Dacre, Cumbria
Encyclopedia
Dacre is a small village and civil parish
in the Lake District National Park
in the Eden District
of Cumbria
, England
, and was historically
in Cumberland
. In the 2001 census, the parish, which includes Newbiggin and Stainton
, had a population of 1,326.
Dacre is situated about 5 miles (8 km) west of Penrith
and contains St Andrew's Parish Church and an ancient castle
as well as the Horse & Farrier pub. Nearby is the well-known small stately home
of Dalemain. Dacre Beck is a major tributary of the River Eamont
.
Although Dacre is a small place in itself its civil parish
is quite large and includes the villages and hamlets of Stainton
, Redhills
, Newbiggin
, Great Blencow
and Soulby
. Stainton is by far the largest place in the parish and is a dormitary village of Penrith. Redhills is home to a Little Chef
restaurant, the Penrith Golf
Driving Range, The Limes Country Hotel and the Rheged
Discovery Centre.
731, the Venerable
Bede
, in his Ecclesiastical History
, speaks of a monastery
at Dacre, written as 'Dacore'. There is no later reference to the monastery, and it is assumed to have been destroyed by the Viking
s. A church, however, has been present on the site for over a millennium
. Archaeological excavations support the view that the church may be built on the site of the former monastery.
In William of Malmesbury
's account of the Treaty of Eamont Bridge
, he states that the meeting of the kings took place in Dacre ('ad locum qui Dacor uocatur'), but historians doubt the accuracy of his statement.
The present church is a Norman
design. Several notable archaeological remains are at the site. These include various stone bears - the celebrated 'Dacre Bears', and inside the church two fragments of Viking
crosses.
Above the tower doorway, there is a plaque
stating that the church was partly rebuilt by William Pollock. The south door has a large lock dated 1671 inscribed 'AP', referring to the Countess of Pembroke
, Lady Anne Clifford
. The resting place of Viscount Whitelaw
, the former Home Secretary, is in the church grounds.
Dacre Castle
was a quadrangular building with four turrets, a pele tower
design, and built around the time of Henry VII
. The castle was restored as a private dwelling in 1688. By 1816 it was being used as a farmhouse. The castle is presently in an excellent state of restoration. It featured in 2007 in Robbie Coltrane
's ITV series, "Incredible Britain", where he travelled from Glasgow to London in a classic 1958 Jaguar XK 150 using only minor roads.
The Horse and Farrier public house is the 18th-century inn signposted from the A66
and A592. It is a pub and not an inn, as it does not have rooms; the interior of the building has been described as 16th century. The pub now has a letting flat, and after the signing of a new lease its future is secure.
In the Middle Ages the parish formed part of the Barony of Greystoke. The Rheged
Discovery Centre is at Slapestones between Stainton and Redhills.
had a station at Newbiggin but was called Blencow Station
to avoid confusion with Newbiggin station on the Settle to Carlisle Railway.
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 Lake District National Park
Lake District National Park
The Lake District National Park is located in the north-west of England and is the largest of the English National Parks and the second largest in the United Kingdom. It is in the central and most-visited part of the Lake District....
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...
, and was historically
Historic counties of England
The historic counties of England are subdivisions of England established for administration by the Normans and in most cases based on earlier Anglo-Saxon kingdoms and shires...
in Cumberland
Cumberland
Cumberland is a historic county of North West England, on the border with Scotland, from the 12th century until 1974. It formed an administrative county from 1889 to 1974 and now forms part of Cumbria....
. In the 2001 census, the parish, which includes Newbiggin and Stainton
Stainton, Eden
Stainton is a village in the parish of Dacre, in the Eden District, in the English county of Cumbria. It is a few miles away from the market town of Penrith. It is in the parish of Dacre, although it is bigger than Dacre. It also has a place of worship and a primary school...
, had a population of 1,326.
