Westmorland
Encyclopedia
Westmorland is an area of North West England
and one of the 39 historic counties of England
. It formed an administrative county
from 1889 to 1974, after which the entirety of the county was absorbed into the new county of Cumbria
.
in 1086, parts of the county were considered either to form part of Yorkshire
or to be within the separate kingdom of Scotland
, having historically been associated with the Kingdom of Strathclyde
. The Normans conquered the area that is now Cumbria in 1092 during the reign of William II
and created the baronies of Kendal and Westmorland. These were originally distinct jurisdictions with separate sheriffs, but were formed into a single county of Westmorland in 1226/7. Before 1226 the Barony of Kendal was connected to the Earldom or Honour of Lancaster
while that of Westmorland was part of the Earldom of Carlisle
.
The historic county boundaries are with Cumberland
to the north, County Durham
and Yorkshire
to the east, and Lancashire
to the south and west. Windermere
forms part of the western border with Lancashire north of the sands
, and Ullswater
part of the border with Cumberland.
The highest point of the county is Helvellyn
at 950m (3,117 ft). According to the 1831 census the county covered an area of 485990 acres (1,966.7 km²).
Appleby
, the historic county town, formed a historic borough and was unreformed by the Municipal Corporations Act 1835
; although reform came later in 1885. Kendal
was reformed as a municipal borough in 1835.
s, Westmorland was subdivided into two baronies of Westmorland
(or sometimes Appleby) and Kendal
.
The baronies were further subdivided into two wards each:
, a county council was created for Westmorland, taking functions from the Quarter Sessions
. Westmorland had no county borough
s throughout its history, so the administrative county
, the area under the control of the county council, was coterminous with the geographic county. The county council was based at Kendal
, rather than the historic county town of Appleby-in-Westmorland
.
Aside from the two municipal boroughs of Kendal and Appleby, the Local Government Act 1894
divided the county into urban districts and rural districts.
In 1905 a new Shap
urban district was formed, while Windermere absorbed the neighbouring Bowness UD.
A County Review Order
in 1935 reduced the number of districts in the county:
Despite their title, many of Westmorland's urban districts, such as Lakes, Grasmere, and Shap, were quite rural in character.
According to the 1971 census, Westmorland was the second least populated administrative county in England, after Rutland
. The distribution of population was as follows:
In 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972
, the county council was abolished and its former area was combined with Cumberland
and parts of Lancashire
and Yorkshire
to form the new county of Cumbria
, administered by a new Cumbria County Council
. The area now forms parts of the districts of South Lakeland
and Eden
.
by the College of Arms
in 1926. The design of the shield referred to the two components of the county: on two red bars (from the arms of the de Lancaster family, Barons of Kendal) was placed a gold apple tree (from the seal of the borough of Appleby, for the Barony of Westmorland). The crest above the shield was the head of a ram of the local Herdwick
breed. On the ram's forehead was a shearman's hook, a tool used in the handling of wool. The hook was part of the insignia of the borough of Kendal, the administrative centre of the county council.
Westmorland is still used as a place name by organisations and businesses in the area such as:
The southern part of the county, the former Barony of Kendal or that part of Westmorland that is part of South Lakeland
, is included in the Westmorland and Lonsdale
parliamentary constituency.
In June 1994, during the 1990s UK local government reform
, the Local Government Commission published draft recommendations suggesting that Westmorland's border with Yorkshire and Lancashire be restored for ceremonial purposes
. The final recommendations, published in October 1994, did not include such recommendations, apparently due to lack of expression of support for the proposal to the commission.
In September 2011, the Westmorland Association, a local society which promotes the county's identity successfully registered the Flag of Westmorland
with the Flag Institute
.
North West England
North West England, informally known as The North West, is one of the nine official regions of England.North West England had a 2006 estimated population of 6,853,201 the third most populated region after London and the South East...
and one of the 39 historic counties of England
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...
