Gleaston
Encyclopedia
Gleaston is a village with a population of around 400 in the Furness
area of South Cumbria
, situated between the towns of Barrow-in-Furness
, Dalton-in-Furness
and Ulverston
. The history of the village can be traced as far back as the mesolithic
period and it was the centre of the manor
of Muchland
in the Middle Ages
. Today it is largely a commuter village for the nearby towns, but its past is still visible in the remains of Gleaston Castle
and Gleaston Water Mill, which is open as a tourist attraction.
of 1086 records Gleaston as Glassertun. Joan Lee suggests that this could mean 'farm by a stream' from the Brythonic glas and Old Norse
tun, as there is a swift stream or beck
running through the village. Alternatively it could mean 'green hill farm' from the Old Norse
words glas - haugr - tun. It has also been proposed that the name was derived from the "British words, glas, green, er, fallow or ploughed land, and ton, a town or village.
The greater part of Gleaston, the villages of Leece and Dendron, are included in the parochial parish of St. Matthew Dendron. The ancient village of Leece is built round a tarn and appears twice in the Domesday Book
. Lies was listed in the Manor of Hougun held by Earl Tostig.
, Neolithic
and Bronze Age
artifacts were found and the position of a prehistoric lake, which once covered a field between the castle and the mill, was discovered, proving that the local area has been inhabited for thousands of years.
Since the Iron Age
Gleaston would probably have been inhabited by the Carvetii
tribe who were based at Carlisle and covered most of modern Cumbria, or possibly the Setantii
tribe from Lancashire. Both were later incorporated by the Brigantes
. Successive waves of Norse, Saxon
and Norman invaders and settlers have all added to the history of the local area.
moved their seat of residence from nearby Aldingham
to Gleaston and probably built a wooden hall on the site of the present castle
, about 0.5 km north of the village. The building that stands today was begun in the late 13th century but was much extended between 1325 and 1350 under the control of the first Baron of Aldingham, John de Harrington.
The castle would have originally consisted of a quadrangular courtyard surrounded by high curtain walls, with substantial towers at the four corners. The north western tower would have contained the great hall and Lord's apartments. Although it was probably intended as a fortification against incursions from Scots, analysis of the structure has revealed that it would have been relatively ineffective for this purpose, despite its considerable height. The castle was quickly built and quickly fell into disrepair, and was abandoned in 1451 when the family line died out and the manor eventually passed to the crown.
s for farmers throughout the Furness area. The present mill was built in 1774 on the site of an earlier one and its water wheel and milling machinery are still in working order. The Mill is privately owned and was restored in the early 90's and preserved for posterity. Also on the site are the Dusty Millers restaurant and Pigs Whisper country store.
Today, all the amenities and the five farms have disappeared and all the buildings have been converted into dwellings as Gleaston gradually became a commuter village for nearby Barrow and Ulverston. Most of the fields and large gardens in the village were also given over to development as pressure rose in the 1970s and 80s to provide the growing number of workers at Vickers
(now BAE Systems
), Glaxo and Furness General Hospital
with homes. Gleaston even has its own small estate called Mounts Meadow.
The village has its own large village green
, a small football pitch, a community hall and a children's playground, which are all owned and run by the villagers themselves. Every year a sports day and barbecue is held to raise funds and for locals to meet and enjoy themselves and the village has its own bonfire
and fireworks diplay every November 5. In the year 2000, to celebrate the millennium
a short walk was created in a small piece of woodland adjacent to the green, behind the beck.
Furness
Furness is a peninsula in south Cumbria, England. At its widest extent, it is considered to cover the whole of North Lonsdale, that part of the Lonsdale hundred that is an exclave of the historic county of Lancashire, lying to the north of Morecambe Bay....
area of South 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...
, situated between the towns of Barrow-in-Furness
Barrow-in-Furness
Barrow-in-Furness is an industrial town and seaport which forms about half the territory of the wider Borough of Barrow-in-Furness in the county of Cumbria, England. It lies north of Liverpool, northwest of Manchester and southwest from the county town of Carlisle...
