Mallerstang
Encyclopedia
Mallerstang is a civil parish in the extreme east of Cumbria
, and, geographically, a dale at the head of the upper Eden Valley
. Originally part of Westmorland
, it lies about 6 miles (9.7 km) south of the nearest town, Kirkby Stephen
. Its eastern edge, at Aisgill
, borders on North Yorkshire
and the Yorkshire Dales National Park.
This narrow valley at the head of the River Eden
is bounded by Wild Boar Fell
and Swarth Fell
to the west and Mallerstang Edge to the east.
The highest point of Mallerstang Edge is the summit of High Seat
- and at 709m (2326 ft) this is a metre or so higher than the more prominent Wild Boar Fell. The other main high points on the eastern side of the dale are the curiously named Gregory Chapel
, south of High Seat, and (the historically named) Hugh Seat
to the south-east.
The river Eden
rises as Red Gill Beck in Black Moss, the peat bogs below Hugh seat. A little further downstream it becomes Hellgill Beck; and it eventually takes the name 'Eden' below the waterfall Hell Gill Force - after it has been joined by Aisgill Beck, which flows down from Wild Boar Fell.
Mallerstang, like many other Pennine
dale
s, reflects the pattern set a thousand years ago by its Norse
settlers (whose language is still evident in the names of many of its geographical features). Its small community is scattered along the 10 kilometres of the dale in a series of isolated houses and small hamlets, with no village. The largest of the hamlets, Outhgill
, provides a central point for the community - but after the closure of the village hall (the Travers Institute) in the 1960s, and the final closure of the post office in the 1990s, only the parish church remains. St Mary's still has a small but loyal and enthusiastic congregation, and services are held weekly.
, and the ancient road to the east of the river is known as “Lady Anne's Highway” in memory of the indomitable Countess of Pembroke, who often travelled along this track while moving between her many castles.
It is, however, much older than this and was used by the Romans as a route between Wensleydale and their forts along what is now the A66. A local shepherd found a hoard of Roman coins on Mallerstang Edge near the Highway in 1927. (This "Mallerstang hoard", is now in the Tully House museum Carlisle).
But the Romans were using a track that had existed at least since the Bronze Age - and there is evidence for even earlier use in recent finds of flint tools nearby.
St Mary's Church in Outhgill
was founded in the early 14th century by another powerful patroness, Lady Idonea de Veteripont – but, having fallen into disrepair, was restored by Lady Anne in 1664 (as a plaque over the door records).
Pendragon Castle
, was also restored (in fact more or less rebuilt) by Lady Anne in 1660. According to legend it is supposed to have been built by Uther Pendragon
, father of King Arthur
. Whether there is any substance to these old legends will probably never be settled, and there is no evidence from the limited archaeological investigations for any building here before the Norman castle built in the reign of King William Rufus.
The castle was one of Lady Anne Clifford’s favourite places. But her heir, the Earl of Thanet, abandoned it; and over the next three centuries it gradually deteriorated to the sad but beautiful and atmospheric ruin that we see today.
One of the other notable Lords of the Manor was Sir Hugh de Morville, Lord of Westmorland
. He was one of the four knights who murdered St Thomas Becket
t in Canterbury cathedral, and legend says that he took refuge here afterwards before being banished to France. (Hugh Seat
is named after him - and Wild Boar Fell
, as seen from beyond the castle to the north, is said to have haunted him because in certain lights its profile strongly suggests a face and mitre - the recumbent St Thomas).
On 24 February 1537 ten men from Mallerstang were hanged in the dale for taking part in the Pilgrimage of Grace
. The local protesters had gathered at Lammerside Castle, just north of Mallerstang, and joined the 6000 men who marched through Westmorland towards Carlisle. This uprising against King Henry VIII was put down by a military force commanded by Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk
, aided by Sir Thomas Wharton, 1st Baron Wharton
(whose seat, Wharton Hall, lies just to the north of the parish). From the many prisoners taken, 74 were picked out to be executed in their own villages.
The tradition of dissent was still alive in the 17th Century when ten or more families in the dale became Quakers – at a time when all non-conformists suffered considerable persecution. The grandson of one of these Quaker families, George Birkbeck, set up the “Mechanics Institute” in London, which later became Birkbeck College
of the University of London
. The Quakers’ strong influence in the area continued until the Wesleyans largely replaced it in the 19th century.