. It formed an administrative county
Administrative county
An administrative county was an administrative division in England and Wales and Ireland used for the purposes of local government. They are now abolished, although in Northern Ireland their former areas are used as the basis for lieutenancy....
from 1889 to 1974, after which the entirety of the county was absorbed into the new county 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...
.
Early history
At the time of 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...
in 1086, parts of the county were considered either to form part of Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
or to be within the separate kingdom of Scotland
Kingdom of Scotland
The Kingdom of Scotland was a Sovereign state in North-West Europe that existed from 843 until 1707. It occupied the northern third of the island of Great Britain and shared a land border to the south with the Kingdom of England...
, having historically been associated with the Kingdom of Strathclyde
Kingdom of Strathclyde
Strathclyde , originally Brythonic Ystrad Clud, was one of the early medieval kingdoms of the celtic people called the Britons in the Hen Ogledd, the Brythonic-speaking parts of what is now southern Scotland and northern England. The kingdom developed during the post-Roman period...
. The Normans conquered the area that is now Cumbria in 1092 during the reign of William II
William II of England
William II , the third son of William I of England, was King of England from 1087 until 1100, with powers over Normandy, and influence in Scotland. He was less successful in extending control into Wales...
and created the baronies of Kendal and Westmorland. These were originally distinct jurisdictions with separate sheriffs, but were formed into a single county of Westmorland in 1226/7. Before 1226 the Barony of Kendal was connected to the Earldom or Honour of Lancaster
Earl of Lancaster
The title of Earl of Lancaster was created in the Peerage of England in 1267, merging in the crown in 1399. See also Duke of Lancaster.-Earls of Lancaster :...
while that of Westmorland was part of the Earldom of Carlisle
Earl of Carlisle
Earl of Carlisle is a title that has been created three times in the Peerage of England. The first creation came in 1322 when the soldier Andrew Harclay, 1st Baron Harclay was made Earl of Carlisle. He had already been summoned to Parliament as Lord Harclay in 1321...
.
The historic county boundaries are with 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....
to the north, County Durham
County Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
and Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
to the east, and Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
to the south and west. Windermere
Windermere (lake)
Windermere is the largest natural lake in England. It is a ribbon lake formed in a glacial trough after the retreat of ice at the start of the current interglacial. It has been one of the country’s most popular places for holidays and summer homes since the arrival of the Kendal and Windermere...
forms part of the western border with Lancashire north of the sands
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....
, and Ullswater
Ullswater
Ullswater is the second largest lake in the English Lake District, being approximately nine miles long and 0.75 miles wide with a maximum depth of slightly more than ....
part of the border with Cumberland.
The highest point of the county is Helvellyn
Helvellyn
Helvellyn is a mountain in the English Lake District, the apex of the Eastern Fells. At above sea level, it is the third highest peak in both the Lake District and England...
at 950m (3,117 ft). According to the 1831 census the county covered an area of 485990 acres (1,966.7 km²).
Appleby
Appleby-in-Westmorland
Appleby-in-Westmorland is a town and civil parish in Cumbria, in North West England. It is situated within a loop of the River Eden and has a population of approximately 2,500. It is in the historic county of Westmorland, of which it was the county town. The town's name was simply Appleby, until...
, the historic county town, formed a historic borough and was unreformed by the Municipal Corporations Act 1835
Municipal Corporations Act 1835
The Municipal Corporations Act 1835 – sometimes known as the Municipal Reform Act, was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed local government in the incorporated boroughs of England and Wales...
; although reform came later in 1885. Kendal
Kendal
Kendal, anciently known as Kirkby in Kendal or Kirkby Kendal, is a market town and civil parish within the South Lakeland District of Cumbria, England...
was reformed as a municipal borough in 1835.
Division into wards
Rather than being divided into hundredHundred (division)
A hundred is a geographic division formerly used in England, Wales, Denmark, South Australia, some parts of the United States, Germany , Sweden, Finland and Norway, which historically was used to divide a larger region into smaller administrative divisions...
s, Westmorland was subdivided into two baronies of Westmorland
Barony of Westmorland
The Barony of Westmorland was one of two baronies into which the English county of Westmorland was divided, the other being the Barony of Kendal. The barony covered the northern part of the county, and was divided into two wards — East ward and West ward. The barony included...