, Dalton-in-Furness
Dalton-in-Furness
Dalton-in-Furness is a small town of 8,394 people, north east of Barrow-in-Furness, in Cumbria, England.-History:Dalton is mentioned in the Domesday Book, written as "Daltune" as one of the townships forming the Manor of Hougun held by Earl Tostig. Historically, it was the capital of Furness...
and Ulverston
Ulverston
Ulverston is a market town and civil parish in the South Lakeland district of Cumbria in north-west England. Historically part of Lancashire, the town is located in the Furness area, close to the Lake District, and just north of Morecambe Bay....
. The history of the village can be traced as far back as the mesolithic
Mesolithic
The Mesolithic is an archaeological concept used to refer to certain groups of archaeological cultures defined as falling between the Paleolithic and the Neolithic....
period and it was the centre of the manor
Manorialism
Manorialism, an essential element of feudal society, was the organizing principle of rural economy that originated in the villa system of the Late Roman Empire, was widely practiced in medieval western and parts of central Europe, and was slowly replaced by the advent of a money-based market...
of Muchland
Muchland
Muchland is a medieval manor in Low Furness in the county of Cumbria in northern England. The manor was the seat of the Lords of Aldingham, and included at its peak the villages of Bardsea, Urswick, Scales, Stainton, Sunbrick, Baycliff, Gleaston, Aldingham, Dendron, Leece and Newbiggin...
in the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
. Today it is largely a commuter village for the nearby towns, but its past is still visible in the remains of Gleaston Castle
Gleaston Castle
Gleaston Castle is situated in a valley about 0.5 km north-east of the village of Gleaston, which lies between the towns of Ulverston and Barrow-in-Furness in the Furness peninsula, Cumbria, England.-Structure:...
and Gleaston Water Mill, which is open as a tourist attraction.
Etymology
The Domesday BookDomesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
of 1086 records Gleaston as Glassertun. Joan Lee suggests that this could mean 'farm by a stream' from the Brythonic glas and Old Norse
Old Norse
Old Norse is a North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age, until about 1300....
tun, as there is a swift stream or beck
Gill (stream)
Ghyll or Gill is used for a stream or narrow valley in the North of England and other parts of the United Kingdom. The word originates from the Old Norse Gil...
running through the village. Alternatively it could mean 'green hill farm' from the Old Norse
Old Norse
Old Norse is a North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age, until about 1300....
words glas - haugr - tun. It has also been proposed that the name was derived from the "British words, glas, green, er, fallow or ploughed land, and ton, a town or village.
The greater part of Gleaston, the villages of Leece and Dendron, are included in the parochial parish of St. Matthew Dendron. The ancient village of Leece is built round a tarn and appears twice in the Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
. Lies was listed in the Manor of Hougun held by Earl Tostig.
Pre-history
Archaeological digs in the 1990s brought to light the ancient history of the village. MesolithicMesolithic
The Mesolithic is an archaeological concept used to refer to certain groups of archaeological cultures defined as falling between the Paleolithic and the Neolithic....
, Neolithic
Neolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
and Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
artifacts were found and the position of a prehistoric lake, which once covered a field between the castle and the mill, was discovered, proving that the local area has been inhabited for thousands of years.
Since the Iron Age
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
Gleaston would probably have been inhabited by the Carvetii
Carvetii
The Carvetii were a people and civitas of Roman Britain living in what is now Cumbria and North Lancashire in north-west England. They are not mentioned in Ptolemy's Geography or in any other classical text, and are known only from inscriptions found in Penrith and Temple Sowerby in Cumbria...
tribe who were based at Carlisle and covered most of modern Cumbria, or possibly the Setantii
Setantii
The Setantii were a pre-Roman British tribe who apparently lived in the western and southern littoral of Lancashire in England...
tribe from Lancashire. Both were later incorporated by the Brigantes
Brigantes
The Brigantes were a Celtic tribe who in pre-Roman times controlled the largest section of what would become Northern England, and a significant part of the Midlands. Their kingdom is sometimes called Brigantia, and it was centred in what was later known as Yorkshire...
. Successive waves of Norse, Saxon
Anglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
and Norman invaders and settlers have all added to the history of the local area.