Two brothers from Clapham, Yorkshire
, moved to the area in the late 18th century. Richard Faraday became a notable businessman in Kirkby Stephen
, where a road is named after him. His younger brother, James, set up as a blacksmith in Outhgill (in the house now called Faraday Cottage). As he moved to London a year before their third child was born the area narrowly missed being able to claim the great scientist Michael Faraday
as a Mallerstang man.
, built between 1869 and 1876 – and one of the last great engineering works in Britain to be built almost entirely by muscle power. It was constructed at great cost not only of money but also of human life.
Twenty five of those who died during the construction of this section of the line (both builders and members of their families) are buried in unmarked graves in the churchyard of St. Mary's. A memorial to them was erected there in 1997.
From the time of its Norse
settlers until the mid-20th century, farming was the main occupation in the dale. There are also the inconspicuous remains of some small-scale coal and lead mining; but this was never very profitable and did not survive beyond the 19th century. Historically the population varied between about 250 to 350.
During the 20th century, as the small farms merged, and as machinery reduced the need for manpower, the population gradually declined. By mid-century it reached a low point of about 50; but over the last thirty years the remaining farming families have been joined by many “off-comers”, attracted by the beautiful scenery to make their homes here, and the population has by now doubled again from its lowest point.
Even though it is remote from most 21st century amenities, Mallerstang has survived as a real and thriving small community, with many of its ancient traditions intact.
. Constitutionally, the civil parish
has the status of a Parish Meeting
- the lowest tier of Local Government in England. (A civil parish
is quite separate from the Church of England
's parochial organisation.)
Three Officers are elected annually by those on the electoral register: the Parish Chair, a vice-Chair, and the Parish Clerk (who serves as both secretary and treasurer).
Parish Meetings are held at least three times a year: in March, June and November, (with a provision for extra meetings, if called for). The meetings are open to all residents; and those who are on the electoral register for Mallerstang may speak and vote on all matters.
The budget for the coming year and a 'parish precept' (an amount added to the Council Tax
specifically for Mallerstang) are agreed at the November meeting. Parish officers are elected at the Annual Parish Meeting, held on the Thursday nearest to 25 March. (By tradition, past residents, especially those who have died during the year, are commemorated at this meeting). At the June meeting the annual parish accounts are presented; this meeting also includes an annual report on the historic Mallerstang Charities.
Among its other activities, the Parish Meeting has a Village Green Committee, and a Red Squirrel Committee - a group who are doing their best to conserve and protect the dale's small but thriving population of native red squirrels.
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...
, and, geographically, a dale at the head of the upper Eden Valley
River Eden, Cumbria
The River Eden is a river that flows through Cumbria, England on its way to the Solway Firth.-Course of river:The Eden rises in Black Fell Moss, Mallerstang, on the high ground between High Seat, Yorkshire Dales and Hugh Seat. Here it forms the boundary between the counties of Cumbria and North...
. Originally part 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 lies about 6 miles (9.7 km) south of the nearest town, Kirkby Stephen
Kirkby Stephen
Kirkby Stephen is a civil parish and small market town in Cumbria, in North West England which historically, is part of Westmorland. The town is located on the A685, surrounded by sparsely populated hill country, and about from the two nearest larger towns, Kendal and Penrith...
. Its eastern edge, at Aisgill
Aisgill
Aisgill is the southernmost of the hamlets that comprise the parish of Mallerstang in the English county of Cumbria. It is on the B6259 road, at the head of Mallerstang dale, just before the boundary between Cumbria and North Yorkshire....
, borders on North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan or shire county located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, and a ceremonial county primarily in that region but partly in North East England. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972 it covers an area of , making it the largest...
and the Yorkshire Dales National Park.
The Head of the Eden
River Eden, Cumbria
The River Eden is a river that flows through Cumbria, England on its way to the Solway Firth.-Course of river:The Eden rises in Black Fell Moss, Mallerstang, on the high ground between High Seat, Yorkshire Dales and Hugh Seat. Here it forms the boundary between the counties of Cumbria and North...
is bounded by Wild Boar Fell
Wild Boar Fell
Wild Boar Fell is a mountain in Mallerstang on the eastern edge of Cumbria, England. At , it is either the 4th highest fell in the Yorkshire Dales or the 5th, whether counting nearby High Seat or not...
and Swarth Fell
Swarth Fell
Swarth Fell is an approximately 1 mile stretch of high ground situated to the south of Wild Boar Fell, of which it is a continuation...
to the west and Mallerstang Edge to the east.