(or sometimes Appleby) and Kendal
Barony of Kendal
The Barony of Kendal is a subdivision of the English county of Westmorland. It is one of two baronies in the county, the other being the Barony of Westmorland, and contains within it the wards of Kendal and Lonsdale...
.
The baronies were further subdivided into two wards each:
- Westmorland
- East ward - ApplebyAppleby-in-WestmorlandAppleby-in-Westmorland is a town and civil parish in Cumbria, in North West England. It is situated within a loop of the River Eden and has a population of approximately 2,500. It is in the historic county of Westmorland, of which it was the county town. The town's name was simply Appleby, until...
, BroughBrough, CumbriaBrough, sometimes known as Brough under Stainmore, is a village and civil parish in the Eden district of Cumbria, England, on the western fringe of the Pennines near Stainmore. The village is on the A66 trans-Pennine road, and the Swindale Beck, and is about south east of Appleby-in-Westmorland...
, Kirkby StephenKirkby StephenKirkby Stephen is a civil parish and small market town in Cumbria, in North West England which historically, is part of Westmorland. The town is located on the A685, surrounded by sparsely populated hill country, and about from the two nearest larger towns, Kendal and Penrith...
, OrtonOrton, EdenOrton is a village and civil parish in Cumbria, England, south of Penrith, Cumbria, from Appleby-in-Westmorland, the M6 motorway near to the Lake District. It is set at the foot of Orton Scar in the upper Lune Valley...
, TebayTebayTebay is a village and civil parish in Cumbria, England, within the traditional borders of Westmorland. It lies in the upper Lune Valley, at the head of the Lune Gorge. The parish of Tebay had a population of 728 recorded in the 2001 census,... - West ward - AskhamAskham, CumbriaAskham is a village and civil parish in the Eden District of Cumbria, England. According to the 2001 census the parish had a population of 360. It is situated in the eastern edge of the Lake District National Park, about south of Penrith...
, BamptonBampton, CumbriaBampton is a village and civil parish in the Eden District of Cumbria, England, on the edge of the Lake District National Park. The parish had a population of 283 according to the 2001 census...
, BartonBarton, CumbriaBarton is a hamlet and civil parish in the Eden district of Cumbria, England. The parish is on the edge of the Lake District National Park, and had a population of 232 according to the 2001 census. It includes the small hamlet of Barton and the village of Pooley Bridge...
, PatterdalePatterdalePatterdale is a small village and civil parish in the eastern part of the English Lake District in the Eden District of Cumbria, and the long valley in which they are found, also called the Ullswater Valley....
, ShapShapShap is a linear village and civil parish located amongst fells and isolated dales in Eden district, Cumbria, England. The village lies along the A6 road and the West Coast Main Line, and is near to the M6 motorway...
, Yanwath
- East ward - Appleby
- Kendal
- Kendal ward - AmblesideAmblesideAmbleside is a town in Cumbria, in North West England.Historically within the county of Westmorland, it is situated at the head of Windermere, England's largest lake...
, Burton-in-KendalBurton-in-KendalBurton in Kendal is a village and civil parish on the extreme southern edge of Cumbria, England. It contains around 600 houses and has a population of 1,411...
, GrasmereGrasmereGrasmere is a village, and popular tourist destination, in the centre of the English Lake District. It takes its name from the adjacent lake, and is associated with the Lake Poets...
, GrayriggGrayriggGrayrigg is a small village and civil parish in the South Lakeland district of Cumbria, England. It lies on undulated and partly mountainous land, north east of Kendal, on the north side of the West Coast Main Line, and west side of the M6 motorway....
, KentmereKentmereKentmere is a valley, village and civil parish in the Lake District National Park, a few miles from Kendal in the South Lakeland district of Cumbria, England. It is historically part of Westmorland...
