Holme Low

Holme Low
Holme Low
	Narrow lanes, like this one at Wolsty, connect the scattered, rural population of Holme Low.
	Holme Low Location in Allerdale, Cumbria Holme Low Location within Cumbria
Population	362 (2011)
Civil parish	Holme Low;
Unitary authority	Cumberland ;
Shire county	Cumbria ;
Region	North West ;
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	Wigton
Postcode district	CA7
Police	Cumbria
Fire	Cumbria
Ambulance	North West
UK Parliament	Workington ;
	List of places UK England Cumbria 54°50′46″N3°22′16″W / 54.8460°N 3.3710°W

Last updated September 25, 2024

Holme Low is a civil parish in the Cumberland unitary authority of Cumbria, United Kingdom. It borders the parishes of Holme St. Cuthbert and Holme Abbey to the south, the town of Silloth-on-Solway to the north-west, and has a short stretch of coastline on the Solway Firth to the west. To the north, it is bordered by lands common to Holme St. Cuthbert, Holme Low, and Holme Abbey, which is an unpopulated area.^[1] Holme Low had a population of 373 in 137 households at the 2001 census,^[2] reducing slightly in the 2011 Census to a population of 362 in 162 households.^[3]

The parish is entirely rural, and the population is scattered in small hamlets. Holme Low includes the hamlets of Barracks Bridge, Blackdyke, Blitterlees, Calvo, Causewayhead, Greenrow, Seaville and Wolsty.^[4] There are bus services available in the parish, with several Silloth-bound routes passing through or close by. The number 60 from Silloth runs every two hours to Maryport along the B5300 coast road, and stops at Blitterlees, Beckfoot, Mawbray, and Allonby. The 38 runs to Carlisle via Abbeytown, and the 71 runs to Carlisle via Newton Arlosh and Kirkbride, ensuring that residents of the parish have links to Cumbria's county town.

History

Holme Low became a separate parish in 1845, after St. Paul's church was constructed in Causewayhead, and was known as Low Holme or Holme St. Paul's. It had previously been part of the parish of Holme Cultram (which is now the civil parish of Holme Abbey, centred on Abbeytown). In the mid-late 19th century, the parish of Holme Low also included the town of Silloth (described in an 1868 survey as a "hamlet"), as well as Skinburness and other areas which are now part of the civil parish of Silloth-on-Solway.^[5]

However, the parish's history can be traced back even further. In Roman times, when the entire Solway coast was fortified to defend against incursions across the sea, a series of milefortlets were constructed beyond the western end of Hadrian's Wall. Remains of one of these have been discovered near Beckfoot, just beyond the parish's southern boundary. A Roman road also ran through the parish at that time.

In the early 14th century, a castle was built at Wolsty to defend Holme Cultram Abbey from attacks by Scots, who would frequently raid across the Solway. Not much remains of the castle today; it was already in a ruined state by 1572, and had been entirely demolished by the 18th century.^[6]

From 1862 until the Beeching Axe in the 1960s, the Carlisle and Silloth Bay railway line ran through Holme Low. Within the parish itself there was a single station, Blackdyke Halt, which closed with the rest of the line in the 1960s. In 1954, this line was the first in Britain to replace its steam locomotives with diesel ones, so for a short while, Holme Low was one of the only places in the country to see diesel-fuelled trains.^[7]

The parish council

Holme Low Parish Council usually meets four times a year, once per quarter, in February, May, August, and November. Meetings are open to the public, and the county councillor responsible for the parish and representatives of the local police force are invited to attend.

Parish councils in England have certain duties and responsibilities to the communities they serve, and Holme Low is no exception. The council is responsible for liaising with Cumbria County Council on a variety of issues which affect residents, including highways, footpaths and bridleways, public transportation, and planning applications. It is also responsible for its own budget and assets, and communicating with Cumbria Constabulary on policing issues within the parish. Holme Low Parish Council also maintains a website with detailed minutes of meetings and financial information, all of which is freely available to residents of the parish.^[8]

Related Research Articles

Silloth is a port town and civil parish in Cumberland, Cumbria, England. Historically in the county of Cumberland, the town is an example of a Victorian seaside resort in the North of England.