The highest point of Mallerstang Edge is the summit of High Seat
High Seat (Yorkshire Dales)
High Seat is a fell in the dale of Mallerstang, Cumbria. With a summit at 709 metres, it is the fourth highest fell in the Yorkshire Dales, although outside the National Park, after Whernside, Ingleborough and Great Shunner Fell...
- and at 709m (2326 ft) this is a metre or so higher than the more prominent Wild Boar Fell. The other main high points on the eastern side of the dale are the curiously named Gregory Chapel
Gregory Chapel
Gregory Chapel is one of the high points of the fells on the border between Cumbria and North Yorkshire.The summit is marked by a nearby sheep shelter and an unusual and conspicuous cairn - taller and more rectangular than most others locally. The main rock in the area is limestone, with Millstone...
, south of High Seat, and (the historically named) Hugh Seat
Hugh Seat
Hugh Seat is a mountain, or more accurately a fell, in Mallerstang on the eastern edge of Cumbria, England. It lies on the present border between Cumbria and the Yorkshire Dales National Park....
to the south-east.
The river Eden
River Eden, Cumbria
The River Eden is a river that flows through Cumbria, England on its way to the Solway Firth.-Course of river:The Eden rises in Black Fell Moss, Mallerstang, on the high ground between High Seat, Yorkshire Dales and Hugh Seat. Here it forms the boundary between the counties of Cumbria and North...
rises as Red Gill Beck in Black Moss, the peat bogs below Hugh seat. A little further downstream it becomes Hellgill Beck; and it eventually takes the name 'Eden' below the waterfall Hell Gill Force - after it has been joined by Aisgill Beck, which flows down from Wild Boar Fell.
Mallerstang, like many other Pennine
Pennines
The Pennines are a low-rising mountain range, separating the North West of England from Yorkshire and the North East.Often described as the "backbone of England", they form a more-or-less continuous range stretching from the Peak District in Derbyshire, around the northern and eastern edges of...
dale
Dale (origin)
A dale is an open valley. The name is used when describing the physical geography of an area. It is used most frequently in the Lowlands of Scotland and in the North of England, where the term "fell" commonly refers to the mountains or hills that flank the dale.The word dale comes from the Old...
s, reflects the pattern set a thousand years ago by its Norse
Norsemen
Norsemen is used to refer to the group of people as a whole who spoke what is now called the Old Norse language belonging to the North Germanic branch of Indo-European languages, especially Norwegian, Icelandic, Faroese, Swedish and Danish in their earlier forms.The meaning of Norseman was "people...
settlers (whose language is still evident in the names of many of its geographical features). Its small community is scattered along the 10 kilometres of the dale in a series of isolated houses and small hamlets, with no village. The largest of the hamlets, Outhgill
Outhgill
Outhgill is a hamlet in Mallerstang, Cumbria. It lies about 5 miles south of Kirkby Stephen.It is the main hamlet in the dale of Mallerstang - a civil parish, which retains the Norse pattern of its original settlement: a series of small hamlets and isolated houses, with no village centre...
, provides a central point for the community - but after the closure of the village hall (the Travers Institute) in the 1960s, and the final closure of the post office in the 1990s, only the parish church remains. St Mary's still has a small but loyal and enthusiastic congregation, and services are held weekly.
Some notable historical people and events
The dale is closely associated with Lady Anne CliffordLady Anne Clifford
Lady Anne Clifford, 14th Baroness de Clifford was the only surviving child of George Clifford, 3rd Earl of Cumberland by his wife Lady Margaret Russell, daughter of Francis Russell, 2nd Earl of Bedford...
, and the ancient road to the east of the river is known as “Lady Anne's Highway” in memory of the indomitable Countess of Pembroke, who often travelled along this track while moving between her many castles.
It is, however, much older than this and was used by the Romans as a route between Wensleydale and their forts along what is now the A66. A local shepherd found a hoard of Roman coins on Mallerstang Edge near the Highway in 1927. (This "Mallerstang hoard", is now in the Tully House museum Carlisle).
But the Romans were using a track that had existed at least since the Bronze Age - and there is evidence for even earlier use in recent finds of flint tools nearby.
Outhgill
Outhgill is a hamlet in Mallerstang, Cumbria. It lies about 5 miles south of Kirkby Stephen.It is the main hamlet in the dale of Mallerstang - a civil parish, which retains the Norse pattern of its original settlement: a series of small hamlets and isolated houses, with no village centre...
was founded in the early 14th century by another powerful patroness, Lady Idonea de Veteripont – but, having fallen into disrepair, was restored by Lady Anne in 1664 (as a plaque over the door records).
