Bewcastle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bewcastle |
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| Civil parish | |
 Bewcastle church and cross |
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 Bewcastle
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| Population | 391 (2011 census) |
| OS grid reference | NY565745 |
| Civil parish |
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| Unitary authority |
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| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Carlisle |
| Postcode district | CA6 |
| Post town | Newcastleton |
| Postcode district | TD9 |
| Dialling code | 016977 |
| Police | Cumbria |
| Fire | Cumbria |
| Ambulance | North West |
| EU Parliament | North West England |
| UK Parliament |
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| Website | http://www.bewcastle.com/ |
Bewcastle is a large area in Cumbria, England. It is part of the Cumberland unitary authority area. This region is also known as the historic county of Cumberland.
In 2011, about 391 people lived in Bewcastle. The area is quite big and includes smaller places like Roadhead and Sleetbeck. Bewcastle is located near the border with Scotland to the north and Northumberland to the east.
Contents
What Does the Name Bewcastle Mean?
The name Bewcastle comes from old words. It used to be "bothy/booth caster." This means "the Roman fort where there were small huts or shelters."
- Caster comes from an old English word for a Roman camp's defenses. A medieval castle was later built inside these old Roman walls.
- Buth- comes from an Old Norse word meaning "booth" or "hut."
So, the name tells us that Bewcastle was once a Roman fort with small buildings.
Who Represents Bewcastle in Parliament?
Bewcastle is part of the Penrith and the Border area for the UK Parliament. The person who represents this area is called a Member of Parliament.
Currently, Neil Hudson is the Member of Parliament for Bewcastle. He was elected in 2019.
The Famous Bewcastle Cross and Church
Bewcastle is home to the historic St Cuthbert's church and the amazing Bewcastle Cross. This stone cross was made way back in the 7th century.
- The cross has a sundial on it, which is the oldest one in Britain. This sundial shows four "tides," which were like work periods in medieval times.
- Experts like Nikolaus Pevsner have said that the Bewcastle Cross and the Ruthwell Cross are "the greatest achievement of their date in the whole of Europe."
There is also a copy of the cross at St Mary's in Wreay, near Carlisle. However, this copy looks a bit different from the original.
Bewcastle's Roman Fort and Castle
Bewcastle is also famous for its unusual six-sided Bewcastle Roman Fort. This fort was known as Fanum Cocidi in Roman times. You can still see its grassy walls around the churchyard today.
- The Romans first built the fort using turf and wood. It was guarded by a group of German soldiers.
- This fort was an important outpost for Hadrian's Wall, which was built to protect the Roman Empire. A road connected Bewcastle to another Roman fort called Banna (Birdoswald) on Hadrian's Wall. There was also a signal station on Gillalees Beacon between them.
- Later, the fort was rebuilt with stone. Much of this stone was then used to build a Norman castle inside the northern part of the old fort.
- The ruins of Bewcastle Castle have been looked after by English Heritage. You can visit them for free.
Notable People from Bewcastle
Bewcastle is the birthplace of two brothers who became very important engineers. Joseph Armstrong (1816–1877) and George Armstrong (1822–1901) were both famous for designing steam locomotives. They worked mostly for the Great Western Railway.
Images for kids
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Bewcastle castle
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The castle
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Bewcastle church and cross from the west
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Bewcastle cross south perspective view
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Interior of St Cuthbert's church, Bewcastle, Cumbria.
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Example sundial at another location showing the four 'Tides' as on the Bewcastle Cross
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Countryside at Bewcastle
