Portal:Cumbria

The Cumbria Portal

Cumbria (/ˈkʌmbriə/ KUM-bree-ə) is a ceremonial county in North West England. It borders the Scottish council areas of Dumfries and Galloway and Scottish Borders to the north, the English ceremonial counties of Northumberland and County Durham to the east, North Yorkshire to the south-east, Lancashire to the south, and the Irish Sea to the west. Its largest settlement is the city of Carlisle.

Cumbria is predominantly rural, with an area of 6,769 km² (2,614 sq mi) and a population of 510,680; this makes it the third-largest ceremonial county in England by area but the eighth-smallest by population. Carlisle is located in the north; the towns of Workington and Whitehaven lie on the west coast, Barrow-in-Furness on the south coast, and Penrith and Kendal in the east of the county. For local government purposes the county comprises two unitary authority areas, Westmorland and Furness and Cumberland. Cumbria was created in 1974 from the historic counties of Cumberland and Westmorland, the Furness area of Lancashire, and a small part of Yorkshire.

The interior of Cumbria contains several upland areas. Together they fringe the Vale of Eden, the wide valley of the River Eden, which runs south-east to north-west across the county and broadens into the Solway Plain near Carlisle. To the north-east are part of the Border Moors, and to the east part of the North Pennines; the latter have been designated a national landscape. South of the vale are the Orton Fells, Howgill Fells, and part of the Yorkshire Dales, which are all within the Yorkshire Dales national park. The south-west contains the Lake District, a large upland area which has been designated a national park and UNESCO World Heritage Site. It includes England's highest mountain, Scafell Pike; its longest and largest lake, Windermere; and its deepest lake, Wast Water. The county has a long coast to the west which is bordered by a plain for most of its length. The north-west coast is part of the Solway Firth, a national landscape, and the south coast includes the Cartmel and Furness peninsulas. East of the peninsulas, the county contains part of Arnside and Silverdale, another national landscape. (Full article...)

Selected article -

A stone church seen from the northwest with a battlemented tower — St James, Burton-in-Kendal

Cumbria is a county in North West England. It was created in 1974 from the historical counties of Westmorland and Cumberland, together with the Furness area of Lancashire and the Sedbergh Rural District of the West Riding of Yorkshire. Its largest settlement is the county town of Carlisle. Buildings in England are given listed building status by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, acting on the recommendation of Historic England. Listed status gives the structure national recognition and protection against alteration or demolition without authorisation. Grade I listed buildings are defined as being of "exceptional interest, sometimes considered to be internationally important"; only 2.5 per cent of listed buildings are included in this grade.

There have been Christian churches in Cumbria since the Anglo-Saxon era. Anglo-Saxon elements to be found in the churches include the lower parts of the towers of St Michael, Beetham, and St Laurence, Morland. Many of the churches have Norman features, including the tower of St Michael, Barton, the north arcade of St Andrew, Crosby Garrett, the crossing of St Lawrence, Crosby Ravensworth, much of St John the Evangelist, Crosscanonby, the north arcade and three doorways of St Mary, Kirkby Lonsdale, and a doorway, the arcades and the chancel arch of St Michael, Torpenhow. Gothic features are found in churches that originated at a later date, such as All Saints, Boltongate, and in additions to older churches, such as St Lawrence, Appleby, St Michael, Burgh by Sands, and Carlisle Cathedral. St James, Whitehaven, is in Georgian style, as is the nave of St Andrew, Penrith. Gothic Revival features can be found in churches that were restored or altered during the 19th century, and include the north transept added to St Michael, Muncaster by Anthony Salvin, additions to St Martin, Bowness-on-Windermere by Paley and Austin, and William Butterfield's restoration of St Bridget, Brigham. The most modern church in the list is St Martin, Brampton, which was built between 1874 and 1878, and is the only church designed by Philip Webb, using a variety of architectural styles. (Full article...)