Pendragon Castle
Pendragon Castle
Pendragon Castle is a ruin located in Mallerstang dale, Cumbria, close to the hamlet of Outhgill, at It stands in an atmospheric spot, above a bend in the river Eden, overlooked by Wild Boar Fell to the south-west and Mallerstang Edge to the east.-Legend:...
, was also restored (in fact more or less rebuilt) by Lady Anne in 1660. According to legend it is supposed to have been built by Uther Pendragon
Uther Pendragon
Uther Pendragon is a legendary king of sub-Roman Britain and the father of King Arthur.A few minor references to Uther appear in Old Welsh poems, but his biography was first written down by Geoffrey of Monmouth in his Historia Regum Britanniae , and Geoffrey's account of the character was used in...
, father of King Arthur
King Arthur
King Arthur is a legendary British leader of the late 5th and early 6th centuries, who, according to Medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against Saxon invaders in the early 6th century. The details of Arthur's story are mainly composed of folklore and literary invention, and...
. Whether there is any substance to these old legends will probably never be settled, and there is no evidence from the limited archaeological investigations for any building here before the Norman castle built in the reign of King William Rufus.
The castle was one of Lady Anne Clifford’s favourite places. But her heir, the Earl of Thanet, abandoned it; and over the next three centuries it gradually deteriorated to the sad but beautiful and atmospheric ruin that we see today.
One of the other notable Lords of the Manor was Sir Hugh de Morville, Lord of Westmorland
Hugh de Morville, Lord of Westmorland
Sir Hugh de Morville was an Anglo-Norman knight who served King Henry II of England in the late 12th century. He is chiefly famous as one of the assassins of Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury in 1170...
. He was one of the four knights who murdered St Thomas Becket
Thomas Becket
Thomas Becket was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1162 until his murder in 1170. He is venerated as a saint and martyr by both the Roman Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion...
t in Canterbury cathedral, and legend says that he took refuge here afterwards before being banished to France. (Hugh Seat
Hugh Seat
Hugh Seat is a mountain, or more accurately a fell, in Mallerstang on the eastern edge of Cumbria, England. It lies on the present border between Cumbria and the Yorkshire Dales National Park....
is named after him - and Wild Boar Fell
Wild Boar Fell
Wild Boar Fell is a mountain in Mallerstang on the eastern edge of Cumbria, England. At , it is either the 4th highest fell in the Yorkshire Dales or the 5th, whether counting nearby High Seat or not...
, as seen from beyond the castle to the north, is said to have haunted him because in certain lights its profile strongly suggests a face and mitre - the recumbent St Thomas).
On 24 February 1537 ten men from Mallerstang were hanged in the dale for taking part in the Pilgrimage of Grace
Pilgrimage of Grace
The Pilgrimage of Grace was a popular rising in York, Yorkshire during 1536, in protest against Henry VIII's break with the Roman Catholic Church and the Dissolution of the Monasteries, as well as other specific political, social and economic grievances. It was done in action against Thomas Cromwell...
. The local protesters had gathered at Lammerside Castle, just north of Mallerstang, and joined the 6000 men who marched through Westmorland towards Carlisle. This uprising against King Henry VIII was put down by a military force commanded by Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk
Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk
Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk, KG, Earl Marshal was a prominent Tudor politician. He was uncle to Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard, two of the wives of King Henry VIII, and played a major role in the machinations behind these marriages...
, aided by Sir Thomas Wharton, 1st Baron Wharton
Thomas Wharton, 1st Baron Wharton
Thomas Wharton, 1st Baron Wharton was an English nobleman and a follower of King Henry VIII of England. He is best known for his victory at Solway Moss on 24 November 1542 for which he was given a barony.-Early life:...
(whose seat, Wharton Hall, lies just to the north of the parish). From the many prisoners taken, 74 were picked out to be executed in their own villages.
The tradition of dissent was still alive in the 17th Century when ten or more families in the dale became Quakers – at a time when all non-conformists suffered considerable persecution. The grandson of one of these Quaker families, George Birkbeck, set up the “Mechanics Institute” in London, which later became Birkbeck College
Birkbeck, University of London
Birkbeck, University of London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the federal University of London. It offers many Master's and Bachelor's degree programmes that can be studied either part-time or full-time, though nearly all teaching is...
of the University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
. The Quakers’ strong influence in the area continued until the Wesleyans largely replaced it in the 19th century.
Two brothers from Clapham, Yorkshire
Clapham, North Yorkshire
Clapham is a village in the Craven district of North Yorkshire, England. It was previously in the West Riding of Yorkshire. It lies within the Yorkshire Dales National Park 6 miles north west of Settle just off the A65.-History:...
