Arthuret
Encyclopedia
Arthuret is a civil parish
in the Carlisle
district of Cumbria
, England
. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 2,434. The parish includes the small town of Longtown
and the village of Easton. It is bounded by the River Esk to the west and the River Lyne
to the south.
It was a site of some importance, for it was one of only eight places marked on the first printed map of Scotland made in 1570, produced by Abraham Ortelius
. The other sites marked are Carlisle, Kirklinton
, Jedburgh
, Wark
, Coldstream
, Norham
and Berwick
(Logan Mack 1926).
, which appears in Geoffrey of Monmouth
's Vita Merlini and also the Annales Cambriae in the year 573. The battle took place very early in the reign of the Christian King of Strathclyde, Rhydderch Hael
, (patron of St. Kentigern, and Myrddin's supposed brother-in-law), between the pagan
Warlord Gwenddoleu ap Ceidio
and his cousins Peredur
and Gwrgi, Princes of either Ebrauc (Modern York), or possibly from Gwynedd
. In this battle
, Gwenddoleu loses his life, and it is not known if one of his brothers, Nudd and Caw, survived to succeed him as king of Arfderydd afterwards.
In this battle Myrddin
kills his nephew (by his sister Gwenddydd, wife of King Rhydderch Hael), who was fighting on the opposing Christian side. This act drove Myrddin mad and he spent the rest of his life roaming the Forests of Celyddon
(see) (Glennie 1869). 140 other men of rank suffered battle-madness and perished in these woods (Rich & Begg 1991).
In the Black Book of Carmarthen
is recorded a poem which takes the form of a dialogue between Myrddin and the Welsh bard Taliesin
(Skene 1988); it records how Myrddin wore a gold-torque and tells of his grief at the death of King Gwenddolau, to whom he was chief druid
. The battle is said to have lasted six weeks and three hundred men were killed and buried nearby. It was one of the three futile battles of Britain, fought over a lark's nest.
which are clearly visible. This church was built as a result of a national fundraising to benefit the parishioners who were mainly rejecting Christ's teachings. Part of the sum was stolen and this delayed the construction of the new church.
A holy well
is located on the edge of the mound. It is a well built structure, with stone canopy and steps. It was still used for baptisms until the 1970s.
, enclosed by extensive later buildings of the 18th century and 1833. The Netherby Estate, owned by the Graham family for 400 years, extends over a large area of the parish along the Scottish border. A Gothick
folly
known as the Coop House was probably built about 1772 as an adornment to the estate. It is now leased by the Landmark Trust
, and has been restored.
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
in the Carlisle
City of Carlisle
The City of Carlisle is a local government district of Cumbria, England, with the status of a city and non-metropolitan district. It is named after its largest settlement, Carlisle, but covers a far larger area which includes the towns of Brampton and Longtown, as well as outlying villages...
district of Cumbria
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...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 2,434. The parish includes the small town of Longtown
Longtown, Cumbria
Longtown is a small town in northern Cumbria, England, with a population of around 3,000. It is in the parish of Arthuret and on the River Esk, not far from the Anglo-Scottish border. Nearby was the Battle of Arfderydd....
and the village of Easton. It is bounded by the River Esk to the west and the River Lyne
River Lyne
The River Lyne is a river of Cumbria in England.The river is formed near the hamlet of Stapleton by the confluence of the Black Lyne and the White Lyne ....
to the south.
It was a site of some importance, for it was one of only eight places marked on the first printed map of Scotland made in 1570, produced by Abraham Ortelius
Abraham Ortelius
thumb|250px|Abraham Ortelius by [[Peter Paul Rubens]]Abraham Ortelius thumb|250px|Abraham Ortelius by [[Peter Paul Rubens]]Abraham Ortelius (Abraham Ortels) thumb|250px|Abraham Ortelius by [[Peter Paul Rubens]]Abraham Ortelius (Abraham Ortels) (April 14, 1527 – June 28,exile in England to take...
. The other sites marked are Carlisle, Kirklinton
Kirklinton
Kirklinton is a village in the City of Carlisle District, in the English county of Cumbria. It is a few miles away from the large village of Longtown. It has a church called St Cuthbert's Church...
, Jedburgh
Jedburgh
Jedburgh is a town and former royal burgh in the Scottish Borders and historically in Roxburghshire.-Location:Jedburgh lies on the Jed Water, a tributary of the River Teviot, it is only ten miles from the border with England and is dominated by the substantial ruins of Jedburgh Abbey...
, Wark
Wark
Wark, a Scots noun for a building, from the noun wark [wark, wA:rk] . The verb form is wirk [wIrk, wVrk]. The past tense is wrocht [wroxt].Wark may refer to:-Places:...
, Coldstream
Coldstream
Coldstream is a small town in the Borders district of Scotland. It lies on the north bank of the River Tweed in Berwickshire, while Northumberland in England lies to the south bank, with Cornhill-on-Tweed the nearest village...
, Norham
Norham
Norham is a village in Northumberland, England, just south of the River Tweed and the border with Scotland.It is the site of the 12th century Norham Castle, and was for many years the centre for the Norhamshire exclave of County Durham...
and Berwick
Berwick-upon-Tweed
Berwick-upon-Tweed or simply Berwick is a town in the county of Northumberland and is the northernmost town in England, on the east coast at the mouth of the River Tweed. It is situated 2.5 miles south of the Scottish border....
(Logan Mack 1926).
Arthurian Connections
The site of the church overlooks the site of the Battle of ArfderyddBattle of Arfderydd
The Battle of Arfderydd was fought, according to the Annales Cambriae, in 573. The opposing armies are variously given in a number of Old Welsh sources, perhaps suggesting a number of allied armies were involved...
