Ambleside
Encyclopedia
Ambleside is a town in Cumbria
, in North West England
.
Historically within the county of Westmorland
, it is situated at the head of Windermere
, England's largest lake. The town is within the Lake District National Park
.
provides a source of local history with a collection which represents many of the local artists and writers of the past.
To the south of Ambleside is the Roman
fort of Galava, dating from AD79.
To the west, Loughrigg Fell
rises above the town; to the north are Red Screes
and the hills of the Fairfield
group; to the east is Wansfell
.
Ambleside is administered by South Lakeland
District Council and forms part of the Lakes
civil parish but from 1894 to 1935 it was a separate urban district
council.
Steamers (in reality diesel-powered ferries) run to Bowness-on-Windermere
and Lakeside
offering fine views of the lake and surrounding mountains. Ambleside is a base for hiking, mountaineering and mountain biking. It has a number of hotels, guest houses, pubs and restaurants as well as shops. In particular, there are a number of shops selling equipment for walkers and climbers in the town.
Ambleside is also home to the headquarters of Brathay Exploration Group
, a youth charity based just beyond Clappersgate
on the road to Hawkshead
.
The album CSI:Ambleside
, by Birkenhead
based band Half Man Half Biscuit
, is named after the town.
Á-mel-sǽtr = "river — sandbank — summer pasture".
In 1650 the town was granted a charter to hold a market and later, in the reign of James II
, another charter was granted for the town to collect tolls. The town's Market Place became the commercial centre for agriculture and the wool trade. The old packhorse trail between Ambleside and Grasmere was the main route between the two towns before the new turnpike road was completed in 1770. Smithy Brow at the end of the trail was where packponies were re-shod after their journey. With the coming of the turnpikes, the packhorse trains were superseded by horse-drawn stagecoaches, which regularly travelled between Keswick and Kendal via Ambleside.
more than 300 years ago probably as a summer house and apple store for Ambleside Hall. The building was purchased by local people in 1926 and given to the National Trust
. It is now used as an information centre for the National Trust, and is part of the Trust's Windermere and Troutbeck
property.
, formerly St. Martin's College and Charlotte Mason College, can be found at the northern end of the town; courses held at the campus include teacher training, leisure and outdoor studies. In 2010 the University moved the teaching courses away from Ambleside to Lancaster, and the Charlotte Mason Building became the home of the outdoor studies lectures in Ambleside.
's house at Rydal Mount
, lies in the nearby village of Rydal
.
.
: The Langdale & Ambleside MRT.
Cumbria
Cumbria , is a non-metropolitan county in North West England. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local authority, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. Cumbria's largest settlement and county town is Carlisle. It consists of six districts, and in...
, in North West England
North West England
North West England, informally known as The North West, is one of the nine official regions of England.North West England had a 2006 estimated population of 6,853,201 the third most populated region after London and the South East...
.
Historically within the county of Westmorland
Westmorland
Westmorland is an area of North West England and one of the 39 historic counties of England. It formed an administrative county from 1889 to 1974, after which the entirety of the county was absorbed into the new county of Cumbria.-Early history:...
, it is situated at the head of Windermere
Windermere (lake)
Windermere is the largest natural lake in England. It is a ribbon lake formed in a glacial trough after the retreat of ice at the start of the current interglacial. It has been one of the country’s most popular places for holidays and summer homes since the arrival of the Kendal and Windermere...
, England's largest lake. The town is within the Lake District National Park
Lake District National Park
The Lake District National Park is located in the north-west of England and is the largest of the English National Parks and the second largest in the United Kingdom. It is in the central and most-visited part of the Lake District....
.
Background
The Armitt Library and MuseumArmitt Library
Armitt Library is an independent library and museum, founded in Ambleside in Cumbria by Mary Louisa Armitt in 1909. It is a registered charity under English law....
provides a source of local history with a collection which represents many of the local artists and writers of the past.
To the south of Ambleside is the Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
fort of Galava, dating from AD79.
