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ON-LINE GUIDE TO THE LAKE DISTRICT AND CUMBRIA
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This brief guide provides
summary information on towns, village and place to visit
in the Lake District and Cumbria as well as some interesting
facts and anecdotes to the area. To find a specific
place either scroll down the page or use the find
facility on your browser. Much more information can be
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The second largest county in England, Cumbria is much more than the Lake District
National Park that lies within its boundaries. It was
here that the British Celts managed to preserve
their independence from the Saxons and the Norse influence can still be detected in the place
names here. The county town, Carlisle, lies to the
north, close to the Scottish border and was for centuries a base for English soldiers
who planned their attacks on Scotland from here,
as well as defending Carlisle from border raids. The Lake District National Park is not
only home to England's largest lake, Windermere,
but also to the country's highest peak, Scafell Pike.
An area of magnificent crags, isolated fells and expanses of water, this dramatic landscape
has inspired Wordsworth and many other poets and artists. Of the county's coastline, the
Furness Peninsula is probably the most attractive - a
place of elegant and small seaside resorts and once
an area of great ecclesiastical power.
Kendal
The capital of south Lakeland, Kendal has royal connections:
the Parr family lived at Kendal Castle until 1483, and it was
Catherine Parr, a descendant, who became Henry VIII's last wife. Today,
the castle's gaunt ruins stand high on a hill overlooking Kendal.
The woollen industry, on which much of the town's prosperity was
based, has long since disappeared, but there is one local product that
all visitors should try: Kendal Mint Cake, a tasty, very
sweet confection, sometimes covered in chocolate, that is cherished
by climbers and walkers for its instant infusion of energy.
A number of interesting museums and galleries can
be found in Kendal including the Museum of Lakeland Life
and Industry and the Abbot Hall Art
Gallery that includes the work of John Ruskin. At the town's
Quaker
Meeting House, the history of the Quaker Movement is told through
a series of 77 panels that combine to form the Quaker
Tapestry Exhibition.
Around Kendal
Ravenstonedale
14½ miles NE of Kendal off the A685
Known locally as Rissendale, this pretty village, clustered along
the banks of Scandal Beck, lies on the edge of the
Howgill Fells; its church, built in 1738, is one of
the few Georgian churches in Cumbria.
Sedbergh
9 miles E of Kendal on the A684
Although Sedbergh is in Cumbria it lies within the Yorkshire
Dales National Park and the surrounding scenery is typical of the Dales.
One spectacular local feature is Cautley
Crag, a great cliff alongside which tumbles a
beautiful
narrow waterfall, Cautley Spout.
Firbank Knott, on nearby Firbank Fell, is considered to
be the birthplace of Quakerism as it was here, in 1652, that George
Fox gave his great sermon to inspire over a thousand `seekers' from
the whole of the north of England. The Quaker Meeting
House is the oldest in the north of England.
Kirkby Lonsdale
11 miles SE of Kendal on the A65
There has been a bridge over the River Lune here for at least
700 years and, for centuries, it has drawn people who come here
to experience what John Ruskin described as "one of the
loveliest scenes in England." The subject of a painting by JMW Turner,
the Devil's Bridge is said to have been built by Satan in just three days.
Levens
4½ miles S of Kendal off the A590
To the south of the village and overlooking the Lyth valley is
the superb Elizabethan mansion, Levens Hall, which was developed from
a 14th centurypele tower. Best known for its fine furniture and
unique topiary gardens, it also houses a collection of working
steam engines.
Milnthorpe
7½ miles S of Kendal on the A6
Close to this market town on the A6 is the Lakeland Wildlife
Oasis that, since opening in 1991, has established itself as one of
the county's premier attractions.
Grange-over-Sands
12 miles SW of Kendal on the B5278
This charming town on the north shore of Morecambe Bay is
the starting point of the Cistercian Way, an interesting 33-mile
long footpath through Furness to Barrow.
To the west of Grange lies Cartmel, one of the
prettiest villages in Furness, that is dominated by the
famous Cartmel Priory that was founded by Augustinian canons in 1188.
It was dismantled in 1537, and all that is left are the
substantial remains of the 12th century
Gatehouse.
Just to the southwest lies Cumbria's premier stately
home, Holker Hall, one of the homes of the Dukes of Devonshire.
An intriguing blend of 16th century, Georgian and
Victorian architecture, the Hall is surrounded by a large estate
that includes a deer park, formal gardens and the
Lakeland Motor Museum.
