Natland is a village and

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 authorit ...

about two miles (3 km) south of Kendal in the South Lakeland district 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. C ...

, England, close to the village of Oxenholme. In the 2001 census the parish had a population of 747, increasing at the 2011 census to 796.

Features

The civil parish of Natland covers of open countryside on the east bank of the

River Kent The River Kent is a short river in the county of Cumbria in England. It originates in hills surrounding Kentmere, and flows for around 20 miles (32 km) into the north of Morecambe Bay. The upper reaches and the western bank of the estuary ...

. It extends from the river to the sudden steep slope of Helm, which rises to 185 metres above sea level providing a fine viewpoint. Natland village stands at the centre of the parish. Village landmarks include St Mark's Parish Church, built in 1910, (the third church on the site and an example of the work of the Lancaster architects Austin and Paley), St Mark's Church of England Primary School, the Village Hall and the Village Store and Post Office (formerly a

public house A pub (short for public house) is a kind of drinking establishment which is licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term ''public house'' first appeared in the United Kingdom in late 17th century, and wa ...

, the ''Horse and Farrier''). The

village green A village green is a common open area within a village or other settlement. Historically, a village green was common grassland with a pond for watering cattle and other stock, often at the edge of a rural settlement, used for gathering cattle t ...

, with its Coronation oak tree (1952), picnic table and two memorial seats, is a popular venue for locals and visitors alike. The Village Green and Helm are both

common land Common land is land owned by a person or collectively by a number of persons, over which other persons have certain common rights, such as to allow their livestock to graze upon it, to collect wood, or to cut turf for fuel. A person who has a ...

owned by the Strickland family, who live nearby at

Sizergh Castle Sizergh Castle and Garden is a stately home and garden at Helsington in the English county of Cumbria, about south of Kendal. Located in historic Westmorland, the castle is a grade I listed building. While remaining the home of the Hornyold- ...

. The

Lancaster Canal The Lancaster Canal is a canal in North West England, originally planned to run from Westhoughton in Lancashire to Kendal in south Cumbria ( historically in Westmorland). The section around the crossing of the River Ribble was never complete ...

ran through the west of the parish until its closure in 1947. Plans are now afoot to restore the canal and link it to the national waterways network. Natland is served by a regular bus service between Kendal and Silverdale and a

mobile library A bookmobile or mobile library is a vehicle designed for use as a library. They have been known by many names throughout history, including traveling library, library wagon, book wagon, book truck, library-on-wheels, and book auto service. Bookm ...

. There is a long-standing legend that Natland has a Treacle Mine. What is certain is that there is a cave system running under the village from Helm to the river although the precise route is not known. For more information see Natland Treacle Mines and Natland Treacle Tours.

Yan Yan may refer to: Chinese states * Yan (state) (11th century – 222 BC), a major state in northern China during the Zhou dynasty * Yan (Han dynasty kingdom), first appearing in 206 BC * Yan (Three Kingdoms kingdom), officially claimed indepe ...

, Hamilton and Woody of the rock band

British Sea Power Command of the sea (also called control of the sea or sea control) is a naval military concept regarding the strength of a particular navy to a specific naval area it controls. A navy has command of the sea when it is so strong that its rival ...

were raised in the village, as was their former manager

Roy Wilkinson Roy Wilkinson is a British music journalist and band manager. As a journalist he is best known for his work in ''Sounds'', '' Select'' and '' Q'', but has contributed to various other publications. Considered an authority on the Pixies, he app ...

History

Signs of the earliest occupation of the parish include earthworks on the summit of Helm, which could be an

Iron Age The Iron Age is the final epoch of the three-age division of the prehistory and protohistory of humanity. It was preceded by the Stone Age ( Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic) and the Bronze Age ( Chalcolithic). The concept has been mostl ...

fort A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...

. It is likely that the

Romans Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

used The Helm in conjunction with the Roman fort at Watercrook situated on the banks of the Kent, at the most northerly tip of the Parish. This site was occupied by the Romans from the 1st century to the 4th century AD and many Roman artefacts have been found. Opinions differ as to the origin of the name ''Natland''. The English Place Names Society gives the derivation of Natland as the

Old Norse Old Norse, Old Nordic, or Old Scandinavian, is a stage of development of North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and their overseas settlemen ...

''Natlundr'', meaning 'Nati's wood', ''Nati'' being either a mythological name or a proper name and ''lundr'' meaning 'a small wood, a sacred grove'. However Nicolson and Burn's 1777 ''History and antiquities of the counties of Westmorland and Cumberland'' describes Natland as "a small manor or lordship, containing only about 30 families. It seems to have had its name from the ''Nativi'' or bondsmen probably placed there, as attendant upon the capital lord at Kendal Castle to do servile offices." The earliest recorded use of the name is in 1164. Natland Hall farm was granted permission for a chapel in 1246 and is probably the oldest building in the village. Natland Abbey, an agricultural community and a sub-branch of

Furness Abbey Furness Abbey, or St. Mary of Furness, is a former Catholic monastery located to the north of Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England. The abbey dates back to 1123 and was once the second-wealthiest and most powerful Cistercian monastery in the cou ...

, is another 14th-century building. Watercrook Farm, Natland Mill and Cracalt Farm are also of early origin. In 1674, the

Dissenter A dissenter (from the Latin ''dissentire'', "to disagree") is one who dissents (disagrees) in matters of opinion, belief, etc. Usage in Christianity Dissent from the Anglican church In the social and religious history of England and Wales, and ...

Richard Frankland Richard Joseph Frankland is an Australian playwright, scriptwriter and musician. He is an Aboriginal Australian of Gunditjmara origin from Victoria. He has worked significantly for the Aboriginal Australian cause. Biography Richard J. Fran ...

founded the Natland Academy, which had tutored more than 350 students by 1693.Ebenezer Latham; ''Preparation for Death, and Fitness for Heaven...A sermon preached at Uttoxeter...on occasion of the death of the Rev. D. Madock. To which is annexed...a catalogue of the students educated under Mr. Frankland''; London, 1745.

Notable people

In order of birth: *

(1630–1698) founded the Natland Academy for religious knowledge. *

(living), music journalist and

manager *

, Hamilton and

Wood Wood is a porous and fibrous structural tissue found in the stems and roots of trees and other woody plants. It is an organic materiala natural composite of cellulose fibers that are strong in tension and embedded in a matrix of lignin ...

of the indie-rock band British Sea Power, were brought up in Natland.

Location grid

References

External links