Smardale is a small village and former
civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties, or their combined form, the unitary authority ...
, now in the parish of
Waitby
Waitby is a small village and civil parish in the Eden district of Cumbria, England. The parish contains two small villages, Waitby and Smardale, plus the small hamlets of Riddlesay, Stripes and Leases, all of which are in the farmed and enclos ...
, in the
Eden district, in
Cumbria
Cumbria ( ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in North West England, bordering Scotland. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local government, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. Cumb ...
, England. In 1891 the parish had a population of 36.
Geography and history
The village of Smardale lies in hilly agricultural land at a height of around southeast of
Crosby Garrett
Crosby Garrett is a hamlet and civil parish in the Eden District of Cumbria, England. It was formerly in the county of Westmorland. In the 2011 census Crosby Garrett was grouped with Waitby to give a total of 195.
The place-name 'Crosby Garret ...
and west of
Kirkby Stephen
Kirkby Stephen () is a market town and civil parish in Cumbria, North West England. Historically part of Westmorland, it lies on the A685, surrounded by sparsely populated hill country, about from the nearest larger towns: Kendal and Penrith. ...
. To the south is Smardale fell whilst a boundary is formed to the west by
Scandal Beck which flows from Smardalegill, a narrow valley to the southwest.
The name Smaredale may derive from ''smere'', an ancient name for
clover
Clover or trefoil are common names for plants of the genus ''Trifolium'' (from Latin ''tres'' 'three' + ''folium'' 'leaf'), consisting of about 300 species of flowering plants in the legume or pea family Fabaceae originating in Europe. The genus ...
, or from the old Norse or old English for butter/fat/grease giving either ''valley of butter'' or ''valley of clover''.
Chapel well, a
Holy well
A holy well or sacred spring is a well, spring or small pool of water revered either in a Christian or pagan context, sometimes both. The water of holy wells is often thought to have healing qualities, through the numinous presence of its gua ...
, is found west of Scandal Beck where it once stood within Smardale church. There are also other signs of ancient human activity: the archaeological remains of settlements are found on Smardale fell, and around Smardalegill,
pillow mounds
A warren is a network of wild rodent or lagomorph, typically rabbit burrows. Domestic warrens are artificial, enclosed establishment of animal husbandry dedicated to the raising of European Rabbit, rabbits for meat and fur. The term evolved from t ...
, known locally as 'Giant's graves' which are thought by some to be for drying bracken, and not for rabbits. Oxenbrow wood, to the north of Smardale village is the site of a
Heronry
A heronry, sometimes called a heron rookery, is a breeding ground for herons.
Notable heronries
Although their breeding territories are often on more protected small islands in lakes or retention ponds, herons breed in heronries (or also called ...
.
Smardale was formerly a
township
A township is a kind of human settlement or administrative subdivision, with its meaning varying in different countries.
Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, that tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, Ca ...
in Kirkby-Stephen parish, from 1866 Smardale was a civil parish in its own right until it was abolished on 30 December 1894 and merged with Waitby.
Smardale Hall
There has been a substantial dwelling in Smardale since at least the 14th century; a tower house, a remnant of which, a
newel
A newel, also called a central pole or support column, is the central supporting pillar of a staircase. It can also refer to an upright post that supports and/or terminates the handrail of a stair banister (the "newel post"). In stairs having str ...
, now forms part of the structure of the south eastern part of the current house.
The current buildings date from 15th and 16th centuries; being originally built on a courtyard plan with the tower incorporated into an east wing, now demolished. The southern part of the hall (now farm buildings) was the original great hall. Sir George Dalston, the castles occupant from 1761 made considerable alterations to the structure. The west wing, which is the current hall is unusual in having four conically roofed round towers at the corners of the structure, giving the structure an appearance similar to the
Scottish baronial style of architecture.
The hall and associated buildings are Grade II* listed structures (since 1968).
There is evidence for an earlier fortified structure from a motte and ditch discovered north of the hall.