Newby Bridge
10 ½ miles SW of Kendal on the A592
The bridge here crosses the River Leven that runs from the
southern tip of Windermere into Morecambe Bay, and visitors to this
popular tourist destination can reach the famous lake by taking a steam
train on the Lakeside and Haverthwaite
Railway. Just to the north is Fell Foot
Park, delightful landscaped gardens and
woodlands that were laid out in the late 19th century.
Ulverston
17½ miles SW of Kendal on the A590
Ulverston boasts England's shortest, widest and deepest
canal, built by the engineer John Rennie in late 18th century. Crowning
a hill to the north of the town centre is the Barrow
Monument, a 100 feet-high replica of the
Eddystone Lighthouse that was erected in 1850 to commemorate the
explorer, diplomat and author Sir John Barrow. He served as a Lord of
the Admiralty and it was his naval reforms that contributed
to England's success in the Napoleonic Wars.
Even more famous was Stanley Jefferson, who was born in
Argyle Street on 16 June 1890. Better known as Stan Laurel, he
made more than 100 films in a 30-year career with his partner
Oliver Hardy, and visitors can learn all about this celebrated duo in
the town's Laurel and Hardy Museum.
Barrow-in-Furness
24 miles SW of Kendal on the A590
Right up until the early 1800s, Barrow-in-Furness was just a
tiny hamlet but, in just 40 years, it became the largest iron and
steel centre in the world and also a major shipbuilding centre.
The impressive Dock Museum tells the story of the town through a
series of audio-visual displays and an
interactive film show brings to life the people who made Barrow
so successful.
Furness Abbey, a magnificent ruin of red sandstone, is the
focal point of south Cumbria's monastic heritage. Another historic
building nearby is Dalton Castle, a 14th century pele tower that provided
a refuge for the monks of the abbey against Scottish raiders.
To the south of Barrow lies the Isle of
Walney, a 10-mile long island joined to the peninsula by
a bridge from Barrow that is home to two important nature reserves:
North Walney National Nature Reserve, with a great variety
of habitats, including sand dunes, heath, salt marsh and shingle;
and South Walney Nature Reserve, the largest nesting grounds
of herring gulls and lesser black-backed gulls in Europe.
Broughton-in-Furness
19 miles W of Kendal on the A595
Some of the Lake District's finest scenery lies within easy reach
of Broughton. A couple of miles west of the town is
Swinside Circle, a fine prehistoric stone
monument, 60 feet in diameter, while, to the north, in the peaceful hamlet
of Broughton Mills, is the Coleridge
Trail. During his `circumcursion' of Lakeland in August 1802,
the poet stopped to refresh himself at the Blacksmith's Arms here and
the inn, built in 1748, has outwardly changed little since his visit.
Ravenglass
27 miles W of Kendal on the A595
The town's major attraction is the 15-inch narrow gauge
Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway that runs for seven miles up the valleys
of the Mite and Esk. One of the few settlements on the route of
the railway is Eskdale Green and close by are a group of buildings
that make up Eskdale Mill where cereals have been ground
since 1578 and which is in full working order.
Owned by the Pennington family since 1208,
Muncaster Castle, just east of Ravenglass,
is not only famous for its many treasures - including
outstanding collections of tapestry, silver and porcelain - but also for its vast
and beautiful grounds, which include an Owl Centre.
A focal point for fishing, beach casting, wind surfing and
water
skiing, Seascale, up the coast from Ravenglass, is one of the
most popular seaside villages in Cumbria. Its Victorian wooden jetty
was restored to mark the Millennium.
Windermere
8 miles NW of Kendal on the A591
The village was originally called Birthwaite,
but when the railway arrived in 1847 the Kendal and Windermere Railway Company
named the station after the nearby lake even though it was over a mile away.
Within a few yards of Windermere Station (now serving a single-track branch
line) is a footpath that leads through woodland to one of the finest viewpoints
in Lakeland -=
Orrest Head.
Just to the north of Windermere is the village
of Troutbeck, a designated conservation area with
attractive old houses and cottages grouped around a number of wells
and springs that, until recently, formed the only water supply. The
best-known building here is Townend, an enchanting example
of
Cumbrian vernacular architecture.
Now all but merged with Windermere,
Bowness-on-Windermere is an attractive town right on the edge of the lake; it
is from here that most of the lake cruises operate. Along with all
the boating activity, the town is also home to the
Windermere Steamboat Museum with its unique collection of Victorian
and Edwardian steam launches, some of them still in working order.