Dacre is situated about 5 miles (8 km) west 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....
and contains St Andrew's Parish Church and an ancient 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...
as well as the Horse & Farrier pub. Nearby is the well-known small stately home
Stately home
A stately home is a "great country house". It is thus a palatial great house or in some cases an updated castle, located in the British Isles, mostly built between the mid-16th century and the early part of the 20th century, as well as converted abbeys and other church property...
of Dalemain. Dacre Beck is a major tributary of the River Eamont
River Eamont
The River Eamont is a river in Cumbria, England and one of the major tributaries of the River Eden.The river is formed by the outflow from Ullswater in the Lake District, later augmented by Dacre Beck from the west and the River Lowther which carries the water from Haweswater north to the Eamont at...
.
Although Dacre is a small place in itself its 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 large and includes the villages and hamlets of Stainton
Stainton, Eden
Stainton is a village in the parish of Dacre, in the Eden District, in the English county of Cumbria. It is a few miles away from the market town of Penrith. It is in the parish of Dacre, although it is bigger than Dacre. It also has a place of worship and a primary school...
, Redhills
Redhills
Redhills is a hamlet in the civil parish of Dacre, in the Eden District, in the English county of Cumbria.- Location :...
, Newbiggin
Newbiggin (Stainton)
Newbiggin is a small linear village in Cumbria, North-western England. It is in the Dacre civil parish about three miles west of Penrith....
, Great Blencow
Blencow
Blencow or Blencowe is a small village near Penrith, Cumbria. It is divided by the River Petteril into Great Blencow to the south and Little Blencow to the north...
and Soulby
Soulby, Dacre
Soulby is a hamlet in the parish of Dacre, near the villages of Dacre and Pooley Bridge and the A592 road, in the Eden District, in the English county of Cumbria.- References :Philip's Street Atlas...
. Stainton is by far the largest place in the parish and is a dormitary village of Penrith. Redhills is home to a Little Chef
Little Chef
Little Chef is a chain of roadside restaurants in the United Kingdom, founded in 1958 and owned by the UK private equity group RCapital. Little Chef's previous owners were The People's Restaurant Group Ltd., a company belonging to British catering entrepreneurs Simon Heath and Lawrence Wosskow,...
restaurant, the Penrith Golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
Driving Range, The Limes Country Hotel and the Rheged
Rheged
Rheged is described in poetic sources as one of the kingdoms of the Hen Ogledd , the Brythonic-speaking region of what is now northern England and southern Scotland, during the Early Middle Ages...
Discovery Centre.
History
As early as ADAnno Domini
and Before Christ are designations used to label or number years used with the Julian and Gregorian calendars....
731, the Venerable
Venerable
The Venerable is used as a style or epithet in several Christian churches. It is also the common English-language translation of a number of Buddhist titles.-Roman Catholic:...
Bede
Bede
Bede , also referred to as Saint Bede or the Venerable Bede , was a monk at the Northumbrian monastery of Saint Peter at Monkwearmouth, today part of Sunderland, England, and of its companion monastery, Saint Paul's, in modern Jarrow , both in the Kingdom of Northumbria...
, in his Ecclesiastical History
Ecclesiastical History
Ecclesiastical History or ecclesiastical history may refer to:*Ecclesiastical history *Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum by Bede*Church History , pioneer work on the Christian Church by Eusebius of Caesarea...
, speaks of a monastery
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
at Dacre, written as 'Dacore'. There is no later reference to the monastery, and it is assumed to have been destroyed by the Viking
Viking
The term Viking is customarily used to refer to the Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided, traded, explored and settled in wide areas of Europe, Asia and the North Atlantic islands from the late 8th to the mid-11th century.These Norsemen used their famed longships to...
s. A church, however, has been present on the site for over a millennium
Millennium
A millennium is a period of time equal to one thousand years —from the Latin phrase , thousand, and , year—often but not necessarily related numerically to a particular dating system....
. Archaeological excavations support the view that the church may be built on the site of the former monastery.
In William of Malmesbury
William of Malmesbury
William of Malmesbury was the foremost English historian of the 12th century. C. Warren Hollister so ranks him among the most talented generation of writers of history since Bede, "a gifted historical scholar and an omnivorous reader, impressively well versed in the literature of classical,...
's account of the Treaty of Eamont Bridge
Eamont Bridge
Eamont Bridge is a small village immediately to the south of Penrith, Cumbria.The village is named after the River Eamont and straddles the boundary between the ancient counties of Cumberland and Westmorland...
