and resident of Broughton Tower;
Well-preserved examples of local Cumbrian stone-built vernacular architecture;
Good examples of 18th century provincial dwellings, notably Broughton House and houses around The Square;
Good examples of Victorian residential and commercial buildings from the post-railway era;
Majority of buildings have architectural and historic interest, 20 of which are grade II listed buildings, and many others which make a positive contribution to the area’s historic character and appearance;
Rural views from within the conservation area, and from its outer edges, to Kirkby Moor, Thwaites Fell and the Duddon Estuary;
Trees that enhance the setting of historic buildings and soften the streetscene, most notably in The Square and St Mary’s Churchyard;
Green open spaces such as St Mary’s churchyard and the garden/former railway space in front of Lodge Terrace that are important wildlife areas;
Prevalent use of local stone as a walling and roofing material, reflecting the underlying geology of the area;
Surrounding countryside that presses right up against the urban form of the town and to the rear of roadside plots;
Small items that add to Broughton’s local identity and recognisable sense of place, such as stocks, ‘fish slabs’, datestones, cobbled surfaces, GRVI post box, decorative iron railings and stone pillars;
Active agricultural market that contributes to a strong sense of a living working town with a distinctive rural Cumbrian character.
