Melmerby, Cumbria
Encyclopedia
Melmerby is a village in Cumbria
, England
. It is a small village with a population of around 200. It is relatively quiet because the area is not as popular with tourists as other parts of Cumbria. The River Eden
is bridged about 4 miles (6.4 km) away at Langwathby
, and Long Meg and Her Daughters
, the 3,500 year old stone circle—the second largest in the country—is nearby at Little Salkeld
.
For the purposes of local government Melmerby is within the civil parish
of Ousby
, informally known as Ousby and Melmerby, in the District
of Eden
.
and the Grade II Listed Melmerby Hall, begun as a defensive structure in the early 14th century. A Petition
received by Edward II
between 1320 and 1326 reads:
The Hall, built from the local red sandstone
, was extended in the 17th century and again in the 18th century in a Georgian
style. The 20 acres (80,937.2 m²) grounds include an archery
lawn, walled vegetable gardens, a Victorian
castle folly
and wooded areas. Features inside include a priest hole
and a large inglenook fireplace.
.. The shop closed in 2008.
In June, during the Appleby Horse Fair
, Irish Traveller
s camp on the village green. The staff in the village pub said that between 150 and 200 caravans camped on the village green for two weeks during the 2005 fair, and caused very little trouble.
The area is popular with ramblers
. Melmerby Fell is very close and Cross Fell
, the highest part of the Pennines, is only three or four miles (6 km) away.
The A686 road
passes through the village, and was described in AA Magazine
by travel journalist Phil Llewellin:
The Hartside Fell is a prominent feature of the area.
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...
. It is a small village with a population of around 200. It is relatively quiet because the area is not as popular with tourists as other parts of Cumbria. The River Eden
River Eden, Cumbria
The River Eden is a river that flows through Cumbria, England on its way to the Solway Firth.-Course of river:The Eden rises in Black Fell Moss, Mallerstang, on the high ground between High Seat, Yorkshire Dales and Hugh Seat. Here it forms the boundary between the counties of Cumbria and North...
is bridged about 4 miles (6.4 km) away at Langwathby
Langwathby
Langwathby is a village and civil parish in northern Cumbria, England. It is situated about north east of Penrith on the A686 road. The village lies on the banks of the River Eden....
, and Long Meg and Her Daughters
Long Meg and Her Daughters
Long Meg and Her Daughters, also known as Maughanby Circle, is a Bronze Age stone circle near Penrith in Cumbria, North West England. One of around 1,300 stone circles in the British Isles and Brittany, it was constructed as a part of a megalithic tradition that lasted from 3,300 to 900 BCE, during...
, the 3,500 year old stone circle—the second largest in the country—is nearby at Little Salkeld
Little Salkeld
Little Salkeld is a small village within the Eden district of Cumbria, England, a few miles to the north east of Penrith and within the parish of Hunsonby.-History:The manor at Little Salkeld was confirmed by King Edward I in 1292...
.
For the purposes of local government Melmerby is within the 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...
of Ousby
Ousby
Ousby is a village and civil parish in Eden District, in the English county of Cumbria. It is a Thankful Village, one of 52 parishes in England and Wales that suffered no casualties during World War I...
, informally known as Ousby and Melmerby, in the District
Non-metropolitan district
Non-metropolitan districts, or colloquially shire districts, are a type of local government district in England. As created, they are sub-divisions of non-metropolitan counties in a so-called "two-tier" arrangement...
of Eden
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....
.
History
Melmerby is supposed to have taken its name from the residence of Melmor, a Dane who lived nearby in the 9th century. The most significant historic buildings surviving in the village today are the 13th century church of St John the BaptistJohn the Baptist
John the Baptist was an itinerant preacher and a major religious figure mentioned in the Canonical gospels. He is described in the Gospel of Luke as a relative of Jesus, who led a movement of baptism at the Jordan River...
and the Grade II Listed Melmerby Hall, begun as a defensive structure in the early 14th century. A Petition
Petition
A petition is a request to do something, most commonly addressed to a government official or public entity. Petitions to a deity are a form of prayer....
received by Edward II
Edward II of England
Edward II , called Edward of Caernarfon, was King of England from 1307 until he was deposed by his wife Isabella in January 1327. He was the sixth Plantagenet king, in a line that began with the reign of Henry II...
between 1320 and 1326 reads:
- "John le Denum petitions the King that whereas he has a castle in CumberlandCumberlandCumberland 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....
called Melmerby Tower, which could be kept by a dozen men at arms, he has kept it until now and has often been assailed by the Scots to their great loss, and John's lands are so devastated there and elsewhere that he can no longer bear the expense. He craves help in the form of wages or otherwise until times change, because all the country around would suffer great loss peril and loss if it were taken through lack of garrison."