To the west, Loughrigg Fell
Loughrigg Fell
Loughrigg Fell is a hill in the central part of the English Lake District. It stands on the end of the long ridge coming down from High Raise over Silver How towards Ambleside, and is separated from its neighbours by the depression of Red Bank....
rises above the town; to the north are Red Screes
Red Screes
Red Screes is a fell in the English Lake District, situated between the villages of Patterdale and Ambleside. It is an outlier of the Fairfield group in the Eastern Fells, but is separated from its neighbours by low cols...
and the hills of the Fairfield
Fairfield (Lake District)
Fairfield is a fell in the English Lake District. It is the highest of a group of hills in the Eastern Fells, standing to the south of the Helvellyn range.-Topography:...
group; to the east is Wansfell
Wansfell
Wansfell is a fell in English Lake District it is situated 2.5 kilometres east of the town of Ambleside. The fell is part of the long southern ridge of Caudale Moor and occupies the swathe of territory between Ambleside and the Troutbeck valley.-Topography:...
.
Ambleside is administered by South Lakeland
South Lakeland
South Lakeland is a local government district in Cumbria, England. Its council is based in Kendal. It includes much of the Lake District.The district was created on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972...
District Council and forms part of the Lakes
Lakes, Cumbria
Lakes is a large civil parish in the South Lakeland district of Cumbria, England, with a population of 5,127 according to the 2001 census. It covers the small town of Ambleside, and the villages and hamlets of Clappersgate, Rydal, Grasmere, Troutbeck, Chapel Stile, Elterwater, Little Langdale, and...
civil parish but from 1894 to 1935 it was a separate urban district
Urban district
In the England, Wales and Ireland, an urban district was a type of local government district that covered an urbanised area. Urban districts had an elected Urban District Council , which shared local government responsibilities with a county council....
council.
Steamers (in reality diesel-powered ferries) run to Bowness-on-Windermere
Bowness-on-Windermere
Bowness-on-Windermere is a town in South Lakeland, Cumbria, England. Due its position on the banks of Windermere the town has become a tourist honeypot. Although their mutual growth has caused them to become one large settlement, the town is distinct from the town of Windermere as the two still...
and Lakeside
Lakeside, Cumbria
Lakeside is a small settlement at the south end of Windermere, England. Now in the English county of Cumbria, before county reorganisation of 1974 it was in Lancashire, as part of the region known as Furness...
offering fine views of the lake and surrounding mountains. Ambleside is a base for hiking, mountaineering and mountain biking. It has a number of hotels, guest houses, pubs and restaurants as well as shops. In particular, there are a number of shops selling equipment for walkers and climbers in the town.
Ambleside is also home to the headquarters of Brathay Exploration Group
Brathay Exploration Group
Brathay Exploration Group is a not-for-profit charity which has been providing worldwide youth expeditions since 1947. Based in Ambleside, Cumbria, aims to run around five expeditions per year, to destinations all over the world...
, a youth charity based just beyond Clappersgate
Clappersgate
Clappersgate is a village in the South Lakeland District, in the county of Cumbria. Clappersgate is located on the B5286 road and on the River Brathay. It is near the town of Ambleside.- References :*...
on the road to Hawkshead
Hawkshead
Hawkshead is a village and civil parish in the Cumbria, England. It is one of the main tourist honeypots in the South Lakeland area, and is dependent on the local tourist trade...
.
The album CSI:Ambleside
CSI:Ambleside
CSI:Ambleside is the eleventh album by UK rock band Half Man Half Biscuit, released in April 2008.The "CSI" in the title is a reference to the CSI franchise, whilst Ambleside is a small town in northern England.-Track listing:...
, by Birkenhead
Birkenhead
Birkenhead is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral in Merseyside, England. It is on the Wirral Peninsula, along the west bank of the River Mersey, opposite the city of Liverpool...
based band Half Man Half Biscuit
Half Man Half Biscuit
Half Man Half Biscuit, often "HMHB", are an English rock band from Birkenhead, Merseyside, active since the mid-1980s, known for satirical, sardonic, and sometimes surreal songs. The group comprises Nigel Blackwell , Neil Crossley , Ken Hancock , and Carl Henry...
, is named after the town.
History
The town's name is derived from Old NorseOld Norse
Old Norse is a North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age, until about 1300....
