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Ravenglass in Cumberland County England History and GeographyRAVENGLASS, a small sea-port and market town, in the parish of MUNCASTER, ALLERDALE ward above Darwent, county of CUMBERLAND, 54 miles (S.S.W.) from Carlisle, and 282 (N.W. by N.) from London. The population is returned with the parish. This town is pleasantly situated along the sea-shore, near the confluence of the rivers Eske, Mite, and Irt, which form a commodious and safe harbour for shipping, particularly in tempestuous weather. It consists of a long range of irregularly, though well, built houses, and is sheltered in the back ground by the mountains of Black Combe, between which and the town are some fine meadow lands; the Eske has its source near the foot of a rugged eminence, called Hard Knot. The trade of the place is inconsiderable, a few vessels being engaged in bringing coal from Whitehaven, for the lime-kilns, and in taking back oysters, which abound here, and are considered to be the finest found upon this part of the coast; a little corn and timber is also exported: some small vessels are constructed here. The market was formerly on Wednesday and Friday, but it is now held only on the former day, and is in very little repute: a fair for cattle is held on the 6th of May, and others of ancient date, for horses and cattle, on June 8th and August 5th; the latter, which terminates with horse races and other diversions, is proclaimed by the steward and tenantry of the Earl of Egremont, attended by a band of music and some halberdiers, in memory, probably, of the armed retinne which in former times attended to preserve from theft the goods exposed for sale. A small free school for poor children was endowed by Sir William Pennington, and Richard Brooksbank, his cook, with £12 per annum. Near the ruins of Walls castle, about one mile distant, where is now the mansion-house and residence of Lord Muncaster, a lineal descendant of the Penningtons, who have held this manor since the Conquest, many relics of antiquity, consisting of battle-axes made of flint, heads of arrows, and Roman and Saxon coins, have been discovered. About a mile and a half eastward from Muncaster House, on the opposite side of the river Eske, may be traced the ruins of an ancient city, called 'the city of Barnscar,' the origin of which is traditionally ascribed to the Danes, but of its history no records have been found. The site is an oblong square, about three hundred yards long from east to west, and one hundred long from north to south; it was intersected by one long street, and several transverse ones: the city was defended by a wall, except at the east end, and, with its suburbs, was nearly three miles in circumference: an ancient road led through it from Ulpha to Ravenglass. About 1730, a great quantity of silver coins was found in the ruins of one of the houses. On an eminence called Hard Knot are the ruins of an ancient church and castle, also the remains of a round tower on one of the adjacent mounts. From Lewis's Topographical Dictionary of England 1831, courtesy of Databases 4 Sale |
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