, KendalKendalKendal, anciently known as Kirkby in Kendal or Kirkby Kendal, is a market town and civil parish within the South Lakeland District of Cumbria, England...
, WindermereWindermere (town)Windermere is a town and civil parish in the South Lakeland District of Cumbria, England. It has a population of 8,245. It lies about half a mile away from the lake, Windermere... - Lonsdale ward - Kirkby LonsdaleKirkby LonsdaleKirkby Lonsdale is a small town and civil parish in the South Lakeland district of Cumbria, England, on the River Lune. Historically within Westmorland, it is situated south east of Kendal along the A65. The parish had a population of 1,771 recorded in the 2001 census.Notable buildings include St...
- Kendal ward - Ambleside
Modern history
In 1889, under the Local Government Act 1888Local Government Act 1888
The Local Government Act 1888 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which established county councils and county borough councils in England and Wales...
, a county council was created for Westmorland, taking functions from the Quarter Sessions
Quarter Sessions
The Courts of Quarter Sessions or Quarter Sessions were local courts traditionally held at four set times each year in the United Kingdom and other countries in the former British Empire...
. Westmorland had no county borough
County borough
County borough is a term introduced in 1889 in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland , to refer to a borough or a city independent of county council control. They were abolished by the Local Government Act 1972 in England and Wales, but continue in use for lieutenancy and shrievalty in...
s throughout its history, so the administrative county
Administrative county
An administrative county was an administrative division in England and Wales and Ireland used for the purposes of local government. They are now abolished, although in Northern Ireland their former areas are used as the basis for lieutenancy....
, the area under the control of the county council, was coterminous with the geographic county. The county council was based at Kendal
Kendal
Kendal, anciently known as Kirkby in Kendal or Kirkby Kendal, is a market town and civil parish within the South Lakeland District of Cumbria, England...
, rather than the historic county town of Appleby-in-Westmorland
Appleby-in-Westmorland
Appleby-in-Westmorland is a town and civil parish in Cumbria, in North West England. It is situated within a loop of the River Eden and has a population of approximately 2,500. It is in the historic county of Westmorland, of which it was the county town. The town's name was simply Appleby, until...
.
Aside from the two municipal boroughs of Kendal and Appleby, the Local Government Act 1894
Local Government Act 1894
The Local Government Act 1894 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales outside the County of London. The Act followed the reforms carried out at county level under the Local Government Act 1888...
divided the county into urban districts and rural districts.
- 5 Urban districts: AmblesideAmblesideAmbleside is a town in Cumbria, in North West England.Historically within the county of Westmorland, it is situated at the head of Windermere, England's largest lake...
, Bowness on WindermereBownessBowness can refer to:* Rick Bowness, assistant coach for the Vancouver Canucks and former Canadian National Hockey League leftwinger*Tim Bowness, English singer with No-Man and other projects...
, GrasmereGrasmereGrasmere is a village, and popular tourist destination, in the centre of the English Lake District. It takes its name from the adjacent lake, and is associated with the Lake Poets...
, Kirkby LonsdaleKirkby LonsdaleKirkby Lonsdale is a small town and civil parish in the South Lakeland district of Cumbria, England, on the River Lune. Historically within Westmorland, it is situated south east of Kendal along the A65. The parish had a population of 1,771 recorded in the 2001 census.Notable buildings include St...
, Windermere - 3 Rural districts: West Ward, East Westmorland, South Westmorland
In 1905 a new Shap
Shap
Shap is a linear village and civil parish located amongst fells and isolated dales in Eden district, Cumbria, England. The village lies along the A6 road and the West Coast Main Line, and is near to the M6 motorway...
urban district was formed, while Windermere absorbed the neighbouring Bowness UD.
