Langdales

An Inventory of the Historical Monuments in Westmorland. Originally published by His Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1936.

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'Langdales', in An Inventory of the Historical Monuments in Westmorland, (London, 1936) pp. 148-151. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/rchme/westm/pp148-151 [accessed 27 March 2024]

In this section

55 LANGDALES (A.e.)

(O.S. 6 in. (a)XXV, N.W., (b)XXV, N.E., (c)XXV, S.E.)

Langdales is a large parish, including Great and Little Langdale, 4 m. W. of Ambleside.

Ecclesiastical

b(1). Parish Church of Holy Trinity, formerly a chapel of Grasmere, stands in Chapel Stile, Great Langdale and was re-built in 1857 on a new site. It contains from the older building the following:—

Fittings—Plate: includes a cup of 1571, with engraved ornament round the bowl, and a pewter flagon perhaps of c. 1700.

Condition—Rebuilt.

Secular

b(2). Elterwater Bridge (Plate 26) over the Langdale Beck in Elterwater hamlet is a rubble structure of one span. It was re-built in 1702 and has since been widened on the S. side. The arch is segmental and of a span of 27 ft. with rubble voussoirs.

Condition—Good.

c(3). Slater's Bridge (Plate 28), pack-horse bridge over the River Brathay in Little Langdale, is a rubble structure of one span of 15 ft. and a width of 3½ ft. The arch is segmental and some of the rubble voussoirs project well above the pathway. It dates probably from the 17th century. A flagged causeway approaches the bridge from the N. side.

Condition—Good.

Monuments (4–45)

The following monuments, unless otherwise described, are of the 17th century and of two storeys; the walls are of rubble and the roofs are slate-covered. Some of the buildings have exposed ceiling-beams.

Condition—Good or fairly good, unless noted.

Little Langdale

c(4). High Birk House and barns, 350 yards N.N.E. of (3). The House has a later 17th-century addition on the W. It retains some original windows with chamfered frames and mullions and one chimney-stack has an oval shaft. Inside the building is a circular staircase of stone and a timber and plaster cowl (Plate 33) or flue to one of the fireplaces. There is a small panelled spice-cupboard. The Barn, S.W. of the house, is of four bays and retains one original window. The Barn and byre S. of the house also retains an original window.

Condition—Poor.

c(5). House, now Post Office, 200 yards N.E. of (4), was built c. 1700.

c(6). Cottage, on the N. side of the road 280 yards E. of (5).

c(7). Wilson's Place, house, two tenements, 50 yards N. of (6), has later and modern additions on the W. and N. Inside the building is a panelled cupboard of the local type with the initials and date D.D. 1645 I.W.

c(8). Dale End, house and barn, 400 yards N.N.W. of (7). The House is of L-shaped plan. The Barn, S. of the house, is of five bays.

c(9). Brow, cottage, 270 yards W.S.W. of (8).

c(10). The Bield, house, 250 yards W. of (9), has a barn of four bays immediately to the E. Inside the house is a panelled spice-cupboard and a larger cupboard of the local type, with the initials and date I.I.G. 1714. There is also a muntin and plank partition of the local type.

c(11). Busk, house, 220 yards N.W. of Little Langdale Farm, contains a muntin and plank partition of the local type and some original doors and casing to the staircase.

c(12). Fellfoot, house, 750 yards W.S.W. of (11), has a 16th-century N. wing but the main block is a 17th-century addition. The 17th-century door and frame and some windows with solid frames remain on the E. front and at the N. end is an original chimney-stack with a cylindrical shaft. The N. wing retains its original roof of two bays and the later block has some 17th-century partitions.

c(13). Forge, house, on the N. side of the Brathay, 1,170 yards E. of (3), has a later E. wing. In the N. wall is an original window with a solid frame and mullions.

c(14). High Hacket, house, 550 yards N. of (13), has modern additions on the N. and E. There is some late 17th-century panelling inside the building.

Condition—Poor.

c(15). High Colwith, house, 780 yards E. of (13), has some muntin and plank partitions of the local type.

c(16). Low Colwith, house, 50 yards E. of (15), has a later byre and barn at the W. end. Inside the building are two panelled spice-cupboards and some panelled doors and partitions of the 17th century.

Elterwater

c(17). Eltermere, house, 320 yards S. of Elterwater Bridge (2), was built late in the 16th century. In the 17th century an addition was made on the N. side and connected with it are outbuildings of the same date. The E. wing was added c. 1700. Inside the building is an enriched cupboard of the local type, with the date and initials 1685 I. and A.B. (John and Ann Benson). There is also some early 18th-century panelling and a staircase with flat balusters.

b(18). Kitty Hall, 120 yards N.N.E. of (17), has an 18th-century addition at the E. end.

b(19). Elterwater Farm and St. Martin's, house, 140 yards N.W. of (18) was built in 1692, the date on a plaster panel on the E. wall. There are 18th-century additions at both ends and modern additions on the W. side.

b(20). Cottage, two tenements, 40 yards N. of (19), has an added block of c. 1700 on the W. side. It retains some original windows.

b(21). Cottage, 100 yards N.E. of Elterwater Bridge.

b(22). Cottage, 120 yards E.N.E. of (21).

b(23). Britannia Inn, 60 yards N.W. of (21), has been extensively altered.