Just down the road from the museum is the Old Laundry Visitor Centre,
the home of The World of Beatrix Potter where there are
some fascinating re-creations of this much loved Lakeland
author's books.
Hawkshead
11 miles NW of Kendal on the B5285
It was in this charming little village at the head of Esthwaite Water
that Beatrix Potter's solicitor husband, William Heelis, had his office;
this is now The Beatrix Potter Gallery, which features
an exhibition of her original drawings and illustrations along with
details of her life. Using the royalties from her first book,
The Tale of Peter Rabbit, Beatrix Potter
purchased Hill Top in the village of
Near Sawrey, having fallen in love with the place during a holiday.
In accordance with her will, Hill Tophas remained just as she
would have known it and it is now full of Beatrix Potter memorabilia.
To the southwest of Hawkshead lies Grizedale
Forest, acquired by the Forestry
Commission in 1934 and famous for its 80 tree sculptures.
Coniston
14 miles NW of Kendal on the A593
To the south of the once major copper mining centre of
Coniston is Coniston Hall, the village's oldest building. But it is the
Ruskin Museum that draws most visitors to the village. Containing many
of the famous man's studies, pictures, letters and photographs, as well
as his collection of geological specimens, the museum is a
fitting tribute to one of its most famous residents.
Coniston Water also has tragic associations with Sir
Donald Campbell who, in 1955, had broken the world water speed record
here. Some 12 years later, in an attempt to beat his own record, his
boat, Bluebird, crashed while travelling at 320 miles per hour. In March
2001 his widow was present as the tailfin of the boat was hauled to
the surface after 34 years. Campbell's body was recovered later and
was buried in the village cemetery on September 12th 2001 - an
event overshadowed by the tragic events in New York and Washington
the day before.
Today, boats on Coniston Water are limited to 10 miles
per hour, an ideal speed for the wonderful old steamship,
the Gondola, which was built in 1859 and was restored by the
National Trust in 1980. Overlooking both the village and the lake is the
great crumpled hill of the Coniston Old Man and from the summit
there
are extensive views as far north as Scotland, out
to the Isle of Man and, of course, over Lakeland.
From here, too, can be seen Brantwood, the home of John Ruskin
from 1872 until his death in 1900 that lies on the opposite side of the
lake from the town.
Ambleside
11½ miles NW of Kendal on the A591
The centre of the town is a conservation area and contains
the town's most picturesque building. The Bridge
House, a tiny cottage perched on a packhorse bridge,
is now an information centre, but in the 1850s it was the home of
Mr and Mrs Rigg and their six children. Close by, at
Adrian Sankey's Glass Works, visitors can
watch glass being made in the traditional way and admire the restored
water mill that stands next to the studio. A short walk leads to the
Armitt Museum, dedicated to the area's history since Roman times and
to John Ruskin and Beatrix Potter. The Homes of
Football is an exhibition of football
memorabilia that covers the game from the very top level right down to
amateur village football. Real sporting
activity takes place in the summer in the famous
Ambleside Sports, featuring traditional sports such
as carriage driving, ferret and pigeon racing, Cumberland
and Westmorland wrestling (a bit like sumo but without the rolls of
fat), fell racing and hound trailing. The main road leading northwards
from the town climbs sharply up to the dramatic
Kirkstone Pass that is so called because of the rock at
the top (almost 1,500 feet above sea level) which looks like a
church steeple.
Grasmere
15 miles NW of Kendal on the A591
With one of the finest settings in all Lakeland, this compact
rough-stone village is one of the most popular in the Lake District. Although it
is the glorious scenery that draws many here, it is also its
associations with Wordsworth, who lived at the tiny
Dove Cottage from 1799 to 1808; in dire poverty he
was obliged to line the walls with newspaper for warmth. Today,
this place of pilgrimage has been preserved intact, and next door
is an award-winning museum dedicated to the poet's life
and works.
Grief stricken after the death of their two young children,
Mary and William Wordsworth moved from Grasmere to
Rydal Mount in 1813, a handsome house overlooking tiny Rydal Water
that lies just to the east of the village. The interior of the house
has changed little since Wordsworth's day and it contains first editions
of
his works and personal possessions. The graves of Wordsworth and
his sister Dorothy are in St Oswald's churchyard, while a
notable occupant of the town cemetery is William Archibald
Spooner, sometime Warden of New College, Oxford. He gave his name
to Spoonersims and produced gems such as `You have hissed all my
mystery lessons' or `Yes indeed: the Lord is
a shoving leopard'.
