Firbank

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

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'Firbank', in An Inventory of the Historical Monuments in Westmorland, (London, 1936) pp. 96. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/rchme/westm/p96 [accessed 24 March 2024]

In this section

31 FIRBANK (E.f.)

(O.S. 6 in. (a)XXXIV, S.E., (b)XXXIX, N.E., (c)XL, N.W.)

Firbank is a parish on the river Lune 7 m. E. of Kendal. The church, formerly a chapel of Kirkby Lonsdale, was made parochial in 1585. It was moved to its present site in 1742 and has no ancient fittings.

Secular

c(1). Bridge over the river Lune in the S.E. corner of the parish is a structure of rubble of two unequal spans with a cutwater pier. The arches are segmental and of two plain orders and the width of the roadway is about 10 ft. The bridge is probably of the 17th century, but the N. cutwater and the parapets are of later or modern date.

Condition—Good.

Monuments (2–13)

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.

c(2). Bridge End, cottage, 50 yards W. of (1), was built late in the 17th or early in the 18th century.

c(3). Whinny How, house, 590 yards S.S.W. of the church, was built late in the 17th or early in the 18th century.

b(4). New Field, house, 670 yards W.S.W. of (3).

b(5). House, 20 yards N. of (4), has a later addition on the N.

b(6). Ghyll, house, 1,600 yards W.N.W. of (1), retains two original stone windows, one of three lights. The late 17th-century staircase has turned balusters and square panelled newels.

b(7). Shackla Bank, cottage, 670 yards S.S.E. of (6).

a(8). Green Dykes, house, 1¾ m. N.W. of the church, was built probably early in the 18th century but has been much altered. It contains an original fireplace with a corbelled head of the local type.

a(9). Firbank Fellside, cottage over ½ m. N.E. of (8), was built probably early in the 18th century.

a(10). Birchfield, house, 380 yards N.N.E. of (9), has a later extension on the S.W. Inside the building is a three-stage cupboard (Plate 34) of the local type with enriched panels, pendants and a fascia carved with the initials and date E. and M.S. 1682. The early 18th-century fireplace in the same room has a corbelled head.

a(11). Lakethwaite, cottage, nearly ¼ m. N.W. of (10).

a(12). High House (Plate 22), 1¾ m. N.N.W. of the church, has a slightly later addition at the N.W. end. There are some original windows with solid wood frames and mullions, and two chimney-stacks have round or rounded shafts. The two-storeyed porch retains the original inner door-frame and nail-studded door with strap-hinges. Inside the building the addition retains the wooden framing of the upper part of a chimney or fireplace-hood. The main building retains an early 18th-century fireplace of the local type.

a(13). Cowperthwaite, house, 770 yards N.N.W. of (12), has later additions at both ends.