A north Cumbrian project is trying to find items of historical interest from north west Cumbria.

Milk churns saved from the scrap man

Researchers are aiming to create a portfolio of local heritage artefacts from the Solway Plain. These could include old photographs, farming implements, local folk culture and memories. Items could possibly go forward to an exhibition later.

Fieldwork is at an early stage, with the team taking photos and documenting any items brought to their attention.

The work is part of a project called the Solway Wetlands Landscape Partnership Scheme which is a partnership between the Solway Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and other organisations.

Alex Kaars Sijpesteijn, Solway Wetlands Development Officer, said: “ If you know of anyone who has artefacts and wouldn’t mind potentially letting them be in an exhibition please let me know.

“At the moment we are simply taking photos and notes so that when the time comes we know where they are.”

The project area runs from Allonby to Wigton to Kirkbampton to the western tip of Carlisle and up to the coast. It is a four year project funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund.

If you would like more information or have an item suitable for the research team, please contact the Solway Wetlands Development Officer on 016973 33055 or email Alexandra.Sijpesteijn@Allerdale.gov.uk.

Update

A drop-in session will be held at the Royal Oak, Moorhouse, Cumbria on Wednesday, 31 August 2011 between 6.30pm and 8.30pm.

About half way along an alleyway not really used in our modern times, is possibly one of the best preserved ghost adverts in Carlisle.

Ghost sign: British Paints, Carlisle

Painted on old wooden gates, the advert for ‘British Paints’ is in very good condition given it’s age.

Gold capital letters spell out the brand with the customary black shadow, giving the lettering a feeling of depth.

A green background to the wooden doors and surrounds compliments the whole decoration.

It is thought that the gates were once on a depot or distribution point for the company in the city.

British Paints

The history of British Paints goes back to Newcastle in the north east of England.

According to the website – The Friends of the Old Paint Company – the original founding member was a James W Adamson.

Through acquisitions, mergers and  other business methods, the company expanded until the outbreak of war when, as a patriotic gesture it seems, it changed name to The British Paints Ltd.

The timeline for this British company moves to the USA in the mid 1960′s, following the retirement of Jimmy Anderson.  At the same time the detailed history also becomes a little vague.

British Paints moves to New Zealand

According to the British Paints website in New Zealand in 1969 the British Paints Company was purchased by Bergen Jenson and Nicholson.

In 1970 Bergen Jenson and Nicholson was purchased by Hoeshast.

In 1986 Hoeshast sold Bergen Jesnon and Nicholson Australasia to ICI Paints.

British Paints is now owned by Dulux New Zealand, which is a division of Dulux Group.

More information

Due to the quality of this sign we have not disclosed the full location, in a bid to try and protect it from vandalism.

Can you add to the history of this sign on a gate near the centre of Carlisle.  Maybe you painted it or worked for the company and can say when it appeared?

Let us know via the comments section below.

Hidden in undergrowth and off the beaten track is what appears to be a boundary marker for the City of Carlisle.

Carlisle City boundary marker?

The marker can be found just outside the walls of the back of the main cemetery for Carlisle on the Dalston Road.

Featuring assorted symbols and carved letters it is very hard to make out any inscriptions.

Little seems to be published about this stone or it’s history.  Do you know anything about it?

Let us know in the comments area below or via the contact us form

Built in 1922 the Central Methodist Hall in Carlisle closed in 2005.

It was opened on April 12th, 1923 by Mr Joseph Rank. The estimated cost of the building was £26,000.

Methodist Church Hall, Fisher Street, Carlisle

The former Methodist Church occupies a prominent position on Fisher Street, very close to the Market Hall.

It is an imposing red sandstone building with crisp classical detailing.

Retained within the building are some very attractive decorative plasterwork interiors.

The building, recently listed Grade II, reflects the importance of Nonconformist worship within Carlisle in the early 20th century.

The church was designed by Brocklehurst and Hornabrook and largely funded, £10,000,  by the millionaire philanthropist, Joseph Rank (of Hovis bread fame).

Methodist Church Hall, Carlisle

The remainder of the money was raised by the first minister of the church, the Revd Bramwell Evans, who later became a national icon as the voice of BBC Radio’s ‘Romany’ – the children’s nature programme that inspired the likes of David Attenborough and David Bellamy.

Well connected architects

Arthur Brocklehurst was an Interwar architect based in Manchester.

One of Brocklehurst’s partners was Alan W. Hornabrook, whose father the Revd John Hornabrook (1848-1937) was President of the Methodist Conference and Chairman of the Wesleyan Chapel Committee.