Keswick
The undisputed capital of the Lake District, Keswick has been
a magnet for tourists since the mid 1700s and was given a huge lift
by the Lakeland poets in the early 19th century. The grandeur of
the setting is the biggest draw, but Keswick also offers
man-made attractions, including the fascinating
Cumberland Pencil Museum that boasts the largest pencil in
the world, and the popular Theatre by the
Lake that hosts a year-round programme of plays,
concerts, exhibitions, readings and talks. Another attraction to pencil in
lies east of the town: this is Castlerigg Stone
Circle, some of whose 38 standing stones are 8 feet high.
Close by is the charming village of
Threlkeld, the ideal starting point for a number of mountain
walks, including an ascent of Blencathra.
Running south from Keswick is Borrowdale, home to
the extraordinary Bowder Stone, a massive cube-shaped
boulder weighing almost 2,000 tons that
stands precariously on one corner apparently defying gravity.
Around Keswick
Pooley Bridge
12 miles E of Keswick on the B5320
This charming village stands at the northern tip of
Ullswater and there are regular cruise
departures from here during the season, stopping at Glenridding
and Howton. Along the northern shore of the lake is a series of
waterfalls that tumble down through a wooded gorge, known
collectively by the name of the largest fall,
Aira Force. The southern end of Ullswater is overshadowed
by Helvellyn (3,115 feet) and an assault on its summit is best
tackled from Glenridding.
Bampton
15 miles SE of Keswick off the A6
To the south of Bampton, lies Haweswater, the most easterly
of the lakes - actually it's a reservoir, created in the late 1930s to
supply the growing needs of industrial Manchester.
Buttermere
8 miles SW of Keswick on the B5289
To many connoisseurs of the Lake District landscape, Buttermere
is the most splendid of all the Lakes. The walk around Buttermere
gives superb views of the eastern towers of Fleetwith Pike and the great
fell wall made up of High Crag, High Stile, and Red
Pike. Fed by both Buttermere and
Loweswater,
Crummock Water is by far the largest of the three
lakes and its attractions can usually be enjoyed
in solitude.
Whitehaven
19 miles SW of Keswick on the A595
A handsome Georgian town which by the mid-1700s
had become the third largest port in Britain, but
the harbour's shallow draught halted further expansion. The harbour
is now a conservation area and The Beacon tells the history of
the town and its harbour.
To the south lies St Bees Head, a red sandstone bluff
that forms one of the most dramatic natural features along the
entire coast of northwest England. From here the 190-mile Coast to
Coast Walk starts on its long journey across the Pennines to
Robin Hood's Bay in North Yorkshire. St Bees Head is now an
important Nature Reserve and the cliffs are crowded with guillemots,
razorbills, kittiwakes, gulls, gannets and skuas.
Just inland is the pretty town of
Egremont, dominated by its 12th century Castle. Its
prosperity was based on its local iron ore, and jewellery made from ore can
be bought at the nearby Florence Mine Heritage Centre.
Braithwaite
3 miles W of Keswick on the B5292
This small village lies at the foot of the Whinlatter Pass, another
of Cumbria's dramatic routes, with a summit some 1,043 feet above
sea level. The road also runs through Whinlatter Forest
Park, the only Mountain Forest in England and one of the Forestry
Commission's oldest woodlands.
Maryport
17 miles NW of Keswick on the A596
Dramatically located on the Solway Firth, Maryport is a
charming Cumbrian coastal town rich in interest and maritime history.
Some of the first visitors to Maryport were the Romans
who built a clifftop fort here, Alauna, which is now part of the
Hadrian's Wall World Heritage Site. The award-winning
Senhouse Roman Museum tells the story of life
in
this outpost of the empire.
Cockermouth
10 miles NW of Keswick on the A66
A delightful market town since 1226, Cockermouth was
the birthplace in the 1770s of both Fletcher Christian, who was to
lead the mutiny on the Bounty, and William Wordsworth. The house
in which the latter was born is now called Wordsworth
House and contains a few of the poet's personal possessions.
The town is also home to the unusual Printing
House Museum, where a wide range of historic presses and
printing equipment is on display, of Jennings Brewery
and of the excellent Cumberland Toy & Model
Museum.
Bassenthwaite Lake
4 miles NW of Keswick on the A66
Here's one for the Pub Quiz: Which is the only lake in the
Lake District? Answer: Bassenthwaite, because all the others are
either Waters or Meres. Only 70 feet deep and with borders rich in
vegetation, Bassenthwaite provides an ideal habitat for birds - more than
70 species have been recorded around the lake.
