Glassonby facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Glassonby |
|
|---|---|
| Village and parish | |
 Glassonby |
|
 Glassonby
|
|
| Population | 339 Parish, 2021 |
| OS grid reference | NY5738 |
| Civil parish |
|
| Unitary authority |
|
| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | PENRITH |
| Postcode district | CA10 |
| Dialling code | 01768 |
| Police | Cumbria |
| Fire | Cumbria |
| Ambulance | North West |
| EU Parliament | North West England |
| UK Parliament |
|
Glassonby is a small village located in the beautiful Eden Valley in Cumbria, England. It's part of the Westmorland and Furness area. About 3 kilometres (2 miles) south-east of Kirkoswald, Glassonby is home to around 339 people, according to the 2021 census.
Historically, Glassonby was part of a larger area called Addingham. The original Addingham village was on the east side of the River Eden. However, the river changed its path over time, and the village was eventually abandoned.
Near Glassonby, at White House Farm, you can find a special old building called a bastle house. This type of house was built in the late 1500s to protect people and animals from raids. The village also has a centre where people can learn to fly microlight aircraft, which are small, lightweight planes.
Contents
What's in a Name? The Meaning of Glassonby
The name 'Glassonby' has an interesting history! It means 'Glassan's bȳ'. The word 'bȳ' comes from an old Norse word, 'býr', which means a small village or hamlet. 'Glassan' is an old Irish name. Glassonby is also sometimes called 'Grayson Lands', which might mean 'grey horses'. This name could also refer to the ancient stone circle nearby, which is made of grey stones.
A Glimpse into Glassonby's Past
Glassonby has a long history. It was once part of the ancient parish of Addingham in Cumberland county. This parish was divided into four smaller areas called townships, and Glassonby was one of them. The original Addingham village and its church were in the Glassonby township.
Between the 1300s and 1500s, the old Addingham village was abandoned. The River Eden slowly washed away the old church and its graveyard. So, in the early 1500s, a new church called St Michael's was built just south of Glassonby village.
In 1866, each of the four townships, including Glassonby, became its own civil parish. Later, in 1934, the nearby area of Gamblesby joined with Glassonby. Even though the old Addingham village is gone, the church area still uses the name Addingham.
The Mysterious Glassonby Stone Circle
Near Glassonby, there's an ancient stone circle. It's actually an oval-shaped pile of stones called a kerbed cairn. Thirty stones form a ring around this cairn, though some have been moved over the years.
- Two of the stones have special markings, like spirals or circles.
- The stones weren't placed in holes; they were held up by the cairn material.
- Inside the circle, archaeologists found a stone box called a cist. It had been robbed, but a piece of blue glass was found, which might have been a later offering.
- Outside the circle, burnt bones and an upside-down pot were discovered. The bones were from a man, and another cremation might have been a woman.
- Ditch marks suggest there was a larger ditch around the circle. This, along with the stone markings, links it to other important ancient sites nearby, like the Long Meg stone circle.
The Lost Old Parks Cairn
Another ancient site, the Old Parks cairn, used to be just north of the Glassonby stone circle. It was about 1.2 metres (4 feet) high and oval-shaped.
- Underneath the cairn, there was a line of five decorated stones.
- To the west of these stones, 32 groups of burnt bones were found. They were with special cups from the Beaker people and small beads made of shale.
- A large granite stone, about 1.4 metres (4 feet 7 inches) tall, also stood nearby.
- Two of the decorated stones, along with some ancient cups and flint tools from the site, are now on display at the Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery in Carlisle.
Glassonby's Wider Area
The civil parish of Glassonby is quite large! It stretches all the way from the banks of the River Eden up to the tops of the North Pennines mountains. It even borders another area called Alston Moor. Besides Glassonby village itself, this parish includes:
- The village of Gamblesby, which used to be its own parish until 1934.
- Small groups of houses called hamlets like Glassonbybeck, Maughanby, and Unthank.
Famous People from Glassonby
Glassonby has been home to some notable people:
- Robert Beatham VC: Robert Beatham was born in Glassonby. He later moved to Australia as a teenager. He became an Australian soldier and was awarded the Victoria Cross, a very brave award, after he was killed in action during the First World War in 1918. He was only 24 years old.
- Rev. George Bramwell Evens: George Bramwell Evens was a popular radio broadcaster in the 1930s, known as "Romany of the BBC". He often visited Glassonby in the 1920s and 1930s. After he passed away in 1943, his ashes were scattered at Old Parks Farm. There's a memorial there that says he "loved birds and trees and flowers and the wind on the heath."