List of selected articles

General images

The following are images from various Cumbria-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1The Rere or Rey Cross on Stainmore (from History of Cumbria)
Image 2The University of Cumbria's Fusehill Campus in Carlisle (from Cumbria)
Image 3Wetheral Priory Gatehouse – all that remains of Wetheral Priory, founded by Ranulf le Meschin in 1106 (from History of Cumbria)
Image 4 William Wordsworth (from Cumbria)
Image 5Castlerigg Stone Circle (from History of Cumbria)
Image 6The site of the 2007 Grayrigg train derailment (from History of Cumbria)
Image 7Furness Abbey, founded in 1123 by Stephen, King of England, attacked by the Scots in 1322 (from History of Cumbria)
Image 8'Giants Grave', St. Andrew's churchyard, Penrith, an unusual arrangement of two Viking-age cross-shafts with four hogbacks (in the foreground). In addition, there is a smaller, Viking-age, wheel-headed cross just visible in the background (from History of Cumbria)
Image 9Wray Castle – built by a Liverpool doctor who had married a rich wife. Constructed in 1840 at the head of Windermere. Associated with two key players of the National Trust : Canon Rawnsley and Beatrix Potter (from History of Cumbria)
Image 10Approximate extent of Domesday coverage : the district of Hougun, if indeed it was a district, may have covered the three peninsulas at the left of the pink area (from History of Cumbria)
Image 11Napes Needle on Great Gable, a favourite of the early climbers (from History of Cumbria)
Image 12Cairn circle, Oddendale (from History of Cumbria)
Image 13The banks of Brocavum Roman fort in the foreground; Brougham Castle is in the background (from History of Cumbria)
Image 14Hadrian's Wall (from History of Cumbria)
Image 15High Cup Nick, in the North Pennines (from Cumbria)
Image 16Hadrian's Wall (from Cumbria)
Image 17The historic counties shown within Cumbria
  Boundary of Cumbria
  Historic Cumberland
  Historic Westmorland
  Historic Lancashire
  West Riding of Yorkshire
(from Cumbria)
Image 18Carlisle Cathedral : founded in 1133 (from History of Cumbria)
Image 19The historic counties shown within Cumbria
  Boundary of Cumbria
  Cumberland
  Westmorland
  Lancashire
  West Riding of Yorkshire
(from History of Cumbria)
Image 20A Border reiver: statue in Carlisle (from History of Cumbria)
Image 21Birdoswald – showing partial blockage of main (east) gateway (from History of Cumbria)
Image 22Furness Abbey (from Cumbria)
Image 23The northeastern Irish Sea, showing new settlements with Norse place names. (from History of Cumbria)
Image 24Neolithic stone axe with handle from Ehenside Tarn (now in the British Museum) (from History of Cumbria)
Image 25Workington Hall, the Curwens' family seat (from History of Cumbria)
Image 26Swarthy Hill, near Crosscanonby on the Solway coast – possible site of Iron Age hillfort, later the site of mile-fortlet 21 in Roman times (from History of Cumbria)
Image 27Hardknott Roman Fort (from History of Cumbria)
Image 28The Irton Cross, Irton, Cumbria, early 9th century, Anglian (pre-Viking) sculpture (from History of Cumbria)
Image 29Scots' Dike (from History of Cumbria)
Image 30Loki stone, Kirkby Stephen parish church, part of a 10th-century Viking-age cross-shaft. But does it show Loki or Satan? (from History of Cumbria)
Image 31Craven Park, home of Barrow Raiders (from Cumbria)
Image 32BAE Systems Submarine Solutions in Barrow-in-Furness has a workforce of around 14,500 people (from Cumbria)
Image 33Galava Roman fort, Ambleside (from History of Cumbria)
Image 34Muncaster Castle (from Cumbria)
Image 35Dove Cottage (Town End, Grasmere) – home of William and Dorothy Wordsworth, 1799–1808; home of Thomas De Quincey, 1809–1820 (from History of Cumbria)
Image 36Muncaster Castle (from Cumbria)
Image 37Great Langdale, site of the Langdale Axe Factory (from History of Cumbria)
Image 38Yanwath hall – a semi-fortified house near Penrith (from History of Cumbria)
Image 39Kentmere Hall, an example of a Cumbrian Pele tower (from History of Cumbria)
Image 40Iron Age roundhouse reconstruction (from History of Cumbria)
Image 41Topographic map of Cumbria (from Cumbria)
Image 42The Flag of Cumbria, adopted in 2025 (from Cumbria)
Image 43The Fish Hotel, Buttermere – where Mary Robinson worked (from History of Cumbria)
Image 44The Eden Valley between Appleby and Penrith, an area referred to affectionately as the heartland of Rheged in the praise poems of Taliesin (from History of Cumbria)
Image 45Brunton Park, the home of Carlisle United (from Cumbria)
Image 46Gateway to the College at Kirkoswald (from History of Cumbria)
Image 47Cumbria within England (from History of Cumbria)
Image 48Brantwood, overlooking Coniston Water, viewed from the steam yacht 'Gondola' – note the angled, corner windows designed to take in the views (from History of Cumbria)