Smardale Gill
Smardalegill is a small steep-sided valley connecting Smardale and the valley of the
River Eden with the eastern end of the valley of the
River Lune
The River Lune (archaically sometimes Loyne) is a river in length in Cumbria and Lancashire, England.
Etymology
Several elucidations for the origin of the name ''Lune'' exist. Firstly, it may be that the name is Brittonic in genesis and deriv ...
. Scandal Beck runs north-northeast through it, as does the former
Stainmore Railway
The South Durham & Lancashire Union Railway (SD&LUR) built a railway line linking the Stockton & Darlington Railway near Bishop Auckland railway station, Bishop Auckland with the Lancaster and Carlisle Railway (the West Coast Main Line) at Tebay ...
.
Smardale Gill quarry was a large
limestone
Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...
quarry on the west side of Smardale Gill. Lime was produced on site at two
limekiln
A lime kiln is a kiln used for the calcination of limestone ( calcium carbonate) to produce the form of lime called quicklime (calcium oxide). The chemical equation for this reaction is
: CaCO3 + heat → CaO + CO2
This reaction can take pla ...
s with raw materials brought to the top of the kilns using an
inclined plane
An inclined plane, also known as a ramp, is a flat supporting surface tilted at an angle from the vertical direction, with one end higher than the other, used as an aid for raising or lowering a load. The inclined plane is one of the six clas ...
and a stationary engine. A railway siding on the Stainmore line next to the kilns allowed lime to be carried away by rail. The limekilns and evidence of the engine house and inclined plane are extant.
Smardale Gill nature reserve is a
national nature reserve (NNR) and
Site of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Great Britain or an Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI) in the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom and Isle of ...
managed by the
Cumbria Wildlife Trust
Cumbria Wildlife Trust is a wildlife trust covering the county of Cumbria, England. It runs more than 40 nature reserves, and aims to broaden the awareness and knowledge of the wildlife in the county.
History
The trust was established in 1962 as ...
. Land in Smardale Gill was first acquired in 1978. Later in 1991 the reserve acquired the trackbed of the former Stainmore railway from Smardale to
Brownber
Brownber is a hamlet surrounding Brownber Hall near Newbiggin-on-Lune in Cumbria
Cumbria ( ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in North West England, bordering Scotland. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local government, ...
from
British Rail
British Railways (BR), which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was a state-owned company that operated most of the overground rail transport in Great Britain from 1948 to 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the Big Four British rai ...
The site contains both woodland and grassland habitats and is a good example of a limestone habitat.
At the south end of the valley on the border with
Ravenstonedale
Ravenstonedale is a village and large civil parish in Cumbria, on the watershed between the River Lune and River Eden. The village lies south west of Kirkby Stephen. The parish includes the village of Newbiggin-on-Lune and several smaller sett ...
civil parish is the 18th-century arched stone packhorse bridge known as Smardale bridge, now a Grade II listed structure.
There is a small disused
sandstone
Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks.
Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicates) ...
quarry at the south of the gill.
Railways
Two railway lines ran through Smardale and past the village. The
Stainmore Railway
The South Durham & Lancashire Union Railway (SD&LUR) built a railway line linking the Stockton & Darlington Railway near Bishop Auckland railway station, Bishop Auckland with the Lancaster and Carlisle Railway (the West Coast Main Line) at Tebay ...
passed Smardale on the northern edge of the village, where there was a small halt,
Smardale railway station
Smardale railway station was a minor station on the South Durham & Lancashire Union Railway between Tebay and Kirkby Stephen East. It served the villages of Smardale and Waitby. The station opened to passenger traffic on 8 August 1861, and close ...
(now a private dwelling). Going westwards it then crossed under the Settle to Carlisle railway line just east of Scandal Beck before curving south through Smardalegill along the east bank. Within Smardalegill the line crosses the beck at a shallow angle by Smardalegill Viaduct. The
Settle to Carlisle railway line
Settle or SETTLE may refer to:
Places
* Settle, Kentucky, United States
* Settle, North Yorkshire, a town in England
** Settle Rural District, a historical administrative district
Music
* Settle (band), an indie rock band from Pennsylvania
* ''S ...
passes Smardale village to the south, travelling east–west; to the west the line crosses Scandal Beck by Smardale Viaduct.