Brocklehurst designed a number of chapels and central halls for the Methodist Church.

Some reports indicate that the Hall is built on the site of a former Roman house and incorporates an 1800 year old well.

John Wesley plaque.

John Wesley, founder of Methodism, preached in the Fisher Street Chapel in 1788 and 1790. The chapel was not this building but a chapel further down the road.

Inside the main building is a large auditorium with balcony and is suitable for seating around 500 people.

It is thought that whilst the building was occupied by the Methodists, staff  kept a box of real Roman sandals in the office cupboard! These sandals were found on the site during excavation works.

Other ancient relics were also discovered these are in the care of the local Tullie House museum.

Adjacent to the hall is a three bedroom flat, also part of the complex.

Up for sale

The whole building is available for sale or rent via Hyde Harrington in Carlisle. Current details, as of May 2010, indicate the Terms to be £400,000/£35,000pa.

Further information

BBC Cumbria gallery – As the doors closed BBC Cumbria took one final look inside

Saturday 13th March saw the spectacular illumination of Hadrian’s Wall, bringing to life Britain’s longest, and greatest, historic monument.

500 individual points of light, at roughly 250 metre intervals, marked the way along the route of the 84 mile Hadrian’s Wall Path National Trail.

Roman archer firing a burning arrow. Pic Steve Barber

The volunteer Illuminators included hundreds of people from the communities around Hadrian’s Wall, as well as enthusiasts from across the country, including places like London, Edinburgh, Birmingham and Manchester, and even a number of people from overseas.

Anniversary

Some of the Illuminators were marking key moments in their own lives such as birthdays and anniversaries.

Carol Bell, Head of Culture and Major Events for culture10 at Newcastle Gateshead Initiative, said:

“The development of this project has been an incredible journey that could not have been possible without the extraordinary commitment of so many partners. It is a fitting tribute to our unique landscape, and a celebration of its history.”

The Ignition event for Illuminating Hadrian’s Wall started at Segedunum Roman Fort at Wallsend in the North East of England at 5.15pm with a performance by Berlin based Theatre Anu.

Angels appeared around the ruins of the fort to tell the story of ‘The Winged Boy’ as the skies began to dim.  The first of the lights were illuminated half an hour later.

Procession

The line of light then began its journey westwards.

Along the way it passed through the vibrant cities of Newcastle and Carlisle, and some of England’s most beautiful countryside, from rolling fields to rugged moorland.

Welcoming the torch to Carlisle. Pic D.Fowler & H. Fleming

In Carlisle thousands of people took part in a torchlight procession, leaving the city centre at about 6pm to meet the line of light as it passed through Bitts Park.

The final gas beacon was lit at Bowness-on-Solway on the Cumbrian coast at about 6.50pm and the full line of light remained illuminated until about 7.15pm.

Tourism week

It’s the first time that the full length of Hadrian’s Wall from Wallsend in the North East to Bowness-on-Solway in the North West has been illuminated in more than 1,600 years.

Illuminating Hadrian’s Wall was an ambitious project led by Hadrian’s Wall Heritage Ltd which forms part of the world-class programme of festivals and events developed by the culture10 team based at Newcastle Gateshead Initiative and the Lakes Alive programme in Carlisle presented by Kendal Arts International and Manchester International Arts.

Illuminating Hadrian’s Wall is also a flagship event of British Tourism Week 2010.

Roman Soldiers at Bowness. Pic Steve Barber

To get more information about the event visit www.illuminatinghadrianswall.com.

Carbon offset

Calor Gas provided official sponsorship by providing 550 gas cylinders and just under half of the 515 torches used to light the wall.

Drawing on its 75 year history of innovation, Calor and manufacturer Bullfinch worked together to create bespoke torches which could produce a safe, controllable and sizeable flame.

Hadrian’s Wall Heritage Ltd will be calculating the carbon cost of the event and offsetting the carbon emissions through a programme of tree planting. However, a voluntary blackout will also make an additional contribution towards offsetting the carbon costs.

World Heritage Site

Hadrian’s Wall formed the Roman frontier across the north of England for almost 300 years.

It was built in AD122 by the Roman army on the orders of the Emperor Hadrian.

In 1987 it was added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and in 2005 became part of the Frontiers of the Roman Empire World Heritage Site.

Today it attracts visitors from all over the world.

The Hadrian’s Wall National Path closely follows the original line of Hadrian’s Wall.

Hadrian's wall illuminated by over 500 burning torches. Pic Roger Clegg

A simple blue plaque screwed to the outside of 83 Warwick Road , Carlisle, Cumbria  is all that indicates the connection of this building and an American President.