Image 49 Stan Laurel (from Cumbria)
Image 50The entrance to Whinlatter Forest Park (from Cumbria)
Image 51The Stanegate line is marked in red, to the south of the later Hadrian's Wall. (n.b. Brocavum is Brougham, not Kirkby Thore as given in the map) (from History of Cumbria)
Image 52Location of Inglewood Forest, stretching from Carlisle to Penrith; it was the most northerly of the Royal forests (from History of Cumbria)
Image 53So-called "Saint's tomb" (left), and "Warrior's tomb" (right), two hogbacks in St. Mary's church, Gosforth. Typically high and narrow Cumbrian style, in the shape of a building with a roof, eaves and walls. The Saint's tomb has a crucifixion on the end, the Warrior's tomb has a procession of armed men (from History of Cumbria)
Image 54Sizergh Castle (from Cumbria)
Image 55 Beatrix Potter (from Cumbria)
Image 56Long Meg and Her Daughters (from History of Cumbria)
Image 57This map of cities and towns of Northern England shows the relative lack of urbanisation in Cumbria (shown here as the historic counties of Cumberland and Westmorland) compared to the rest of the region (from Cumbria)
Image 58The Staffordshire Moorlands Pan – an enamelled cooking and serving vessel, engraved with the names of four Hadrian's Wall forts sited in Cumbria (2nd century AD). See also the article on the Rudge Cup and Amiens skillet. (from History of Cumbria)
Image 59The Castlerigg stone circle dates from the late Neolithic age and was constructed by some of the earliest inhabitants of Cumbria (from Cumbria)
Image 60Walls Castle, Ravenglass: the possible site of the Arthurian Lyons Garde or St Patrick's birthplace (from History of Cumbria)
Image 61The Crosby Garrett Helmet – (private collection) (from History of Cumbria)
Image 62The Anglo-Scottish marches (from History of Cumbria)
Image 63A Tesco store underwater in Carlisle during the January 2005 floods (from History of Cumbria)
Image 64Kents Bank, Cumbria (from History of Cumbria)
Image 65Roman milestone still in situ by the A66 near Kirkby Thore (from History of Cumbria)
Image 66Penrith Castle : Richard, Duke of Gloucester, (later Richard III of England), was based here when Sheriff of Cumberland in the 1470s (from History of Cumbria)
Image 67Milefortlet 21 at Crosscanonby on the Cumbrian coast, with later, 18th-century, saltpans across the road to the left (from History of Cumbria)
Image 68Rydal Mount – home to Wordsworth 1813–1850. Hundreds of visitors came here to see him over the years (from History of Cumbria)
Image 69St Laurence's Church, Morland : with "the only tower of Anglo-Saxon character in the NW counties", according to Pevsner. Tower possibly built by order of Siward, Earl of Northumbria, sometime between 1042 and 1055; nave possibly later (1120) (from History of Cumbria)
Image 70The M6 motorway and West Coast Main Line near Grayrigg Forest (from Cumbria)
Image 71Claife Station on the western shore of Windermere – built in the 1790s with tinted windows angled to take in all the aesthetically pleasing views (from History of Cumbria)
Image 72Greta Hall, Keswick – home of Samuel Taylor Coleridge, 1800–1804; home to Robert Southey, 1803–1843 (from History of Cumbria)
Image 73Tomb of Thomas Dacre, 2nd Baron Dacre at Lanercost Priory (from History of Cumbria)
Image 74The Gosforth Cross, 10th-century Viking-age sculpture. (A replica of 1887, with clearer depictions of the decoration, may be found in the churchyard at Aspatria, along with a replica of another cross, the original of which is at Dearham) (from History of Cumbria)
Image 75Fibulae from the Penrith Hoard, 10th century (British Museum) (from History of Cumbria)
Image 76Local government districts 1974–2023
1. City of Carlisle
2. Allerdale
3. Eden
4. Copeland
5. South Lakeland
6. Barrow-in-Furness (from History of Cumbria)
Image 77Possible position of Rheged (from History of Cumbria)
Image 78St Mary's Church, Abbeytown : all that is left of Holmcultram Abbey, founded by David I, King of Scots, and his son, Earl Henry, in 1150 (from History of Cumbria)
Image 79Little Meg – a Bronze Age ring cairn with spiral rock art (from History of Cumbria)
Image 80Carlisle Castle – begun by William Rufus in 1092; rebuilt in stone under Henry I, 1122–35, and David I of Scotland, 1136–1153 (from History of Cumbria)
Image 81Swinside stone circle (from History of Cumbria)
Image 82Calder Abbey (from History of Cumbria)
Image 83Greystoke Castle. Held by the Greystoke family, then by the Dacres and inherited by the Howard family during Elizabeth I's reign. Photo:Simon Ledingham (from History of Cumbria)
Image 84The Ormside bowl, probably late 8th century and made in Northumbria; possibly looted from York by a Viking warrior and buried with him at Great Ormside (from History of Cumbria)