A County Review Order
Local Government Act 1929
The Local Government Act 1929 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that made changes to the Poor Law and local government in England and Wales....
in 1935 reduced the number of districts in the county:
- A new Lakes Urban District was formed by the merger of Ambleside and Grasmere UDs and adjacent parishes in West Ward and South Westmorland RDs
- East Westmorland RD, most of West Ward RD and Shap UD were merged to form North Westmorland Rural District
- South Westmorland RD absorbed Kirkby Lonsdale UD, at the same time losing an area to Lakes UD.
Despite their title, many of Westmorland's urban districts, such as Lakes, Grasmere, and Shap, were quite rural in character.
According to the 1971 census, Westmorland was the second least populated administrative county in England, after Rutland
Rutland
Rutland is a landlocked county in central England, bounded on the west and north by Leicestershire, northeast by Lincolnshire and southeast by Peterborough and Northamptonshire....
. The distribution of population was as follows:
| District | Population |
|---|---|
| Municipal Borough of Appleby | 1,944 |
| Municipal Borough of Kendal | 21,602 |
| Lakes Urban District | 5,815 |
| Windermere Urban District | 8,065 |
| North Westmorland Rural District North Westmorland Rural District North Westmorland was a rural district in Westmorland, England from 1935 to 1974. It now forms part of the Eden district of Cumbria. It was formed in 1935 by the merger of the East Westmorland Rural District, Shap urban district and most of West Ward Rural District. The district entirely... |
14,778 |
| South Westmorland Rural District South Westmorland Rural District South Westmorland was a rural district in Westmorland, England from 1894 to 1974. It saw various boundary changes during its life, particularly in 1935, when it absorbed Kirkby Lonsdale urban district, whilst the Lakes UD was split out at the same time. The district was merged in 1974 under the... |
20,633 |
In 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972
Local Government Act 1972
The Local Government Act 1972 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974....
, the county council was abolished and its former area was combined with 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....
and parts of Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
and Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
to form the new county 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...
, administered by a new Cumbria County Council
Cumbria County Council
Cumbria County Council is the county council of Cumbria, a county in the North West of England. Established in 1974, following its first elections held a year before that, it is an elected local government body responsible for the most significant local services in the county, including county...
. The area now forms parts of the districts of South Lakeland
South Lakeland
South Lakeland is a local government district in Cumbria, England. Its council is based in Kendal. It includes much of the Lake District.The district was created on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972...
and 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....
.
Coat of arms
Westmorland County Council was granted a coat of armsCoat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
by the College of Arms
College of Arms
The College of Arms, or Heralds’ College, is an office regulating heraldry and granting new armorial bearings for England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
in 1926. The design of the shield referred to the two components of the county: on two red bars (from the arms of the de Lancaster family, Barons of Kendal) was placed a gold apple tree (from the seal of the borough of Appleby, for the Barony of Westmorland). The crest above the shield was the head of a ram of the local Herdwick
Herdwick (sheep)
The Herdwick is a breed of domestic sheep native to the Lake District of Cumbria in North West England. The name "Herdwick" is derived from the Old Norse herdvyck, meaning sheep pasture...
breed. On the ram's forehead was a shearman's hook, a tool used in the handling of wool. The hook was part of the insignia of the borough of Kendal, the administrative centre of the county council.
Legacy
- The Westmorland GazetteThe Westmorland GazetteThe Westmorland Gazette is a weekly newspaper published in Kendal, Cumbria, England. It covers "South Lakeland and surrounding areas" and derives its name from the historic county of Westmorland....
(founded 1818) - The Westmorland County Agricultural SocietyWestmorland County Agricultural SocietyThe Westmorland County Agricultural Society is a registered charity which supports agriculture and related activities in and around the former county of Westmorland, England. Its activities include the annual Westmorland County Show...
(founded 1799), which organises the annual Westmorland County Agricultural Society Show - The Westmorland Geological SocietyWestmorland Geological SocietyThe Westmorland Geological Society is a body based in the Lake District region of the UK that aims to engage all those interested in geology, particularly in the southern Lakes....