Abbeytown, also known as Holme Abbey, is a village and civil parish in the Allerdale borough of Cumbria, England.

The Solway Coast is a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in northern Cumbria, England. It incorporates two areas of coastline along the Solway Firth, the first running from just north of the city of Carlisle, at the estuary of the rivers Esk and Eden, in a westerly direction as far as Silloth-on-Solway, including the villages of Bowness-on-Solway, Burgh-by-Sands, Port Carlisle, and Skinburness. The second area begins just north of the hamlet of Beckfoot, and runs south down the coast to the southern end of Allonby Bay near the village of Crosscanonby. Included in this area are the villages of Mawbray and Allonby, and the hamlets of Dubmill, Hailforth and Salta. The hamlet of Wolsty lies just outside the AONB. Beginning at Silloth, the B5300 coast road runs in a south-westerly direction, entering the AONB just north of Beckfoot, and exiting near Crosscanonby.

Beckfoot is a hamlet in the civil parish of Holme St Cuthbert in Cumbria, England. It is located on the B5300 coast road, three miles south of Silloth-on-Solway and two miles north of the village of Mawbray. The county town of Carlisle is twenty-five miles away to the east.

Blitterlees is a small hamlet in the parish of Holme Low, one mile south of Silloth in Cumbria, United Kingdom. The hamlet of Wolsty is located approximately 1 mile (1.6 km) to the south as the crow flies, or 2.25 miles (3.62 km) by road, and Cumbria's county town, Carlisle, is located 23 miles (37 km) to the east. The B5300, known locally as the "coast road", runs through the village on its way to Beckfoot, Mawbray, Allonby, and ultimately Maryport.

Mawbray is a village in the civil parish of Holme St Cuthbert in Cumbria, England. Historically part of Cumberland. It is located on the Solway Plain, 5.2 miles (8.4 km) south west of Silloth, 7.9 miles (12.7 km) north of Maryport, and 25 miles (40 km) west of Carlisle. The B5300, known locally as the "coast road" runs to the west of the village.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Salta, Cumbria</span> A hamlet in Cumbria, England

Salta is a hamlet in the parish of Holme St Cuthbert in northwestern Cumbria, United Kingdom. It is 1.1 miles (1.8 km) southwest of the village of Mawbray, and 25.1 miles (40.4 km) southwest of the city of Carlisle. It has a population of about 35 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">B5300 road</span> A road on the Cumbrian coast in England.

The B5300 is a B road which runs for approximately twelve miles between the towns of Silloth and Maryport in the Allerdale borough of Cumbria, United Kingdom. From north to south, it passes through the villages of Blitterlees, Beckfoot, Mawbray, Dubmill, and Allonby. It runs through the Solway Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, passes close to the Salta Moss Site of Special Scientific Interest, Milefortlet 21, a Roman archaeological site, the salt pans, a remnant of the Solway plain's medieval saltmaking industry, and the village of Crosscanonby. It is an important route for carrying goods to and from Silloth docks and Maryport harbour. It is also the major road connecting smaller coastal settlements with Maryport and Silloth, from where other roads lead to Workington, Whitehaven, Wigton, and Carlisle. A short section of the road between Dubmill and Mawbray was closed in February 2019 due to coastal erosion, and reopened in June 2019.

Holme St Cuthbert is a small village and civil parish in the county of Cumbria, United Kingdom. The village is located approximately 23 miles to the south-west of Carlisle, Cumbria's county town, and was historically in the county of Cumberland.

Pelutho is a hamlet in the civil parish of Holme St. Cuthbert in Cumbria, historically in Cumberland, England.

Edderside is a hamlet in the civil parish of Holme St. Cuthbert in Cumbria, United Kingdom. It is located approximately one mile as the crow files to the south-east of Mawbray, or two-and-a-half miles by road, and a similar distance east of Salta, and north-east of Allonby. The small hamlet of Jericho is located less than a mile to the north-east. Approximately 23 miles to the north-east is the city of Carlisle. Allonby Bay, an inlet of the Solway Firth, is one-and-a-half miles to the south-west, as is the B5300 coast road which runs between Silloth-on-Solway, six-and-a-half miles to the north, and Maryport, six miles to the south.