, he states that the meeting of the kings took place in Dacre ('ad locum qui Dacor uocatur'), but historians doubt the accuracy of his statement.
The present church is a 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...
design. Several notable archaeological remains are at the site. These include various stone bears - the celebrated 'Dacre Bears', and inside the church two fragments of Viking
Viking
The term Viking is customarily used to refer to the Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided, traded, explored and settled in wide areas of Europe, Asia and the North Atlantic islands from the late 8th to the mid-11th century.These Norsemen used their famed longships to...
crosses.
Above the tower doorway, there is a plaque
Commemorative plaque
A commemorative plaque, or simply plaque, is a plate of metal, ceramic, stone, wood, or other material, typically attached to a wall, stone, or other vertical surface, and bearing text in memory of an important figure or event...
stating that the church was partly rebuilt by William Pollock. The south door has a large lock dated 1671 inscribed 'AP', referring to the Countess of Pembroke
Pembroke, Pembrokeshire
Pembroke is an historic settlement and former county town of Pembrokeshire in west Wales. The town and the county derive their name from that of the cantref of Penfro: Pen = "head" or "end", and bro = "region", "country", "land", and so it means essentially "Land's End".-History:The main point of...
, Lady Anne Clifford
Lady 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...
. The resting place of Viscount Whitelaw
William Whitelaw, 1st Viscount Whitelaw
William Stephen Ian Whitelaw, 1st Viscount Whitelaw, KT, CH, MC, PC, DL , often known as Willie Whitelaw, was a British Conservative Party politician who served in a wide number of Cabinet positions, most notably as Home Secretary and Deputy Prime Minister.-Early life:Whitelaw was born in Nairn, in...
, the former Home Secretary, is in the church grounds.
Dacre Castle
Dacre Castle
Dacre Castle is in the village of Dacre some south-west of Penrith, Cumbria .In 1307 William de Dacre was granted licence to crenellate his dwelling on the site. The present building is a pele tower rather than a castle which was built in the 14th century for protection against the Scots...
was a quadrangular building with four turrets, a pele tower
Peel 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...
design, and built around the time of Henry VII
Henry VII of England
Henry VII was King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizing the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death on 21 April 1509, as the first monarch of the House of Tudor....
. The castle was restored as a private dwelling in 1688. By 1816 it was being used as a farmhouse. The castle is presently in an excellent state of restoration. It featured in 2007 in Robbie Coltrane
Robbie Coltrane
Robbie Coltrane, OBE is a Scottish actor, comedian and author. He is known both for his role as Dr...
's ITV series, "Incredible Britain", where he travelled from Glasgow to London in a classic 1958 Jaguar XK 150 using only minor roads.
The Horse and Farrier public house is the 18th-century inn signposted from the A66
A66 road
The A66 is a major road in northern England which in part follows the course of the Roman road from Scotch Corner to Penrith. It runs from east of Middlesbrough in the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire to Workington in Cumbria...
and A592. It is a pub and not an inn, as it does not have rooms; the interior of the building has been described as 16th century. The pub now has a letting flat, and after the signing of a new lease its future is secure.
In the Middle Ages the parish formed part of the Barony of Greystoke. The Rheged
Rheged
Rheged is described in poetic sources as one of the kingdoms of the Hen Ogledd , the Brythonic-speaking region of what is now northern England and southern Scotland, during the Early Middle Ages...
Discovery Centre is at Slapestones between Stainton and Redhills.
Transport
The Cockermouth, Keswick and Penrith RailwayCockermouth, Keswick and Penrith Railway
The Cockermouth, Keswick and Penrith Railway was incorporated by Act of Parliament on 1 August 1861, for a line connecting the town of Cockermouth with the London and North Western Railway West Coast Main Line at Penrith. Arrangements for the use of the stations at either end The Cockermouth,...
had a station at Newbiggin but was called Blencow Station
Blencow railway station
Blencow railway station was situated on the Cockermouth, Keswick and Penrith Railway between Penrith and Cockermouth in Cumbria, England. The station served the villages of Blencow and Newbiggin. The station opened to passenger traffic on 2 January 1865, and closed on 3 March 1952...
to avoid confusion with Newbiggin station on the Settle to Carlisle Railway.