Askham is a village and civil parish in the Eden District

Eden, Cumbria

Eden is a local government district in Cumbria, England. Its council is based in Penrith. It is named after the River Eden which flows north through the district toward Carlisle....

 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 the parish had a population of 360. It is situated in the eastern edge of the Lake District

Lake District

The Lake District, also commonly known as The Lakes or Lakeland, is a mountainous region in North West England. A popular holiday destination, it is famous not only for its lakes and its mountains but also for its associations with the early 19th century poetry and writings of William Wordsworth...

 National Park, about 5 miles (8 km) south of Penrith

Penrith, Cumbria

Penrith was an urban district between 1894 and 1974, when it was merged into Eden District.The authority's area was coterminous with the civil parish of Penrith although when the council was abolished Penrith became an unparished area....

. Nearby are the remains of Lowther Castle

Lowther Castle

Lowther Castle is a country house in the historic county of Westmorland, which now forms part of the modern county of Cumbria, England. It has belonged to the Lowther family, latterly the Earls of Lonsdale, since the Middle Ages.- History :...

, the site of the annual Lowther Show, a three day event of country pursuits.

Many public houses, such as the 'Punch Bowl', have old beams with splits in them where coins are forced 'for luck'. This practice may be linked to examples, called 'Wish Tree

Wish Tree

A wish tree is an individual tree, usually distinguished by species, position or appearance, which is used as an object of wishes and offerings. Such trees are identified as possessing a special religious or spiritual value...

s', often Hawthorn

Common Hawthorn

Crataegus monogyna, known as common hawthorn or single-seeded hawthorn, is a species of hawthorn native to Europe, northwest Africa and western Asia. It has been introduced in many other parts of the world where it is an invasive weed...

s which are traditionally linked with fertility, as in 'May Blossom'. The trunk and branches in these cases are covered with hundreds of coins which have been driven through the bark and into the wood. The local traditions are that a wish will be granted for each of the coins so treated (Rodger 2006).

Another local custom is the throwing of coins from the bridge onto a boulder that lies below the water level. Getting the coin to stay on the rock gives the thrower 'good luck'. These are examples of 'Touch Pieces

Touch pieces

A touch piece is a coin or medal attached to attracted superstitious beliefs, such as those with "holes" in them or those with particular designs...

'. Obvious connections exist with water generally and the practice of throwing in coins to seek 'favours' of the water spirits.