Burgh by Sands
Encyclopedia
Burgh by Sands is a village and civil parish
in the City of Carlisle
district of Cumbria
, England, situated near the Solway Firth
. The parish includes the village of Burgh by Sands along with Longburgh
, Dykesfield, Boustead Hill
, Moorhouse and Thurstonfield.
According to the 2001 census the parish had a population of 1,143. The village is about seven miles (11 km) west of Carlisle city centre. The village has a primary school, a pub, a motor garage and a post office. It also has a statue of Edward I. Burgh was on the Carlisle Navigation canal from 1823 to 1853, after which it was served by the Port Carlisle railway, which was built on the bed of the canal, until its closure in 1932.
runs through the village, and the site once was that of a Roman fort, Aballava
. It has also been mooted as a possible site for the semi-mythical Avalon
where King Arthur
died and the legendary Excalibur
was forged.
In the 12th century, the castle and lands of Burgh upon Sands belonged to a female-dominated line of feudal lords, among them Ada de Engaine. Her granddaughter's second marriage founded a younger branch of the de Multon family, a branch which held this castle in the 13th century. The Dacre lords
inherited it in the 14th century via an heiress, their foremother.
The church of St Michael is built with stone from the Roman wall on the site of a Norman church. It has a broad tower with a base dating from the mid 14th Century, and apart from the 18th century east windows, the rest is Early English. The tower, which can only be reached from within the church, is designed for defence and the ground floor is tunnel-vaulted. The top of the tower is probably 18th century.
, whilst on his way to war against the Scots, died on the marshes near Burgh, and his corpse lay at the village's 12th century church until its eventual removal to Westminster Abbey
. There is an impressive monument on the marshes erected in 1685 to mark the place where he died. It is 1 1/4 miles NNW of the village, is signposted and can be reached on foot.
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 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, situated near the Solway Firth
Solway Firth
The Solway Firth is a firth that forms part of the border between England and Scotland, between Cumbria and Dumfries and Galloway. It stretches from St Bees Head, just south of Whitehaven in Cumbria, to the Mull of Galloway, on the western end of Dumfries and Galloway. The Isle of Man is also very...
. The parish includes the village of Burgh by Sands along with Longburgh
Longburgh
Longburgh is a hamlet in the civil parish of Burgh by Sands, in the City of Carlisle District, in the English county of Cumbria. Nearby settlements include the village of Burgh by Sands and the hamlet of Dykesfield....
, Dykesfield, Boustead Hill
Boustead Hill
Boustead Hill is a hamlet in Cumbria, England. It has two separate equestrian centres.It is located close to the site were the famous Solway Firth Spaceman photograph was taken....
, Moorhouse and Thurstonfield.
According to the 2001 census the parish had a population of 1,143. The village is about seven miles (11 km) west of Carlisle city centre. The village has a primary school, a pub, a motor garage and a post office. It also has a statue of Edward I. Burgh was on the Carlisle Navigation canal from 1823 to 1853, after which it was served by the Port Carlisle railway, which was built on the bed of the canal, until its closure in 1932.
History
Hadrian's WallHadrian's Wall
Hadrian's Wall was a defensive fortification in Roman Britain. Begun in AD 122, during the rule of emperor Hadrian, it was the first of two fortifications built across Great Britain, the second being the Antonine Wall, lesser known of the two because its physical remains are less evident today.The...
runs through the village, and the site once was that of a Roman fort, Aballava
Aballava
Aballava or Aballaba was a Roman fort on Hadrian's Wall, between Petriana to the east and Coggabata to the west...
. It has also been mooted as a possible site for the semi-mythical Avalon
Avalon
Avalon is a legendary island featured in the Arthurian legend. It first appears in Geoffrey of Monmouth's 1136 pseudohistorical account Historia Regum Britanniae as the place where King Arthur's sword Excalibur was forged and later where Arthur was...
where 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...
died and the legendary Excalibur
Excalibur
Excalibur is the legendary sword of King Arthur, sometimes attributed with magical powers or associated with the rightful sovereignty of Great Britain. Sometimes Excalibur and the Sword in the Stone are said to be the same weapon, but in most versions they are considered separate. The sword was...
was forged.
In the 12th century, the castle and lands of Burgh upon Sands belonged to a female-dominated line of feudal lords, among them Ada de Engaine. Her granddaughter's second marriage founded a younger branch of the de Multon family, a branch which held this castle in the 13th century. The Dacre lords
Baron Dacre
Baron Dacre is a title that has been created three times in the Peerage of England, every time by writ. The first creation came in 1321 when Ralph Dacre was summoned to Parliament as Lord Dacre. He married Margaret, 2nd Baroness Multon of Gilsland, heiress of a large estate in Cumbria centred on...
inherited it in the 14th century via an heiress, their foremother.
The church of St Michael is built with stone from the Roman wall on the site of a Norman church. It has a broad tower with a base dating from the mid 14th Century, and apart from the 18th century east windows, the rest is Early English. The tower, which can only be reached from within the church, is designed for defence and the ground floor is tunnel-vaulted. The top of the tower is probably 18th century.
Edward I
Edward IEdward I of England
Edward I , also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England from 1272 to 1307. The first son of Henry III, Edward was involved early in the political intrigues of his father's reign, which included an outright rebellion by the English barons...
, whilst on his way to war against the Scots, died on the marshes near Burgh, and his corpse lay at the village's 12th century church until its eventual removal to Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey
The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, popularly known as Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic church, in the City of Westminster, London, United Kingdom, located just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English,...
. There is an impressive monument on the marshes erected in 1685 to mark the place where he died. It is 1 1/4 miles NNW of the village, is signposted and can be reached on foot.