The Hall, built from the local red sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
, was extended in the 17th century and again in the 18th century in a Georgian
Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
style. The 20 acres (80,937.2 m²) grounds include an archery
Archery
Archery is the art, practice, or skill of propelling arrows with the use of a bow, from Latin arcus. Archery has historically been used for hunting and combat; in modern times, however, its main use is that of a recreational activity...
lawn, walled vegetable gardens, a Victorian
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
castle folly
Folly
In architecture, a folly is a building constructed primarily for decoration, but either suggesting by its appearance some other purpose, or merely so extravagant that it transcends the normal range of garden ornaments or other class of building to which it belongs...
and wooded areas. Features inside include a priest hole
Priest hole
"Priest hole" is the term given to hiding places for priests built into many of the principal Catholic houses of England during the period when Catholics were persecuted by law in England, from the beginning of the reign of Queen Elizabeth I in 1558....
and a large inglenook fireplace.
Modern Melmerby
Melmerby has one Egon Ronay Guide-listed eatery: the popular Village Bakery, famous for breads and cakes made with organic, stoneground flour. Village residents formed a consumer co-operative and opened a village shop in 2005, that featured on the BBC's Working LunchWorking Lunch
Working Lunch was a television programme broadcast on BBC Two which covered business, personal finance and consumer news between 1994 and 2010. The programme was first aired on 19 September 1994. It had a quirky, relaxed style, especially when compared to other BBC business shows such as World...
.. The shop closed in 2008.
In June, during the Appleby Horse Fair
Appleby Horse Fair
The Appleby Horse Fair is a horse fair which is held annually at Appleby-in-Westmorland, Cumbria in England....
, Irish Traveller
Irish Traveller
Irish Travellers are a traditionally nomadic people of ethnic Irish origin, who maintain a separate language and set of traditions. They live predominantly in the Republic of Ireland, the United Kingdom and the United States.-Etymology:...
s camp on the village green. The staff in the village pub said that between 150 and 200 caravans camped on the village green for two weeks during the 2005 fair, and caused very little trouble.
The area is popular with ramblers
Hillwalking
In the British Isles, the terms hillwalking or fellwalking are commonly used to describe the recreational outdoor activity of walking on hills and mountains, often with the intention of visiting their summits...
. Melmerby Fell is very close and Cross Fell
Cross Fell
Cross Fell is the highest point in the Pennine Hills of northern England and the highest point in England outside of the Lake District.The summit, at , is a stony plateau, part of a long ridge running North West to South East, which also incorporates Little Dun Fell at and Great Dun Fell at...
, the highest part of the Pennines, is only three or four miles (6 km) away.
The A686 road
A686 road
The A686 is a road in northern England. It runs from Penrith in Cumbria to Haydon Bridge in Northumberland. The AA named the A686 One of the Greatest Drives in Britain owing to the dramatic scenery of the Pennines mountains encountered along its route. The road is popular with motorcyclists, and...
passes through the village, and was described in AA Magazine
The Automobile Association
The Automobile Association , a British motoring association founded in 1905 was demutualised in 1999 to become a private limited company which currently provides car insurance, driving lessons, breakdown cover, loans and motoring advice, and other services...
by travel journalist Phil Llewellin:
- "England's great wilderness sprawls across the northern Pennines, where the mountains have fascinating names such as Fiend's Fell and Wildboar Fell. PenrithPenrith, CumbriaPenrith 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....
merits a visit after leaving the M6M6 motorwayThe M6 motorway runs from junction 19 of the M1 at the Catthorpe Interchange, near Rugby via Birmingham then heads north, passing Stoke-on-Trent, Manchester, Preston, Carlisle and terminating at the Gretna junction . Here, just short of the Scottish border it becomes the A74 which continues to...
, and memories of the motorway fade as the A686 crosses the River Eden valley. The mood changes dramatically in Melmerby, where the road starts its long climb to the cafe at the top of Hartside pass, 1904 feet (580.3 m) above sea level, with stunning views of the Solway FirthSolway FirthThe 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...
and ScotlandScotlandScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. - The road leads to AlstonAlston, CumbriaAlston is a small town in Cumbria, England on the River South Tyne. It is one of the highest elevation towns in the country, at about 1,000 feet above sea level.-Geography:...
, which claims to be England's highest market town, a charming little place with cobbled streets and quaint buildings. The A686 beyond Alston crosses another breathtaking expanse of windswept upland before running down to the River Allen's beautiful wooded gorge."
The Hartside Fell is a prominent feature of the area.