Recognised content

Featured articles

Brougham Castle • HMS Cardiff (D108) • Norman Birkett, 1st Baron Birkett

Featured pictures

File:Derwent Water, Keswick - June 2009.jpg • File:Helvellyn Striding Edge 360 Panorama, Lake District - June 09.jpg • File:Keswick, Cumbria Panorama 1 - June 2009.jpg • File:Keswick Panorama - Oct 2009.jpg • File:Catbells Northern Ascent, Lake District - June 2009.jpg • File:Glenridding, Cumbria, England - June 2009.jpg

Good articles

Andrew Johnston (singer) • Askam and Ireleth • Brough Castle • Grayrigg derailment • Herdwick • Lady in the Lake trial • Nethermost Pike • The Story of a Fierce Bad Rabbit • The Story of Miss Moppet • The Tale of Benjamin Bunny • The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck • The Tale of Mr. Jeremy Fisher • The Tale of Mr. Tod • The Tale of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle • The Tale of Mrs. Tittlemouse • The Tale of The Flopsy Bunnies • The Tale of Timmy Tiptoes

Selected geographic feature -

Cross Fell seen from the Eden Valley

Cross Fell is the highest mountain in the Pennines of Northern England and the highest point in England outside the Lake District. It is located in the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It lies within the county of Cumbria and the historic county boundaries of Cumberland.

The summit, at 893 metres (2,930 ft), is a stony plateau, part of a 7+3⁄4-mile-long (12.5-kilometre) ridge running north-west to south-east, which also incorporates Little Dun Fell at 842 metres (2,762 ft) and Great Dun Fell at 848 metres (2,782 ft). The three adjoining fells form an escarpment that rises steeply above the Eden Valley on its south-western side and drops off more gently on its north-eastern side towards the South Tyne and Tees Valleys. (Full article...)