, moved to the area in the late 18th century. Richard Faraday became a notable businessman in Kirkby Stephen
Kirkby Stephen
Kirkby Stephen is a civil parish and small market town in Cumbria, in North West England which historically, is part of Westmorland. The town is located on the A685, surrounded by sparsely populated hill country, and about from the two nearest larger towns, Kendal and Penrith...
, where a road is named after him. His younger brother, James, set up as a blacksmith in Outhgill (in the house now called Faraday Cottage). As he moved to London a year before their third child was born the area narrowly missed being able to claim the great scientist Michael Faraday
Michael Faraday
Michael Faraday, FRS was an English chemist and physicist who contributed to the fields of electromagnetism and electrochemistry....
as a Mallerstang man.
The Settle-Carlisle Line
The most conspicuous structure in the dale is the Settle-Carlisle RailwaySettle-Carlisle Railway
The Settle–Carlisle Line is a long main railway line in northern England. It is also known as the Settle and Carlisle. It is a part of the National Rail network and was constructed in the 1870s...
, built between 1869 and 1876 – and one of the last great engineering works in Britain to be built almost entirely by muscle power. It was constructed at great cost not only of money but also of human life.
Twenty five of those who died during the construction of this section of the line (both builders and members of their families) are buried in unmarked graves in the churchyard of St. Mary's. A memorial to them was erected there in 1997.
The People of the Dale
Norsemen
Norsemen is used to refer to the group of people as a whole who spoke what is now called the Old Norse language belonging to the North Germanic branch of Indo-European languages, especially Norwegian, Icelandic, Faroese, Swedish and Danish in their earlier forms.The meaning of Norseman was "people...
settlers until the mid-20th century, farming was the main occupation in the dale. There are also the inconspicuous remains of some small-scale coal and lead mining; but this was never very profitable and did not survive beyond the 19th century. Historically the population varied between about 250 to 350.
During the 20th century, as the small farms merged, and as machinery reduced the need for manpower, the population gradually declined. By mid-century it reached a low point of about 50; but over the last thirty years the remaining farming families have been joined by many “off-comers”, attracted by the beautiful scenery to make their homes here, and the population has by now doubled again from its lowest point.
Even though it is remote from most 21st century amenities, Mallerstang has survived as a real and thriving small community, with many of its ancient traditions intact.
Mallerstang Parish Meeting
The population, with 101 on the electoral register (March 2011), is too small to entitle Mallerstang to have a Parish Council, and it has no representation by elected councilors in the nearest town, Kirkby StephenKirkby Stephen
Kirkby Stephen is a civil parish and small market town in Cumbria, in North West England which historically, is part of Westmorland. The town is located on the A685, surrounded by sparsely populated hill country, and about from the two nearest larger towns, Kendal and Penrith...
. Constitutionally, the civil parish
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...
has the status of a Parish Meeting
Parish meeting
A parish meeting, in England, is a meeting to which all the electors in a civil parish are entitled to attend. In some cases, where a parish or group of parishes has fewer than 200 electors, the parish meeting can take on the role of the parish council itself, with statutory powers, and electing a...
- the lowest tier of Local Government in England. (A civil parish
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...
is quite separate from the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
's parochial organisation.)
Three Officers are elected annually by those on the electoral register: the Parish Chair, a vice-Chair, and the Parish Clerk (who serves as both secretary and treasurer).
Parish Meetings are held at least three times a year: in March, June and November, (with a provision for extra meetings, if called for). The meetings are open to all residents; and those who are on the electoral register for Mallerstang may speak and vote on all matters.
The budget for the coming year and a 'parish precept' (an amount added to the Council Tax
Council tax
Council Tax is the system of local taxation used in England, Scotland and Wales to part fund the services provided by local government in each country. It was introduced in 1993 by the Local Government Finance Act 1992, as a successor to the unpopular Community Charge...
specifically for Mallerstang) are agreed at the November meeting. Parish officers are elected at the Annual Parish Meeting, held on the Thursday nearest to 25 March. (By tradition, past residents, especially those who have died during the year, are commemorated at this meeting). At the June meeting the annual parish accounts are presented; this meeting also includes an annual report on the historic Mallerstang Charities.
Among its other activities, the Parish Meeting has a Village Green Committee, and a Red Squirrel Committee - a group who are doing their best to conserve and protect the dale's small but thriving population of native red squirrels.