No 83 Warwick Road, Carlisle.

Cavendish House was the former residence of Rev. Thomas Woodrow the Grandfather of Woodrow Wilson, the 28th President of the United States.

His mother, Janet, was born in Carlisle, in 1826, the fifth child of the Reverend Thomas Woodrow and his first wife, Marion Williamson from Glasgow.

This house was built in 1831.

Woodrow visited Carlisle as part of his ‘Pilgrimage of the Heart’ in 1918.

Blue plaque - Thomas Woodrow

The blue plaque was installed by the Carlisle and District Civic Trust in 2000.

Rev. Thomas Woodrow was born in Paisley, Scotland. He moved, via Carlisle, to New York in 1836.

Opened in the Summer of 2001 the subway linking the grounds of Carlisle Castle with the Tullie House side of Castle Way in Carlisle is filled with items from an industrial past.

Attached to a 40 meter long and 3m  high steel wall running along one side of the underpass are steel and metal objects that relate to the industry and people of Carlisle and its surrounding areas .

The work, by Russell Coleman, was commissioned by Carlisle City Council in conjunction with the Millennium Commission.

Each of the items has a number nearby. Download a copy of a list of the items and see how many of them you identified.

The underpass also contains a clock and the Cursing Stone.

Eden Bridge Gardens in Carlisle have recently completed a large restoration project.

This is how the lower garden looks now ….

With the store closure timetable being published another icon is set to be removed from the British High Street.

Woolworths - Carlisle

Famous for Pick ‘n’ Mix Sweets, Woolworths or Woolies as it is often known, is a familiar monument in almost every major town centre across the UK.

 Something about the red illuminated signage, the silver door handles and the cream coloured tiled floors just invokes memories  of  growing up.

Woolies has been a store for life, it has captured through the items in store, the timelines of so many people.

• The first 45rpm single for a girlfriend.
• Pots and pans for the home.
• Bulbs and plants for the garden
• The first clothing for a child.  
• Cards for anniversaries.
• Decorations and eggs for the annual festivities. 

and we must not forget the glue for repairing shoes when times were hard, cycle tyre repair kits and the gift tokens for loved ones far away at birthdays and at Christmas.

800+ stores to close

Woolworths will limp into 2009, however it may not manage to get the badge for trading 100 years in the UK unless a buyer for the brand can be secured.

The Administrators have agreed a store closure programme and all 27,000 permanent and temporary staff will lose their jobs unless a last-minute buyer can be found.

Woolworths operates 9 branches in Cumbria and all are set to close over the next few weeks.

• Carlisle store to close on  27 Dec 08
• Workington store to close on  27 Dec 08 
• Penrith store to close on  27 Dec 08
• Whitehaven store to close on  27 Dec 08
• Ulverston store to close on  29 Dec 08
• Keswick store to close on  29 Dec 08
• Kendal store to close on  2 Jan 09 
• Maryport store to close on  2 Jan 09
• Barrow in Furness store to close on  2 Jan 09

Many of the Woolworth stores occupy buildings known as Woolworth Buildings like the one in Carlisle on English Street.

           

Woolworth Building – Carlisle

Completed in 1933 the building has stamped in stone above the main building facade the words ‘ Woolworth Buildings’.  

Could this be the lasting legacy of the Woolworths name in the Cities or will planners allow demolition for redevelopment?

Tens of thousands of square meters of prime retail area will be made available as a result of the many stores closing and some may see this as a chance to take advantage of the opportunities this may provide.

It will be interesting to see if the brand is secured and the unique opportunities now offered with the land, properties and prime town centre locations are seized or just wasted to become yet another ‘tat shop’ on the high street.

Gallery

Laying midway between the twin villages of High and Low Lorton in Cumbria, lies an unassuming and modest little church with a history dating back to the 9th Century.

Lorton Church December 2008

To the inquisitive and knowlegeable eye, it is possible to discern the traces of the original, circular churchyard boundary.

Over the centuries, both the church building and its boundaries has changed to become what we know today. Originally belonging to the Parish of Brigham (with the mother church in Brigham), the church belonged to the Diocese of Chester, later becoming part of the diocese of Carlisle in 1883 with Lorton becoming a parish in its own right.

The layout of the land would suggest that at one time, the chapel or church would have been the centre of one village, but there is evidence that the village was in two distinct parts by the twelfth Century.