Chapel Stile

b(24). Old White Lion Inn, 50 yards W. of the church.

b(25). Cottage, immediately E. of (24).

b(26). Thrang, house, 270 yards S.W. of the church, was built probably in the 16th century. The N. and W. wings were re-built or added in the following century. Some of the windows are original. Inside the building, the joists in the S. room of the original building are painted on the soffit with a pattern of running foliage. In the E. wing is a muntin and plank partition of the local type and a spice-cupboard with the initials and date C.D. 1691. The W. wing has a large truss of crutch-type springing from the first floor.

Condition—Poor.

b(27). Cottage, 10 yards E. of (26).

b(28). Baysbrown, house and outbuildings, over ½ m. S.W. of the church. The House contains a cupboard of the local type with the initials and date M.L. 1678. The Byre, N. of the house, is of three bays. The Outbuilding, W. of the house, is probably of the 16th century.

b(29). Walthwaite House and barn, 330 yards E.N.E. of the church. The House is of two dates in the 17th century, the E. wing being the earlier. The Barn, S.W. of the house, is of four bays and retains two doorways with original frames.

b(30). Walthwaite Cottage, 25 yards N.W. of (29), contains an original spice-cupboard.

b(31). Walthwaite Farm, house, 40 yards W. of (30), is of two periods in the 17th century the W. wing being the earlier. Inside the building is a cupboard of the local type with the initials and date W.S.A. 1711.

b(32). Oak Howe, house, ¾ m. W.N.W. of the church.

b(33). Robin Gill, house, 1,150 yards N.W. of the church, was built c. 1700.

b(34). Robinson Place, house, 150 yards N.W. of (33), has a panel on the S. wall with the date and initials 1693 T. and A.F. Inside the building is a spice-cupboard with the same initials and the date 1692 and a muntin and plank partition of the local type.

b(35). Rigg, also called Pye House, 570 yards N.W. of (34), contains some muntin and plank partitions. A Barn N.E. of the house, is of the same period.

b(36). Raw Head, house, about 1¼ m. N.W. of the church, contains a cupboard of the local type with the initials and date T. and H.H. 1698.

b(37). Cottage, 50 yards S.E. of (36).

b(38). Millbeck, house, 1¾ m. N.W. of the church.

b(39). House, by Dungeon Ghyll Hotel and 130 yards S.S.W. of (38).

b(40). Rossett, house and barn, 270 yards S.W. of (39). The House has a modern addition on the N. The Barn, adjoining the house on the W., is probably of the 16th century. It is of three bays and of crutchconstruction.

b(41). Side House and barn, over 1½ m. W. of the church. The House contains some muntin and plank partitions. The Barn, E. of the house, is of four bays.

a(42). Middlefell Place, house, 2¼ m. W. of the church.

a(43). Wall End, house and barns, 600 yards S.S.W. of (42). The House contains a panelled spice-cupboard and a staircase with flat moulded balusters and grip handrail. The Barn S.E. of the house, is of the 16th century or earlier and has three large crutch-trusses, with two ties or collars. The Barn N.W. of the house is of the 17th century.

a(44). Stool End, house (Plate 23), 700 yards W. of (43).

b(45). Bleatarn Farm, house, over 1½ m. W.S.W. of the church.

Unclassified

c(46). Terraced Mound, immediately W. of Fell Foot (12), is of rectangular form with rounded angles. The top is flat and there are two terraces to the N. and E. and three to the W. and S. with possible traces of a fourth on the S. The whole work is about 150 ft. from N. to S. by 95 ft. from E. to W. and rises some 9–10 ft.

Condition—Poor.

c(47). Enclosures on the E. side of Bleamoss Beck, 580 yards S.S.E. of Blea Tarn. The eastern enclosure is of roughly rectangular form (40 ft. by 25 ft.) with two large stones at the N. angle. These are probably as they fell from the hillside and to them has been added the walls of the enclosure; these are ruined to the ground level and have a gap at the S. angle and a standing-stone within the enclosure. The second enclosure, 45 yards W.S.W. of the first, is rectangular and the surviving walls indicate a length of at least 55 ft. and a breadth of 40 ft. The base of the wall survives on the S.W. side and against it is a pile of loose stones said to represent an internal enclosure. There is no external wall on the N.E. and most of the N.W. sides but a slight scarp represents the outline of the work. Against the N.E. scarp are three sides of an inner enclosure, apparently open towards the S.E.

Condition—Bad.

c(48). Enclosure, 100 yards N. of Dale End (8), is a roughly rectangular sinking about 30 ft. by 18 ft. Near here an 'ovate' enclosure is recorded in the C. and W. Trans. O.S. iii. This cannot now be identified.

Condition—Bad.

b(49). 'Sepulchre', enclosure, 200 yards W. of Oak Howe (32), is said to have been used as a plague-Oak Howe (32), is said to have been used as a plague pit. It is of irregular form and is surrounded by a wall of uncertain age.

a(50). Cairns and Enclosures N. of Kettle Crag. In a field about ¼ m. S.W. of Wall End (43) are the foundations of a few boulders of the former walls of an enclosure about 36 ft. by 33 ft. About 10 yards to the N.E. is a sinking probably representing an enclosure of similar character. On the W. side of Redacre Gill and ¼ m. S.E. of Wall End (43) are three stone-heaps or cairns, roughly circular and about 21 ft. in diameter. Immediately to the S.S.E. are two parallel banks of stones about 10 yards apart and the longer about 30 yards long.

Condition—Bad.