At the northern end of the lake, at Coalbeck Farm,
Trotters World of Animals is home to many hundreds of animals -
rare breeds, traditional farm favourites, endangered species, birds of
prey and reptiles.
Rising grandly above Bassenthwaite's eastern shore
is Skiddaw, which ever since the Lake District was opened up
to tourists by the arrival of the railway in the 19th century has been
one of the most popular peaks to climb. Although it rises to some
3,054 feet, the climb is both safe and manageable, and from the
summit, on a clear day, there are spectacular views to Scotland in the north,
the Isle of Man in the west, the Pennines to the east, and to
the south the greater part of the Lake District.
Also on the eastern shore is the secluded Church of St Bridget
& St Bega which Tennyson had in mind when, in his poem
Morte d'Arthur, he describes Sir Bedivere carrying the dead King Arthur:
"to a chapel in the fields, A broken
chancel with a broken cross, That stood on a dark strait of barren
land".
Caldbeck
13 miles N of Keswick on the B5299
Caldbeck is closely linked with John
Peel, the famous huntsman who died in 1854 after falling
from his horse and is buried in the churchyard here. His
ornate tombstone is decorated with depictions of hunting horns and
his favourite hound. Also buried here are John Peel's wife Mary and
their four children. Some 200 years ago Caldbeck was an industrial
village, with corn mills, woollen mills, and a paper mill all powered by the
fast-flowing `cold stream' - the Caldbeck. Priest's
Mill, built in 1702 by the Rector of Caldbeck, next to his church, was a
stone grinding corn mill, powered by a
waterwheel which has now been restored to working order.
Uldale
11 miles N of Keswick off the A591
To the northeast of Bassenthwaite Lake stretches the area
known locally as the `Land Back of Skidda', a crescent of fells
and valleys constituting the most northerly part of the Lake
District National Park.
Penrith
The Saxon capital of the Kingdom of Cumbria,
Penrith was sacked several times by the Scots and by the time of the
Civil War Penrith Castle was in a ruined state. Cromwell's
troops destroyed what was left but, today, the ruins
remain impressive, standing high above a steep-sided moat.
Other buildings in the town include the Town Hall that is the result of
a 1905 conversion of two former Adam-style houses, one of
which was known as Wordsworth House as it was the home of the
poet's cousin, Captain John Wordsworth.
Rheged Discovery Centre dedicates itself to 2,000 years
of Cumbria's history, mystery and magic.
The town is dominated by Beacon Hill
Pike, which stands amidst wooded slopes high
above Penrith. The tower was built in 1719 and marks the place
where, since 1296, beacons were lit to warn the townsfolk of
an impending attack. To the southeast
of the town are the substantial remains of Brougham
Castle standing on the foundations of a Roman fort.
Around Penrith
Little Salkeld
6 miles NE of Penrith off the A686
Close to the village are Long Meg and her
Daughters, a most impressive Bronze Age site
and second only to Stonehenge in size. There are more than 60 stones
in the circle and the tallest, Long Meg, is 15 feet high.
Just to the south, in the village of
Edenhall, is a Plague Cross that stands where there was once
a basin filled with vinegar. This acted as a disinfectant into
which plague victims put their money to pay for food from the people
of Penrith.
Appleby-in-Westmorland
12 miles SE of Penrith on the B6260
The old county town of Westmorland, Appleby was originally built by the
Norman, Ranulph de Meschines, who set it within a broad loop of the
River Eden that protects it on three sides. The fourth side is guarded
by Castle Hill: at its foot is 16th century Moot
Hall and at its head rises the great Norman keep
of Appleby Castle.
Appleby is best known for its Gypsy Horse
Fair, when hundreds of gypsies flood into the little town with their caravans
and
horse-drawn carts. The trade, principally in horses, and
the trotting races provide a picturesque and colourful spectacle.
Kirkby Stephen
21 miles SE of Penrith on the A685
Surrounded by spectacular scenery, inside the church in this old
market town, is the 10th century Loki
Stone, one of only two such carvings in Europe to
have survived. Loki was a Norse God and presumably Viking
settlers brought their belief in Loki to Kirkby Stephen.
Lowther
4 miles S of Penrith off the A6
Lowther is the estate village to Lowther
Castle, a once grand place that is now only a shell.
It
was clearly once grand, as after one visit Queen Victoria is
reputed to have said that she would not return as it was too grand for
her. The grounds include the Lakeland Bird of Prey
Centre, whose aim is to conserve birds of prey through education,
breeding and caring for injured or orphaned birds before releasing them
back into the wild.