Some of the earliest documented records of a church at Lorton are in the PRO Pipe Rolls 1198-1200, giving evidence of church “Clerks” (almost certainly Churchmen or Priests).  In a record of debts to the treasury, Michael, Chaplain at Lorton is noted to have owed two Marks in 1198 and after paying some of his tax, still owed 16s 8d in 1200.  After this he disappears from the records and the next noteable is John De Lorton in 1267, who was killed by Simon de Crostwik during a politically motivated brawl at Keswick.

No more is heard of the church or its churchmen until 1524 when Lorton enjoyed the presence of a Curate, Alan Peyll with the help of three Chaplains; Henry Wyslon, Peter Hudson and Alan Crakplace.

They were almost certainly local men who, like the majority of the parishoners, would also have farmed and worked in the village.  Strength is given to this supposition from writings of a visitation on 1571 where it states; “they have no servyce but as they provide themselves”.

A full list of churchmen/priests from 1198 to present day is displayed in the church.

The earliest known dedication of the church to St. Cuthbert is in 1416 and up until the eighteenth Century, the church as was also used as a school.

In Medieval times, burials were only allowed at the “mother church”, hence the existence of the so called “corpse-roads“, such as that from Loweswater, through Holm Wood and on to St. Bees.  There are noted to be burials at Lorton since 1538, but most of the earliest remaining gravestones in the  churchyard now date from the mid 1700′s. The earliest of all, is that of Edward Thompson, which reads “who died February 16th 164 1/2, (This is the only known record of double dating of old and new calendars in the parish records).  There is no known record of a burial within the church itself.

In 1552 King Edward VI ordered a full inventory of church goods.  Following the dissolution, there had been much unathorised personal plundering of church property and Edward wanted this in the Royal Treasury rather than in private hands.  The resultant inventory recorded silver chalices, brass candlesticks and cross, bells and alterclothes, but it is believed that these records were falsified, as there was evidence much earlier of more superior furniture which was likely hidden away.

Records in 1690 – 1711 state that the church was “modestly but decently furnished with a stone font and cover, communion table with rails before it and a fair linen cloth, a reading desk and a pulpit with a cushion and covering fit thereto”.  For administration of sacraments, there was a “flaggon of pewter and a decent Bason”.

The assembled congregation would have been everybody except the bedridden sick, “hearing lessons and prayers from King James verson of the Bible and a “common prayer book of the largest volume”.  Churchgoers would have stood or knealt in groups (there were no pews until much later). Roughly made benches, arranged around the walls, would have been used by the sick or frail, hence that saying “the weak go to wall”.  The coarse woollen cloaks and shawls would have offered little benefit in the unheated, stone walled and stone flagged building.

The church fell into disrepair in the late 1700′s with the Curate writing to the Bishop saying “the villagers take their life in their hands by entering the building” and in 1806 the question was to rebuild or substantially repair!

It would appear from markings that later appeared on the walls and from the layout of the gravestones, that major repair rather than replacement took place.  The church was now fitted with pews.  The present Chancel was added around 1880 and in 1903 the west window, made by Mayer of Munich, was inserted as a bequest of Steele-Dixon of Lorton Hall.

1911 saw improvements to the Chancel; the Altar was replaced as a gift by Mrs Burrows of Broomlands and was carved by Hawtle of Southport.  The panelling was the work of James Mirehouse living at Fernwood and in 1912 was enhanced by four panels carved by George Pallister, Vicar.

The current building has fine accoustics had has played host to top ranking instrumental performers.  These concerts have become almost an annual event of note in the district.  In 1992, the new, state of the art, electronic organ was inaugurated at a concert given by the Carlisle Cathedral Organist, Ian Hare.

The crowning glory of this little church came in 1994 when a dedicated group of valley ladies, designed and worked the beautiful kneelers, spanning the full length of the pews, each individual in its design but totalling some 4,600 hours of detailed needlework.  A notebook relating to their story is kept in the church for the benefit of visitors.

To call the population to church “two bells hung in an open bell-case”.  These bells weighed around 10 stone and would continue to be used until 1870 when the church underwent major reconstruction.  These were replaced by the single , second hand bell from Bridekirk which is still used to this day.

The graveyard can lay claim to artistic fame, as a gravestone raised to the family of Edward Nelson of Gatesgarth, is an early (and probably unknown) work of the now internationally renowned sculptress, Josefina de Vasconcellos, who was a friend of the family.  Edward was a shepherd and at the top of the headstone is carved a ewe with two lambs.

Thanks must go to the benevolence and hard work of the local villagers past and present, who’s dedication has preserved this local piece of history.

The details are taken from the Church booklet written by Ron George of High Lorton in 1995.

Parish records are now held at the Carlisle Records Office (CRO).