Addingham Parish 1
> | Contains the four townships of Gamblesby, Glassonby,
Hunsonby with Winskill, and Little Salkeld. It extends about six miles in length from E.
to W., and 2½ in breadth from N. to S.; it is bounded on the east by Hartside
Fell, on the west by the river Eden, on the north by Kirkoswald and Renwick,
and on the south by Melmerby and Langwathby parishes. The soil is generally
fertile, and in a high state of cultivation, and being well enclosed with quicksets, the
whole has a very cheerful appearance; and on Finch Fell, is a bed of fire stone, of
superior quality. It has no village of its own name, the church being situated in the
township and manor of Glassonby, about eight miles N.E. by N. of Penrith. The parish
contains 5453 acres, of the rateable value of £5411 1s. 6d., and its population in 1841,
was 735.
Gamblesby is a neat and well-built village, pleasantly situated ten miles N.E. of Penrith, near to Hartside Fell, over part of which its township extends, containing 1403 acres, of the rateable value of £1867 and about 320 inhabitants. Here is an Independent, and also a Wesleyan chapel. Unthank is a hamlet in this township, ten and a half miles N.E. by E. of Penrith. Glassonby is an irregularly built village, situated on an eminence, about half a mile N. of the parish church, two miles S.E. of Kirkoswald, and eight miles N.E. by N. of Penrith: it contains about 170 inhabitants. The manors of Glassonby and Gamblesby were formerly united in one seniority, which was given by Henry I to Hildred, to be holden by the payment of 2s. carnage. It afterwards passed successively through the families of Ireby, Lascelles, Seaton, Nevill, Dacre, and Musgrave, and is now the property of the duke of Devonshire. The township contains 1378 acres, of the rateable value of £1180: about 300A. are not worth tilling. The Church2,
dedicated to Saint Michael, is a vicarage in the patronage of the dean and chapter of
Carlisle. It was an appendage to Maughamby is a hamlet in Glassonby, seven miles N.E. of Penrith. Lieut. col. Lacy is the principal land owner. Here is a Free School, founded in the year 1634, by the Rev. Edward Mayplett, prebendary of Carlisle and vicar of this parish, who endowed it with 80 acres of land adjoining, now let for about £80 a year, for which the school is free to all the children of the parish who wish to avail themselves of the charity, and are admitted as soon as they have learned the alphabet. Hunsonby village forms a joint township with Winskill, and is situated six miles N.E. of Penrith. The township contains 1586 acres, of the rateable value of £1309 5s., and about 150 souls. Here is a Methodist chapel erected some years ago. In 1726, Joseph Hutchinson, yeoman, endowed a school here, with fifty acres of land, at Gawtree, for the education of all the poor children of Hunsonby and Winskill, and he left an estate at the latter place, consisting of about 31 acres, (with £10) to the poor of Hunsonby quarter. The school estate is now let for £53 per annum, by the church warden and overseer of the township, who are the trustees for the time being, both of this and the poor's land, which lets for £65 a year. For the other charities belonging to this parish, see page 233, [the Alston Parish entry] where it will be seen that the six charities produce yearly, about £200, of which about £120 belongs to the schools at Maughamby and Hunsonby, and the rest to the poor. Winskill is a small village and joint township with Hunsonby, six miles N.E. by E. of Penrith. Roberby is a hamlet in this township, 6½ miles N.E. of Penrith. Salkeld (Little) is a scattered village near the Eden,
one mile south of Addingham church, and six miles north-east of Penrith. The township
contains 1086 acres, of the rateable value of £1054 16s. 6d. and about 110 inhabitants.
Land has been awarded in lieu of tithes, both here and in Hunsonby. The township and manor
of Salkeld, which includes Hunsonby township, was granted by Walter, a Norman, in the
reign of William Rufus, to the priory of Saint Mary, Carlisle; and this grant was
confirmed by Edward I in 1292. After the dissolution of the religious houses, it was
given, with other estates, to the dean and chapter of Carlisle, who are its present lords.
There was anciently a chapel, or church, at Salkeld, which having been polluted by the
shedding of blood, in 1360, and the parish church being "at a great distance;"
the vicar celebrated the holy offices in his own house till the interdict was taken off
the chapel, which tradition says, was seated in a village called Addingham, on the east
bank of the river. Human bones, crosses, and other relics, have been found here, and
pieces of cemented stonework, said to be part of the church, have been seen in the bed of
the river. About half a mile south of the church of Addingham, is the Druid's Temple,
commonly called Long Meg and her Daughters4. Between
these interesting remains of British antiquity and the Eden is Salkeld Hall,
originally the residence of the ancient family of Salkeld, one of whom, Mr. Geo. Salkeld,
is stated to have been obliged to part with this seat of his ancestors during the civil
wars, for a trifling consideration. Before the year 1688, it became the property of the
family of Smallwood, and was purchased in 1790, by the late lieut. colonel Lacy, who added
a new front to it, and formed, on the romantic banks of the Eden, four caves, similar to
those at Corby Castle. He sold the mansion in 1836, to Robert Hodgson, Esq. the present
proprietor, who has made great improvements in the house, offices, gardens, &c. The
mansion, though much modernized, still bears intrinsic evidence of its antiquity in the
thickness of its ancient walls, &c. Mannix & Whellan, History, Gazetteer and Directory of Cumberland, 1847
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Notes
The School Inspectors report for ca. 1867 is available here.
1. This parish was sub-divided pursuant
to the Local Government Act, of 1894, into the parishes of Gamblesby, Glassonby, and
Hunsonby and Winskill.
2. The medieval church of St. Michael was, so the story goes, destroyed in
a flood, and replaced by the present structure in the 17th century. It was extensively
altered and restored in 1898.
3. Dr Paley is, presumably,
William Paley (1743-1805), who wrote on
philosophy and theology.
4.
Long Meg and her Daughters is a very large stone circle. Long Meg
herself is over 3 metres high.
Photo © Steve Bulman.
19 June 2015
© Steve Bulman