Gleaston Castle
In the 13th century the Lords of the Manor of MuchlandMuchland
Muchland is a medieval manor in Low Furness in the county of Cumbria in northern England. The manor was the seat of the Lords of Aldingham, and included at its peak the villages of Bardsea, Urswick, Scales, Stainton, Sunbrick, Baycliff, Gleaston, Aldingham, Dendron, Leece and Newbiggin...
moved their seat of residence from nearby Aldingham
Aldingham
Aldingham is a village and civil parish in the South Lakeland district of Cumbria, England. It is situated on the east coast of the Furness peninsula, facing into Morecambe Bay, and is about east of Barrow in Furness, and south of Ulverston...
to Gleaston and probably built a wooden hall on the site of the present castle
Gleaston Castle
Gleaston Castle is situated in a valley about 0.5 km north-east of the village of Gleaston, which lies between the towns of Ulverston and Barrow-in-Furness in the Furness peninsula, Cumbria, England.-Structure:...
, about 0.5 km north of the village. The building that stands today was begun in the late 13th century but was much extended between 1325 and 1350 under the control of the first Baron of Aldingham, John de Harrington.
The castle would have originally consisted of a quadrangular courtyard surrounded by high curtain walls, with substantial towers at the four corners. The north western tower would have contained the great hall and Lord's apartments. Although it was probably intended as a fortification against incursions from Scots, analysis of the structure has revealed that it would have been relatively ineffective for this purpose, despite its considerable height. The castle was quickly built and quickly fell into disrepair, and was abandoned in 1451 when the family line died out and the manor eventually passed to the crown.
Gleaston Water Mill
Just north of the village is Gleaston Water Mill. Now a tourist attraction, the mill would once have been used to grind oatOat
The common oat is a species of cereal grain grown for its seed, which is known by the same name . While oats are suitable for human consumption as oatmeal and rolled oats, one of the most common uses is as livestock feed...
s for farmers throughout the Furness area. The present mill was built in 1774 on the site of an earlier one and its water wheel and milling machinery are still in working order. The Mill is privately owned and was restored in the early 90's and preserved for posterity. Also on the site are the Dusty Millers restaurant and Pigs Whisper country store.
The village now
Much of the village that can be seen today is twentieth century. Since the 1960s the village has experienced a small scale population explosion. Previously there were five farms within the village itself as well as a pub, post office, Co-op and police station, most of which were 19th century buildings. The oldest remaining buildings all date from the 17th century and there are numerous 18th century buildings.Today, all the amenities and the five farms have disappeared and all the buildings have been converted into dwellings as Gleaston gradually became a commuter village for nearby Barrow and Ulverston. Most of the fields and large gardens in the village were also given over to development as pressure rose in the 1970s and 80s to provide the growing number of workers at Vickers
Vickers
Vickers was a famous name in British engineering that existed through many companies from 1828 until 1999.-Early history:Vickers was formed in Sheffield as a steel foundry by the miller Edward Vickers and his father-in-law George Naylor in 1828. Naylor was a partner in the foundry Naylor &...
(now BAE Systems
BAE Systems
BAE Systems plc is a British multinational defence, security and aerospace company headquartered in London, United Kingdom, that has global interests, particularly in North America through its subsidiary BAE Systems Inc. BAE is among the world's largest military contractors; in 2009 it was the...
), Glaxo and Furness General Hospital
Furness General Hospital
Furness General Hospital is a hospital located in the Hawcoat area of Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England.-Description and departments:...
with homes. Gleaston even has its own small estate called Mounts Meadow.
The village has its own large village green
Village green
A village green is a common open area which is a part of a settlement. Traditionally, such an area was often common grass land at the centre of a small agricultural settlement, used for grazing and sometimes for community events...
, a small football pitch, a community hall and a children's playground, which are all owned and run by the villagers themselves. Every year a sports day and barbecue is held to raise funds and for locals to meet and enjoy themselves and the village has its own bonfire
Bonfire
A bonfire is a controlled outdoor fire used for informal disposal of burnable waste material or as part of a celebration. Celebratory bonfires are typically designed to burn quickly and may be very large...
and fireworks diplay every November 5. In the year 2000, to celebrate the 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....
a short walk was created in a small piece of woodland adjacent to the green, behind the beck.