Á-mel-sǽtr = "river — sandbank — summer pasture".
In 1650 the town was granted a charter to hold a market and later, in the reign of James II
James II of England
James II & VII was King of England and King of Ireland as James II and King of Scotland as James VII, from 6 February 1685. He was the last Catholic monarch to reign over the Kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland...
, another charter was granted for the town to collect tolls. The town's Market Place became the commercial centre for agriculture and the wool trade. The old packhorse trail between Ambleside and Grasmere was the main route between the two towns before the new turnpike road was completed in 1770. Smithy Brow at the end of the trail was where packponies were re-shod after their journey. With the coming of the turnpikes, the packhorse trains were superseded by horse-drawn stagecoaches, which regularly travelled between Keswick and Kendal via Ambleside.
Bridge House
Bridge House was built over Stock GhyllGill (stream)
Ghyll or Gill is used for a stream or narrow valley in the North of England and other parts of the United Kingdom. The word originates from the Old Norse Gil...
more than 300 years ago probably as a summer house and apple store for Ambleside Hall. The building was purchased by local people in 1926 and given to the National Trust
National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty
The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
. It is now used as an information centre for the National Trust, and is part of the Trust's Windermere and Troutbeck
Windermere and Troutbeck
Windermere and Troutbeck is a National Trust property consisting of land around Windermere, a lake in Cumbria, England....
property.
University of Cumbria
The Ambleside campus of the University of CumbriaUniversity of Cumbria
The University of Cumbria is a university in Cumbria, England. Its headquarters are in Carlisle. and other major campuses are at Lancaster, Ambleside and Penrith. It was established in 2007, with roots extending back to the Society for the Encouragement of Fine Arts established in 1822 and...
, formerly St. Martin's College and Charlotte Mason College, can be found at the northern end of the town; courses held at the campus include teacher training, leisure and outdoor studies. In 2010 the University moved the teaching courses away from Ambleside to Lancaster, and the Charlotte Mason Building became the home of the outdoor studies lectures in Ambleside.
Wordsworth's house
William WordsworthWilliam Wordsworth
William Wordsworth was a major English Romantic poet who, with Samuel Taylor Coleridge, helped to launch the Romantic Age in English literature with the 1798 joint publication Lyrical Ballads....
's house at Rydal Mount
Rydal Mount
Rydal Mount is a house near Ambleside in the Lake District. It is best known as the home of the poet William Wordsworth from 1813 to his death in 1850....
, lies in the nearby village of Rydal
Rydal
-Places:Europe* Rydal, Cumbria, a hamlet in the Lake District of England** Rydal Mount, William Wordsworth's house in Lake District* Rydal Penrhos, a private school in North Wales...
.
Pubs
Ambleside has a relatively large number of pubs for its size with some ten pubs and bars within a quarter mile radius. They are supported by the tourist industry, so essential to the town, as well as the student population associated with the University of CumbriaUniversity of Cumbria
The University of Cumbria is a university in Cumbria, England. Its headquarters are in Carlisle. and other major campuses are at Lancaster, Ambleside and Penrith. It was established in 2007, with roots extending back to the Society for the Encouragement of Fine Arts established in 1822 and...
.
Education
The town includes Ambleside Church of England Primary School, which is renowned for its online resources, designed for both pupils and teachers.Mountain rescue
The town maintains one of the busiest volunteer mountain rescue teams in Great BritainGreat Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
: The Langdale & Ambleside MRT.
External links
- Windermere and Troutbeck (including Bridge House) information at the National Trust
- St Martin's College
- The Cumbria Directory - Ambleside
- Illustrated guide to Ambleside
- Ambleside Primary School The multi-award winning school website has many sections devoted to local history and geography and the Lake District
- Ambleside Photographs On the Ambleside, Cumbria website.
- The Windermere Way - a walking route that goes right around the lake.
- VisitCumbria.com - Galava Roman Fort
- Golakes.co.uk - Ambleside sense of place history page
- Stock Ghyll Force A film of the waterfall above Ambleside during the November 2009 flooding of Cumbria.
- All About Ambleside