Westmorland (, formerly also spelt ''Westmoreland'';
[R. Wilkinson The British Isles, Sheet The British Isles]
Vision of Britain
/ref> is a historic county in North West England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...
spanning the southern Lake District
The Lake District, also known as the Lakes or Lakeland, is a mountainous region in North West England. A popular holiday destination, it is famous for its lakes, forests, and mountains (or ''fells''), and its associations with William Wordswor ...
and the northern Dales
Dale or dales may refer to:
Locations
* Dale (landform), an open valley
* Dale (place name element)
Geography
;Australia
*The Dales (Christmas Island), in the Indian Ocean
;Canada
*Dale, Ontario
;Ethiopia
*Dale (woreda), district
;Norway
*Dal ...
. It had an administrative function from the 12th century until 1974. Between 1974 and 2023 Westmorland lay within the administrative county of 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. ...
. In April 2023, Cumbria County Council will be abolished and replaced with two unitary authorities, one of which, Westmorland and Furness, will cover all of Westmorland (as well as other areas), thereby restoring the Westmorland name to a top-tier administrative entity. The people of Westmorland are known as Westmerians.
Early history
Background
At the beginning of the 10th century a large part of modern day 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. ...
was part of the Kingdom of Strathclyde, and was known as '' "Scottish Cumberland" ''.
The Rere Cross was ordered by Edmund I
Edmund I or Eadmund I (920/921 – 26 May 946) was King of the English from 27 October 939 until his death in 946. He was the elder son of King Edward the Elder and his third wife, Queen Eadgifu, and a grandson of King Alfred the Great. Aft ...
(r.939-946) to serve as a boundary marker between England and Scotland ('' "Scottish Cumberland" '').
County of Westmorland
At the time of Domesday Book in 1086, the county did not exist; half was considered to form part of Yorkshire
Yorkshire ( ; abbreviated Yorks), formally known as the County of York, is a historic county in northern England and by far the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its large area in comparison with other English counties, functions have ...
and the other half as part of Scotland. Before 1226, the Barony of Kendal was part of the Honour of Lancaster while the Barony of Westmorland was part of the Earldom of Carlisle, the latter became Cumberland and was part of Scotland at times.
Both baronies became a single county of Westmorland in 1226/7. Neighbouring Lancashire was also formed at this time.[F.A. Youngs, ''Guide to the Local Administrative units of England, Vol.II, Northern England'', London, 1991] Appleby was the historic county town, having been chartered in 1179. It was a parliamentary borough
A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely.
History
In the Middle Ag ...
from 1295-1832, and incorporated by letters patent in 1574.
Geography
The historic county boundaries are with Cumberland to the north, County Durham and Yorkshire
Yorkshire ( ; abbreviated Yorks), formally known as the County of York, is a historic county in northern England and by far the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its large area in comparison with other English counties, functions have ...
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 . According to the 1831 census the county covered an area of .[
]
Division into wards
Westmorland was subdivided into the two baronies of Westmorland
Westmorland (, formerly also spelt ''Westmoreland'';R. Wilkinson The British Isles, Sheet The British IslesVision of Britain/ref> is a historic county in North West England spanning the southern Lake District and the northern Dales. It had an ...
(or sometimes Appleby) and Kendal
Kendal, once Kirkby in Kendal or Kirkby Kendal, is a market town and civil parish in the South Lakeland district of Cumbria, England, south-east of Windermere and north of Lancaster. Historically in Westmorland, it lies within the dale of th ...
. As with Cumberland, Durham and Northumberland it was divided into wards. The baronies were each further subdivided into two wards:
*Westmorland
**East ward – Appleby, Brough, Kirkby Stephen, Orton, Tebay
**West ward – Askham, Bampton, Barton, Patterdale, Shap, Yanwath
*Kendal
**Kendal ward – Ambleside, Burton-in-Kendal, Grasmere, Grayrigg, Kentmere, Kendal
Kendal, once Kirkby in Kendal or Kirkby Kendal, is a market town and civil parish in the South Lakeland district of Cumbria, England, south-east of Windermere and north of Lancaster. Historically in Westmorland, it lies within the dale of th ...
, Windermere
**Lonsdale ward – Kirkby Lonsdale
Modern history
In 1889, under the Local Government Act 1888, a county council
A county council is the elected administrative body governing an area known as a county. This term has slightly different meanings in different countries.
