Abbey Town
Abbey Town maps (2 available)
Map of Cumbria
Beautifully hand-drawn and coloured, dating from around 1840
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Abbey Town books (8 available)
Abbey Town memories
Read and share memories of Abbey Town and Cumbria inspired by Frith photos
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You can also read memories of nearby places in Cumbria below.
Cumbria memories
wigton boy
I was born in wigton in 1951. We lived at 19 Brackenlands, a friendly housing estate where everyone knew everyone. My early years were spent at Saint Cuthberts school and at the age of eleven attended the secondary modern or affectionately called the whitewashed cow shed. The school has been replaced by houses now. On leaving school I went to work for Ike Wilkinson as an apprentice carpenter on Market Hill the business having been bought from Jack Hutton. I later went to work at Banks Woodyard on station hill opposite the railway station. On leaving there I went into the merchant navy. My mother still lives in Wigton at The Crofts. I can still remember collecting rose hips, brambles and ...read more here
A memory of Wigton contributed by richard robinson
Early years!
I lived in Wigton for the first 8 years of my life, so 1955 is a mid point!
I have happy memories of the town. We lived in West Avenue when it was known as 'the avenue' - an unmade up road and for years I thought that if a road was called 'avenue' it was full of puddles when it rained and dry mud when it didn't. We played on that avenue all the time - 'dens', climbing trees, hooa hoop! I remember being bitten by a dog on my way to Sunday School when I was about 4 - just missed my eye! I remember a dentist opposite the church I think, where the smell of gas was always ...read more here
A memory of Wigton contributed by Kath Panes
Spyatry in the 70s
My dad had the grocers shop opposite the gift shop, there was a shoe shop a childrens clothes shop, a launderette, a wool shop, Mrs Tinnion with her small Pekinese dogs, Bobby Askews the hardware shop who sold absolutely everything anyone ever needed. The huge ugly car park was built and some smaller houses were pulled down. Robinsons fish and chip shop, the best in Cumberland. On the occasions I drive through now, they've all gone, closed down and are houses. The pictures at the top of the town with Ella getting the latest releases as soon as she could, usually much later than release date. The cafe with the juke box and the penny ice lollies. Posh upstairs pictures 12p ...read more here
A memory of Aspatria contributed by sharon rae
Great-grandparents marriage
My great-grandparents Robert Close and Annie Head were married at this church on January 8th 1888.
A memory of Aspatria contributed by Ellen Neal
Extracts From Abbey Town & Cumbria books
It is ten past twelve on a summer’s afternoon in the mid-sixties in this sleepy North Cumbrian town - and there is
not a vehicle in sight in the length of the long Main Street. Abbeytown takes its name from the 12th-century Holme
Cultram Abbey, parts of which are incorporated in the parish church of St Mary.
An extract from from"Cumbria Photographic Memories".
Here a group of visitors pause to admire the view from Purse Point across the lake towards Glenridding. Ullswater, or
‘Ulph’s-water’, takes its name from the Viking settler Lyulph, whose name was popularised in the 18th century when the
Duke of Norfolk, then owner of Greystoke Castle, built the folly called Lyulph’s Tower on the north side of the lake.
An extract from from"Penrith Photographic Memories".
Penruddock is a small village on the edge of the Lake District
National Park, about five miles west of Penrith. Its name is
thought to be Celtic in origin. The slightly raised location affords
fine views of the Lake District hills to the west and south. The
view is of the east end of the village, looking towards Saddleback.
Modern buildings have since replaced some shown here.
An extract from from"Penrith Photographic Memories".
About half a mile south of the village of Blencow is the house
known as Ennim Bank. The name derives from ‘innam’, meaning
a piece of land which was enclosed or taken in. It is thought to
have been the original residence of the Blencow family before
they moved to Blencow Hall. In the mid 19th century George
Troutbeck greatly improved the mansion and ornamented it with
‘plantations’. More recently it was the home of Viscount William
Whitelaw of Penrith until his death in 1999.
An extract from from"Penrith Photographic Memories".
This hall near Greystoke
was built with defence in
mind. The pele towers of
such buildings protected
owners, their livestock and
goods against raiding Scots
and from the lawlessness
to which they were more
vulnerable due to the
remoteness of the region. The
Act of Union ended border
warfare and Henry Blencow
who lived here was knighted
by King James I and became
Sheriff of Cumberland.
An extract from from"Penrith Photographic Memories".