Orton Parish
> | Is bounded by the parishes of Saint Mary, Burgh, Kirk
Bampton, Kirk Andrews, Aikton, Thursby and Dalston, comprises the townships of Great
Orton, and Baldwin Holme, and contains 482 inhabitants, and 4630 acres of land,
all of which is freehold, consisting chiefly of a clayey soil, with a mixture of gravel.
The manor, which was anciently possessed by a family of its own name, was carried
by an heiress in marriage to Sir Clement de Skelton; between whose four daughters it was
afterwards divided, and from whom it passed by purchase to the family of the present lord,
Sir Wastel Brisco, of Crofton Hall, who holds a court here, annually, and receives about
£40 a year as lord's rent. Several attempts have been made to discover coal in this
parish, but without success. The rateable value of the parish is £2580.
Great Orton township contains 204 inhabitants; the
village of Great Orton is five miles W. by S. of Carlisle, and the hamlet of Bow,
1½ mile N. of the village. Sir Wastel Brisco is the largest proprietor of this township;
besides whom, and the resident yeomen, the following have estates here, viz. J. Studholme,
Esq., the Misses Blaylock, George Robinson, and the trustees of John Moor. From an
adjacent enclosure, called Parson's Thorn, no fewer than fifteen churches may be seen in
Cumberland, and several in Scotland, with beautiful views of Carlisle, Gretna, and many
other places. From the many Roman causeways and other foundations which have been dug up,
it is evident that Orton has been at one time a place of much consequence, and most
probably a market town. At the extremity of a lane, which extends 300 yards northward from
the village, is a large foss, or double ditch, where an iron chain went across the road,
and was locked every night, called Barrass Gate, made as a defence against the
frequent incursions of the Scots or moss-troopers. The entrance from the east had a
similar defence, and the whole parish was enclosed with a ditch and embankment, called the
Ringfence, within which was found several years ago, a very curious and neat
sandal, buried in the peat moss. Tradition says that on one occasion, a trooper "Seven times seven years he taught
this school, Baldwin Holme1 township comprises a small village of its own name, 1½ mile S.; the hamlets of Little Orton, 1½ mile N.E.; Orton Rigg, 1 mile S.; and Woodhouses, 1½ mile S. of Great Orton. The latter hamlet is 5½ miles S.W. of Carlisle, and N.W. of Wigton. Hylton Castle, about 2½ miles S.E. of Orton, is also in this township, and is a beautiful mansion, the property of Sir Wastel Brisco, who erected it a few years since, for his son, Hylton Brisco, Esq., who is now an officer in the army. Near to it is a large farm, also recently erected by Sir W. Brisco, who is the principal owner of the soil; but there are many resident yeomen and freeholders in the township, and the family of Twentyman, Blamire, Westmorland, Scott and Williamson, have estates here. It contains 278 inhabitants. Near to Little Orton is a spring of very excellent water, never known to run dry.
Mannix & Whellan, History, Gazetteer and Directory of Cumberland, 1847
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Notes
1. Baldwin Holme is now rendered Baldwinholme.
Photo © Steve Bulman.
19 June 2015
© Steve Bulman