Ireland
The county councils created under British rule in 1899 continue to exist in Irel ...
was created for Westmorland, taking functions from the quarter sessions. The county council was based at Kendal
Kendal, once Kirkby in Kendal or Kirkby Kendal, is a market town and civil parish in the South Lakeland district of Cumbria, England, south-east of Windermere and north of Lancaster. Historically in Westmorland, it lies within the dale of th ...
, rather than the historic county town of Appleby. Kendal had been chartered as a municipal borough in 1835, Appleby in 1885. The county had no 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, similar to the unitary authorities created since the 1990s. An equivalent t ...
s throughout its history, so the administrative county, the area under the control of the county council, was coterminous with the geographic county.
Aside from the two municipal boroughs of Kendal and Appleby, the Local Government Act 1894
The Local Government Act 1894 (56 & 57 Vict. c. 73) 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 u ...
divided the county into urban districts and rural districts
Rural districts were a type of local government area – now superseded – established at the end of the 19th century in England, Wales, and Ireland for the administration of predominantly rural areas at a level lower than that of the ad ...
:
*Five urban districts: Ambleside, Bowness on Windermere, Grasmere, Kirkby Lonsdale, Windermere
*Three rural districts: West Ward, East Westmorland, South Westmorland
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:
*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 () is a ceremonial county and unitary authority in the East Midlands, England. The county is bounded to the west and north by Leicestershire, to the northeast by Lincolnshire and the southeast by Northamptonshire.
Its greatest len ...
. The distribution of population was as follows:
In 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972
The Local Government Act 1972 (c. 70) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974. It was one of the most significant Acts of Parliament to be passed by the Heath Gov ...
, the county council was abolished and its former area was combined with Cumberland and parts of Lancashire and Yorkshire
Yorkshire ( ; abbreviated Yorks), formally known as the County of York, is a historic county in northern England and by far the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its large area in comparison with other English counties, functions have ...
to form the new county of 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. ...
, administered by a new Cumbria County Council. The area forms parts of the districts of South Lakeland
South Lakeland is a local government district in Cumbria, England. The population of the non-metropolitan district was 102,301 according to the 2001 census, increasing to 103,658 at the 2011 Census. Its council is based in Kendal. It includes ...
and Eden
Eden may refer to:
* Garden of Eden, the "garden of God" described in the Book of Genesis
Places and jurisdictions
Canada
* Eden, Ontario
* Eden High School
Middle East
* Eden, Lebanon, a city and former bishopric
* Camp Eden, Iraq
O ...
.
In July 2021 Robert Jenrick, Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government announced the dissolution of Cumbria County Council and its six district councils and their replacement in April 2023 by two unitary authorities: Cumberland, and Westmorland and Furness. The latter will re-unite and re-establish historic Westmorland within a single administrative unit, along with the Furness (Lancs), Penrith (Cumberland) and Sedbergh (Yorks) areas.
Naming
J. E. Marr explains the name "Westmorland" thus:
The name applied to the district by the Anglo-Saxons
The Anglo-Saxons were a cultural group who inhabited England in the Early Middle Ages. They traced their origins to settlers who came to Britain from mainland Europe in the 5th century. However, the ethnogenesis of the Anglo-Saxons happened wit ...
was originally Westmoringaland, 'the land of the people of the western moors,' in distinction from that of the people of the eastern moors, on the east side of the Pennine chain. The present name has not, however, been derived from that of Westmoringaland, but from Westmarieland or Westmerieland, used in the twelfth century, hence Westmerland. The meaning of this is land of the western ''meres'', and not ''moors''. Mere means boundary as well as a lake, and it is doubtful whether the word as used here refers to lakes or boundaries. There is no doubt that Westmerland is the more correct spelling ..
Coat of arms
The College of Arms granted the Westmorland County Council a coat of arms
A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement, which in it ...
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.
Legacy
From April 2023, Westmorland will reappear on national maps as part of Westmorland and Furness unitary authority. During the intervening period, Westmorland has still been used as a place name by organisations and businesses in the area such as:
*''The Westmorland Gazette
''The Westmorland Gazette'' is a weekly newspaper published in Kendal, England, covering "South Lakeland and surrounding areas", including Barrow and North Lancashire. Its name refers to the historic county of Westmorland. The paper is now owned ...
'' (founded 1818)
*The Westmorland County Agricultural Society (founded 1799), which organises the annual Westmorland County Agricultural Society Show
*The Westmorland County Football Association, the regional division of the Football Association that administers many football leagues including the Westmorland Association Football League.
*The Westmorland Geological Society
The 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.
The Society was founded in 1973 and continues to hold a programme o ...