(formed 1973) - The Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society (founded 1866)
- The Westmorland Youth Orchestra
- The Westmorland Shopping Centre, Kendal
- The Westmorland Cricket League
- Westmorland servicesWestmorland servicesTebay Services are a pair of privately-run motorway service stations on the M6 motorway in Cumbria, England.-History:...
, better known as Tebay services, on the M6 motorwayM6 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...
. - In 1974 the successor parishSuccessor parishSuccessor parishes are civil parishes with a parish council created by the Local Government Act 1972 in England. They replaced, with the same boundaries, a selected group of urban districts and municipal boroughs that were abolished in 1974. Most successor parish councils exercised the right to...
council formed for the former borough of Appleby adopted the name Appleby-in-WestmorlandAppleby-in-WestmorlandAppleby-in-Westmorland is a town and civil parish in Cumbria, in North West England. It is situated within a loop of the River Eden and has a population of approximately 2,500. It is in the historic county of Westmorland, of which it was the county town. The town's name was simply Appleby, until...
. - Westmorland General HospitalWestmorland General Hospital- Hospital Radio Station :Bay Trust Radio broadcasts to Kendal, Lancaster and Barrow-in-Furness . It boasts the most advanced Hospital Radio Studios in the North West.- External links :*...
in Kendal - Westmorland croquet club
The southern part of the county, the former Barony of Kendal or that part of Westmorland that is part of South Lakeland
South Lakeland
South Lakeland is a local government district in Cumbria, England. Its council is based in Kendal. It includes much of the Lake District.The district was created on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972...
, is included in the Westmorland and Lonsdale
Westmorland and Lonsdale (UK Parliament constituency)
Westmorland and Lonsdale is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-Boundaries:...
parliamentary constituency.
In June 1994, during the 1990s UK local government reform
1990s UK local government reform
The structure of local government in the United Kingdom underwent large changes in the 1990s. The system of two-tier local government introduced in the 1970s by the Local Government Act 1972 and the Local Government Act 1973 was abolished in Scotland and Wales on April 1, 1996, and replaced with...
, the Local Government Commission published draft recommendations suggesting that Westmorland's border with Yorkshire and Lancashire be restored for ceremonial purposes
Ceremonial counties of England
The ceremonial counties are areas of England to which are appointed a Lord Lieutenant, and are defined by the government as counties and areas for the purposes of the Lieutenancies Act 1997 with reference to the metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties of England and Lieutenancies Act 1997...
. The final recommendations, published in October 1994, did not include such recommendations, apparently due to lack of expression of support for the proposal to the commission.
In September 2011, the Westmorland Association, a local society which promotes the county's identity successfully registered the Flag of Westmorland
Flag of Westmorland
The Westmorland flag is the flag of the County of Westmorland. It was registered with the Flag Institute as the flag of the county in 2011.-Design:...
with the Flag Institute
Flag Institute
The Flag Institute is a research and documentation centre for flags and flag information, founded on St George's Day, 23 April 1971 by William Crampton and Captain EMC Barraclough CBE RN. Although not an official body, it is the principal advisor and designer of flags to the government of the...
.
Notable people
- Thomas Strickland Esq carried the Flag of St. George at the battle of AgincourtBattle of AgincourtThe Battle of Agincourt was a major English victory against a numerically superior French army in the Hundred Years' War. The battle occurred on Friday, 25 October 1415 , near modern-day Azincourt, in northern France...
. - St. John BosteJohn BosteSaint John Boste is a saint in the Roman Catholic Church, and one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales.-Life:John Boste was born in Westmorland around 1544. He studied at Queen's College, Oxford where he became a Fellow. He converted to Catholicism in 1576...
, Roman Catholic priest and martyr - The Claybourn family (with some variations in the name) originated in Westmorland and share their name with the small Westmorland village of CliburnCliburnCliburn is a village and civil parish in the Eden District of Cumbria, England. The civil parish includes the hamlet of Town Head. In 2001 the population was 204.-History:...
, which is located six miles (10 km) southeast of the town of Penrith. Some have estimated that this family which originated in Westmorland now numbers in the millions.