Shap
10 miles S of Penrith on the A6
In the stage coaching era Shap was an important staging post for
the coaches before they tackled the daunting climb
up Shap Fell to its summit, some 850 feet above
sea level. Much earlier, in medieval times, the village was even
more significant because of nearby Shap
Abbey, the last abbey to be consecrated in England
(about 1199) and the last to be dissolved, in 1540. The nearby 16th
century Keld Chapel was built by the monks of Shap Abbey.
Greystoke
5 miles W of Penrith on the B5288
According to Edgar Rice Burroughs, Greystoke Castle
was the ancestral home of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes, a fiction that
was perpetuated in the dismal 1984 film
Greystoke. Greystoke village itself is a gem, its attractive houses
grouped around a trimly maintained village green. Nearby are the stables
where Gordon Richards trained his two Grand National winners,
Lucius and Hello Dandy.
Carlisle
Carlisle was a major Roman centre that supported the military
base that guarded the western end of Hadrian's Wall, and today the
squat outline of 12th century Carlisle
Castle dominates the skyline of this fascinating city. After the
Civil War, Cromwell's troops took the unusual step of rebuilding
the Castle rather than demolishing it. Although one of the smallest
in England, Carlisle Cathedral has many interesting features,
including an exquisite east window that is considered to be one of the
finest in Europe. It was here that Edward I excommunicated Robert
the Bruce, and the bells were rung to welcome Bonnie Prince Charlie
in
1745. The award-winning Tullie House Museum, close to
the cathedral, tells the fascinating story of the notorious Border
Reivers, who occupied the lands from the 14th to the 17th century, with a
law - or rather, a lack of it - unto themselves. Their
treacherous deeds have also added such words as `bereave' and `blackmail' to
the English language. The first railway to Carlisle opened as early as
1836 and today it is still an important centre of communications. It is
also the northern terminus of the famous Settle to Carlisle
Railway line, which takes in some of the most dramatic scenery that
the north of England has to offer.
Located on the northwestern edge of the city,
Kingmoor Nature Reserve occupies an area of moorland given to the city
in 1352 by Edward III. In 1913, Kingmoor became one of the
first bird sanctuaries in England and today provides a peaceful
retreat away from the bustle of the city.
Around Carlisle
Bewcastle
14 miles NE of Carlisle off the B6318
Now occupied by the ruins of a Norman Castle, a Roman fort
once stood here, guarding the crossing over Kirk Beck. A more
impressive reminder of the past stands in the village churchyard -
Bewcastle Cross, erected around AD 670 and one of the oldest and finest
stone crosses in Europe.
Brampton
8½ miles NE of Carlisle on the A6071
To the east of this delightful little town, nestling in the heart
of Irthing Valley, is Lanercost Priory, founded in 1166 by
Robert de Vaux. An impressive red sandstone ruin set in
secluded woodland, the priory suffered greatly in the border raids of
the 13th and 14th centuries, one of them led by William Wallace.
When the priory closed in 1536 much of its
masonry was used for local houses.
South of Brampton are Gelt Woods, lying in a deep
sandstone ravine carved by the fast-flowing River Gelt, and close by is
Talkin Tarn, now the focus of a 120-acre country park, which has been
a popular place for watersports for over 100 years.
Gilsland
15 miles NE of Carlisle on the B6318
Located in one of the most picturesque settings along
the
whole length of Hadrian's Wall and overlooking the River
Irthing, Birdoswald Roman Fort is one of the best preserved
mile-castles along the wall. Set high on a plateau with magnificent
views over the surrounding countryside, the early turf wall, built in
AD 122, can be seen along with the fort, where all the components
of the Roman frontier system can still be seen.
Wigton
10½ miles SW of Carlisle off the A596
The pleasant market town of Wigton has, for centuries, been
the centre of the business and social life of the Solway coast and
plain, its prosperity being based on the weaving of cotton and linen. In
the Market Place is the magnificent Memorial
Fountain that was erected in 1872 by the philanthropist George Moore
in memory of his wife.
Silloth
18½ miles W of Carlisle on the B5300
This charming old port and Victorian seaside
resort has a two-mile-long promenade that provides wonderful views
of
the Solway Firth and the coast of Scotland. A popular attraction is
the Solway Coast Discovery Centre, where Michael the Monk and
Oyk the Oystercatcher guide visitors through 10,000 years of
local history.
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