(formed 1973)
*The (founded 1866)
*The Westmorland Youth Orchestra
*The Westmorland Shopping Centre, Kendal
*The Westmorland Cricket League
*Westmorland Motorway Services
Westmorland Motorway Services Limited is the British holding company that owns Westmorland Limited who run three motorway service stations plus a truckstop close to the M6 motorway and a combined service and visitor/exhibition centre.
The co ...
, the company behind Tebay services
Tebay Services are motorway service stations on the M6 motorway in the Eden district of Cumbria, England. The northbound opened in 1972 and the southbound in 1993. They are known for their family-run business which eschews the typical facilit ...
in Westmorland and Gloucester Services.
*In 1974 the successor parish council formed for the former borough of Appleby adopted the name Appleby-in-Westmorland.
*Westmorland General Hospital
Westmorland General Hospital (WGH) is a hospital near Oxenholme in Kendal
Kendal, once Kirkby in Kendal or Kirkby Kendal, is a market town and civil parish in the South Lakeland district of Cumbria, England, south-east of Windermere and no ...
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 is a local government district in Cumbria, England. The population of the non-metropolitan district was 102,301 according to the 2001 census, increasing to 103,658 at the 2011 Census. Its council is based in Kendal. It includes ...
, 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.
In 2013, the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Eric Pickles, formally recognised and acknowledged the continued existence of England's 39 historic counties, including Westmorland.
In April 2023, local government in Cumbria will be reorganised into two unitary authorities, one of which is to be named Westmorland and Furness and would cover all of the historic county along with parts of historic Yorkshire, Lancashire and Cumberland.
Notable people
* Sir Thomas Strickland
''Sir'' is a formal honorific address in English for men, derived from Sire in the High Middle Ages. Both are derived from the old French "Sieur" (Lord), brought to England by the French-speaking Normans, and which now exist in French only ...
carried the Flag of St. George
The flag of England is the national flag of England, a constituent country of the United Kingdom. It is derived from Saint George's Cross (heraldic blazon: ''Argent, a cross gules''). The association of the red cross as an emblem of England ...
at the battle of Agincourt.
* St. John Boste, Roman Catholic priest and martyr
* Mary Wakefield, patron of music celebrated with annual Mary Wakefield Festival
* Nicholas Freeston
Nicholas Freeston (28 August 1907 – 6 February 1978) was an English poet who spent most of his working life as a weaver in cotton mills near his home in Clayton-le-Moors, Lancashire. He published five books of poetry, occasionally writing in ...
(1907–1978), award-winning Lancashire poet, born in Kendal
* George Romney, portrait painter, many paintings by him at Kendal Town Hall
* William Parr, 1st Baron Parr of Kendal
Sir William Parr, KG (1434–1483)Linda Porter. ''Katherine, the Queen'', MacMillan, 2010. . was an English courtier and soldier. He was the eldest son of Sir Thomas Parr (1405–1461) and his wife Alice, daughter of Sir Thomas Tunstall of T ...
, who was father to Sir Thomas Parr of Kendal and thus the grandfather of Queen Catherine Parr
Catherine Parr (sometimes alternatively spelled Katherine, Katheryn, Kateryn, or Katharine; 1512 – 5 September 1548) was Queen of England and Ireland as the last of the six wives of King Henry VIII from their marriage on 12 July 1543 until ...
, Henry VIII
Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is best known for his six marriages, and for his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disa ...
's sixth wife. The Parrs' ancestral castle, Kendal Castle, is located in Kendal.
* Tom Barker, trade unionist and socialist, born in Crosthwaite
Crosthwaite is a small village located in the Parish of Crosthwaite and Lyth, South Lakeland, Cumbria, England. It is in the Lake District National Park
The Lake District National Park is a national park in North West England that include ...
* Margaret Cropper, poet
* Mary Rolls, poet
See also
* List of Lord Lieutenants for Westmorland
* List of High Sheriffs for Westmorland
* Custos Rotulorum of Westmorland – List of keepers of the Rolls
* Westmorland (UK Parliament constituency) – List of MPs for constituency of Westmorland
* Västmanland – Swedish historic county
References
Notes
Citations
Sources
*
External links
The Westmorland Association
Westmorland County Agricultural Society
Map of Westmorland
on Wikishire
{{Coord, 54, 30, N, 2, 35, W, display=title, region:GB_type:adm2nd_source:GNS-enwiki
*
History of Cumbria
Geography of Cumbria
Counties of England established in antiquity
Counties of England disestablished in 1974
Former counties of England