, which appears in Geoffrey of Monmouth
Geoffrey of Monmouth
Geoffrey of Monmouth was a cleric and one of the major figures in the development of British historiography and the popularity of tales of King Arthur...
's Vita Merlini and also the Annales Cambriae in the year 573. The battle took place very early in the reign of the Christian King of Strathclyde, Rhydderch Hael
Riderch I of Alt Clut
Riderch I , commonly known as Riderch or Rhydderch Hael , was a ruler of Alt Clut and the greater region later known as Strathclyde, a Brittonic kingdom that existed on the valley of the River Clyde in Scotland during the British Sub-Roman period...
, (patron of St. Kentigern, and Myrddin's supposed brother-in-law), between the pagan
Celtic polytheism
Celtic polytheism, commonly known as Celtic paganism, refers to the religious beliefs and practices adhered to by the Iron Age peoples of Western Europe now known as the Celts, roughly between 500 BCE and 500 CE, spanning the La Tène period and the Roman era, and in the case of the Insular Celts...
Warlord Gwenddoleu ap Ceidio
Gwenddoleu ap Ceidio
Gwenddoleu ap Ceidio or Gwenddolau was a Brythonic king who ruled in Arfderydd . This is in what is now south-west Scotland and north-west England in the area around Hadrian's Wall and Carlisle during the sub-Roman period in Britain...
and his cousins Peredur
Peredur
Peredur is the name of a number of men from the boundaries of history and legend in sub-Roman Britain. The most well known of them appear in the following literary and historical sources:-Gwrgi and Peredur, sons of Eliffer:...
and Gwrgi, Princes of either Ebrauc (Modern York), or possibly from Gwynedd
Gwynedd
Gwynedd is a county in north-west Wales, named after the old Kingdom of Gwynedd. Although the second biggest in terms of geographical area, it is also one of the most sparsely populated...
. In this battle
Battle of Arfderydd
The Battle of Arfderydd was fought, according to the Annales Cambriae, in 573. The opposing armies are variously given in a number of Old Welsh sources, perhaps suggesting a number of allied armies were involved...
, Gwenddoleu loses his life, and it is not known if one of his brothers, Nudd and Caw, survived to succeed him as king of Arfderydd afterwards.
In this battle Myrddin
Myrddin Wyllt
Myrddin Wyllt , Merlinus Caledonensis or Merlin Sylvestris is a figure in medieval Welsh legend, known as a prophet and a madman...
kills his nephew (by his sister Gwenddydd, wife of King Rhydderch Hael), who was fighting on the opposing Christian side. This act drove Myrddin mad and he spent the rest of his life roaming the Forests of Celyddon
Caledonian Forest
The Caledonian Forest is the name of a type of woodland that once covered vast areas of Scotland. Today, however, only 1% of the original forest survives, covering in 84 locations. The forests are home to a wide variety of wildlife, much of which is not found elsewhere in the British...
(see) (Glennie 1869). 140 other men of rank suffered battle-madness and perished in these woods (Rich & Begg 1991).
In the Black Book of Carmarthen
Black Book of Carmarthen
The Black Book of Carmarthen is thought to be the earliest surviving manuscript written entirely or substantially in Welsh. Written in around 1250, the book's name comes from its association with the Priory of St. John the Evangelist and Teulyddog at Carmarthen, and is referred to as black due to...
is recorded a poem which takes the form of a dialogue between Myrddin and the Welsh bard Taliesin
Taliesin
Taliesin was an early British poet of the post-Roman period whose work has possibly survived in a Middle Welsh manuscript, the Book of Taliesin...
(Skene 1988); it records how Myrddin wore a gold-torque and tells of his grief at the death of King Gwenddolau, to whom he was chief druid
Druid
A druid was a member of the priestly class in Britain, Ireland, and Gaul, and possibly other parts of Celtic western Europe, during the Iron Age....
. The battle is said to have lasted six weeks and three hundred men were killed and buried nearby. It was one of the three futile battles of Britain, fought over a lark's nest.
Arthuret Church
The church tower stones are unusual in that many of them have masons marksSquare and Compasses
The Square and Compasses is the single most identifiable symbol of Freemasonry. Both the square and compasses are architect's tools and are used in Masonic ritual as emblems to teach symbolic lessons...
which are clearly visible. This church was built as a result of a national fundraising to benefit the parishioners who were mainly rejecting Christ's teachings. Part of the sum was stolen and this delayed the construction of the new church.
A holy well
Holy well
A holy well, or sacred spring, is a small body of water emerging from underground and revered either in a Pagan or Christian context, often both. Holy wells were frequently pagan sacred sites that later became Christianized. The term 'holy well' is commonly employed to refer to any water source of...
is located on the edge of the mound. It is a well built structure, with stone canopy and steps. It was still used for baptisms until the 1970s.
Netherby Hall
Netherby Hall, the historic home of the Graham family, incorporates a 15th century pele towerPeel tower
Peel towers are small fortified keeps or tower houses, built along the English and Scottish borders in the Scottish Marches and North of England, intended as watch towers where signal fires could be lit by the garrison to warn of approaching danger...
, enclosed by extensive later buildings of the 18th century and 1833. The Netherby Estate, owned by the Graham family for 400 years, extends over a large area of the parish along the Scottish border. A Gothick
Gothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
folly
Folly
In architecture, a folly is a building constructed primarily for decoration, but either suggesting by its appearance some other purpose, or merely so extravagant that it transcends the normal range of garden ornaments or other class of building to which it belongs...
known as the Coop House was probably built about 1772 as an adornment to the estate. It is now leased by the Landmark Trust
Landmark Trust
The Landmark Trust is a British building conservation charity, founded in 1965 by Sir John and Lady Smith, that rescues buildings of historic interest or architectural merit and then gives them a new life by making them available for holiday rental...
, and has been restored.