Melling, Lancashire
Encyclopedia
Melling-with-Wrayton is a civil parish
in the City of Lancaster
in the English
county of Lancashire
. It includes the village
of Melling and the hamlet
of Wrayton, to the north east The parish had a population of 290 recorded in the 2001 census
,
Melling forms part of a cluster of sites along the Lune Valley – the densest distribution of Norman
castle
s outside of the Welsh border
countryside. Each has evidence of a motte
– as with Arkholme and Whittington
– but Melling has no surviving bailey
.
was served by the Furness and Midland Joint Railway. The line continues in use for through traffic, although stopping trains ended on the branch in 1960. To the south-east, a tunnel takes the line to Wennington
, where it connects to the Midland Railway
; in the opposite direction, the next station was Arkholme. The line is now used by trains travelling between Morecambe
/Lancaster
and Leeds, as the Midland Railway between Lancaster and Wennington closed in 1966.
Locally attributed as, “The Cathedral of the Lune Valley”, St Wilfrid’s Church
, with a belfry of six bells appears, originally, to have formed the manorial chapel within the, now missing, castle bailey.
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 City of Lancaster
City of Lancaster
The City of Lancaster , is a local government district of Lancashire, England, with the status of a city and non-metropolitan district. It is named after its largest settlement, Lancaster, but covers a far larger area which includes the towns of Morecambe, Heysham, and Carnforth, as well as...
in the English
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...
county of Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
. It includes the village
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
of Melling and the hamlet
Hamlet (place)
A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
of Wrayton, to the north east The parish had a population of 290 recorded in the 2001 census
United Kingdom Census 2001
A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194....
,
Melling forms part of a cluster of sites along the Lune Valley – the densest distribution of Norman
Norman architecture
About|Romanesque architecture, primarily English|other buildings in Normandy|Architecture of Normandy.File:Durham Cathedral. Nave by James Valentine c.1890.jpg|thumb|200px|The nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the...
castle
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
s outside of the Welsh border
Welsh Marches
The Welsh Marches is a term which, in modern usage, denotes an imprecisely defined area along and around the border between England and Wales in the United Kingdom. The precise meaning of the term has varied at different periods...
countryside. Each has evidence of a motte
Motte-and-bailey
A motte-and-bailey is a form of castle, with a wooden or stone keep situated on a raised earthwork called a motte, accompanied by an enclosed courtyard, or bailey, surrounded by a protective ditch and palisade...
– as with Arkholme and Whittington
Whittington, Lancashire
Whittington is a small settlement and civil parish in Lancashire, England, forming part of a cluster of sites along the Lune valley, each with evidence of a motte - as with Melling and Arkholme...
– but Melling has no surviving bailey
Ward (fortification)
In fortifications, a bailey or ward refers to a courtyard enclosed by a curtain wall. In particular, an early type of European castle was known as a Motte-and-bailey. Castles can have more than one ward. Their layout depends both on the local topography and the level of fortification technology...
.
Railway Lines
Until 1952 Melling railway stationMelling Railway Station
Melling Railway Station is the terminal station on the single track Melling Line in in Lower Hutt, New Zealand. The island platform station serves the suburb of Melling...
was served by the Furness and Midland Joint Railway. The line continues in use for through traffic, although stopping trains ended on the branch in 1960. To the south-east, a tunnel takes the line to Wennington
Wennington railway station
Wennington railway station serves the village of Wennington in Lancashire, England. It is situated on the Leeds to Morecambe Line and operated by Northern Rail, who provide all passenger train services. The station was formerly a junction between the lines to Lancaster and Carnforth , but the...
, where it connects to the Midland Railway
Midland Railway
The Midland Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844 to 1922, when it became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway....
; in the opposite direction, the next station was Arkholme. The line is now used by trains travelling between Morecambe
Morecambe railway station
Morecambe railway station is a railway station that serves the town of Morecambe in Lancashire, England. It is located on the Morecambe Branch Line from to Heysham. The current truncated two-platform station was opened in 1994 to replace the Midland Railway's earlier terminus situated some...
/Lancaster
Lancaster railway station
Lancaster railway station is a railway station that serves the city of Lancaster in Lancashire, England...
and Leeds, as the Midland Railway between Lancaster and Wennington closed in 1966.
Geographical and Architectural Features
On the edge of the first terrace 6m above the flood plain – and within St Wilfrid’s vicarage garden – the motte at Melling is located centrally in the village, some distance from the present course of the river. The mound has been damaged by landscaping activities, but former channels of the varied course of the Lune can still be detected – on the Melling side of the plain.Locally attributed as, “The Cathedral of the Lune Valley”, St Wilfrid’s Church
St Wilfrid's Church, Melling
St Wilfrid's Church, Melling, is in the village of Melling, Lancashire, England. It has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade I listed building, and is an active Anglican church in the united benefice of East Lonsdale, the deanery of Tunstall, the archdeaconry of Lancaster and the...
, with a belfry of six bells appears, originally, to have formed the manorial chapel within the, now missing, castle bailey.