![Smardale Gill Viaduct upper deck 16](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cc/Smardale_Gill_Viaduct_upper_deck_16.08.16.jpg)
Smardale Gill Viaduct predates Smardale Viaduct, being complete in 1861. The viaduct was designed by Sir
Thomas Bouch
Sir Thomas Bouch (; 25 February 1822 – 30 October 1880) was a British railway engineer. He was born in Thursby, near Carlisle, Cumberland, and lived in Edinburgh. As manager of the Edinburgh and Northern Railway he introduced the first roll-o ...
for the
South Durham and Lancashire Union Railway
The South Durham & Lancashire Union Railway (SD&LUR) built a railway line linking the Stockton & Darlington Railway near Bishop Auckland with the Lancaster and Carlisle Railway (the West Coast Main Line) at Tebay, via Barnard Castle, Stainmore S ...
and the construction contracted to Mr Wrigg, costing £11,928 to build. The bridge, which was built of local stone has 14 arches, and is high and long. The line across it remained single tracked despite the structure being wide enough for a double line.
After the line closed in 1962 the viaduct fell into disrepair, by the 1980s the structure had become dangerous and was to be demolished. Instead the viaduct became a listed building, and
British Rail
British Railways (BR), which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was a state-owned company that operated most of the overground rail transport in Great Britain from 1948 to 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the Big Four British rai ...
offered £230,000 (the estimated cost of demolition) towards its restoration. A charitable trust, the
Northern Viaduct Trust was formed in 1989. The cost of repairs was £350,000 which included masonry repair, a new deck and waterproofing, and structural work to the viaduct. In 1992 the restoration was complete, the viaduct being subsequently used for pedestrian access to Smardale Gill nature reserve.
In 2010 after a harsh winter it was found that the viaduct had frost damage and required a further £30,000 of repairs.
![Train on Smardale Viaduct](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d5/Train_on_Smardale_Viaduct.jpg)
Smardale Viaduct was built by the contractors Benton & Woodiwiss for the
Settle to Carlisle Line
Settle or SETTLE may refer to:
Places
* Settle, Kentucky, United States
* Settle, North Yorkshire, a town in England
** Settle Rural District, a historical administrative district
Music
* Settle (band), an indie rock band from Pennsylvania
* Sett ...
of the
Midland Railway
The Midland Railway (MR) was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844. The Midland was one of the largest railway companies in Britain in the early 20th century, and the largest employer in Derby, where it had its headquarters. It am ...
. The viaduct is long and high, the highest on the line. Over of stone was used in its construction. Local limestone was used for its construction, the arch
quoin
Quoins ( or ) are masonry blocks at the corner of a wall. Some are structural, providing strength for a wall made with inferior stone or rubble, while others merely add aesthetic detail to a corner. According to one 19th century encyclopedia, t ...
s were of
millstone grit. Two of the twelve piers – the fourth and the tenth are of considerably heavier construction. The bridge opened in August 1875 having taken five years to construct, it crosses both Scandal Beck and the former Stainmore railway line.
See also
*
Listed buildings in Waitby
Waitby is a civil parish in the Eden District, Cumbria, England. It contains nine listed buildings that are recorded in the National Heritage List for England
The National Heritage List for England (NHLE) is England's official database of pro ...
References
Sources
*
External links
Cumbria County History Trust: Smardale(nb: provisional research only – see Talk page)
Smardale gill Limestone Quarry''www.mine-explorer.co.uk''
Images from grid NY7206Smardale Gill and surroundings, ''www.geograph.org.uk''
Images from grid NY7308Smardale village and surroundings ''www.geograph.org.uk''
''www.visitcumbria.com''
''www.forgottenrelics.co.uk''
{{authority control
Villages in Cumbria
Former civil parishes in Cumbria
Eden District
Lime kilns in England