Black Dyke Halt or Blackdyke was a railway station near Blackdyke, Cumbria on the Silloth branch, serving the small hamlet of Black Dyke and its rural district. In its early days trains called on Saturdays only, being upgraded some years later. The station closed on 7 September 1964. with the line to Silloth as part of the Beeching cuts.

Newtown is a hamlet in the civil parish of Holme St Cuthbert in Cumbria, United Kingdom. It is located approximately two miles north-east of the village of Mawbray, a little over half-a-mile as the crow flies to the south-east of Beckfoot, and twenty-five miles west of the city of Carlisle. The B5300 coast road runs approximately three-quarters of a mile to the west of the hamlet, which goes to Maryport, nine-and-a-quarter miles to the south-west, and Silloth-on-Solway, approximately four miles to the north.

New Cowper is a small hamlet in the civil parish of Holme St. Cuthbert in Cumbria, United Kingdom. It is located three-and-a-half miles south-east of the village of Mawbray, one-and-a-half miles north-west of Westnewton, and twenty-one-and-a-half miles south-west of Carlisle, Cumbria's county town.

Tarns is a small farming settlement in the civil parish of Holme St. Cuthbert in Cumbria, United Kingdom. It is located two miles north-east of the village of Mawbray, and twenty-three miles south-west of Carlisle, Cumbria's county town. The B5301 road runs through the settlement, and along that road the town of Silloth-on-Solway is located five-and-a-half miles to the north, and Aspatria four-and-a-half miles to the south-east. Other nearby settlements include Aikshaw, Goodyhills, Jericho, and New Cowper.

Wolsty is a small hamlet in the civil parish of Holme Low in Cumbria, England. It is located three-and-a-quarter miles south of Silloth-on-Solway, five miles west of Abbeytown, three-and-a-quarter miles north of the village of Mawbray, and twenty-three miles west of Cumbria's county town, Carlisle. The B5300 coast road, which heads north toward Silloth-on-Solway and south to Mawbray, Allonby, and Maryport, is three-quarters of a mile away by road, or less than a quarter of a mile by way of an unpaved farm track.

The B5302 is a B road which runs for approximately twelve-and-a-quarter miles between the towns of Silloth-on-Solway and Wigton in Cumbria, United Kingdom. From west to east, it passes through the villages of Causewayhead, Calvo, Abbeytown, Wheyrigg, and Waverbridge, and also passes near to Blackdyke and Blencogo. At its eastern end, it comes very close to the Solway Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and passes by Silloth Airfield, left over from the Second World War. Several of the villages that the road passes through were formerly served by trains on the single-track Carlisle and Silloth Bay Railway, which closed with the Beeching axe in the 1960s. It is the main road connecting Silloth-on-Solway and surrounding settlements with the A596, and by extension, the city of Carlisle.

Holme East Waver is a civil parish in Cumbria, United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north by the civil parish of Bowness-on-Solway, to the east by the civil parishes of Kirkbride, Woodside, and Waverton, and to the south by the civil parishes of Dundraw and Holme Abbey, lands common to Holme St. Cuthbert, Holme Low, and Holme Abbey, and the town of Silloth-on-Solway. At the 2001 census, it had a population of 306 in 121 households, increasing slightly at the 2011 Census to a population of 318 in 130 households. It is named for the River Waver, and the rivers Waver and Wampool enter the Solway Firth at the western end of the parish. Part of the Solway Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is within the parish of Holme East Waver. The largest village is Newton Arlosh.

Highlaws is a hamlet in the civil parish of Holme Abbey in Cumbria, United Kingdom. It is situated approximately two-and-a-quarter miles south-west of Abbeytown, one-and-a-half miles east of Pelutho, and one mile to the north of Aldoth. Other nearby settlements include Mawbray, four-and-a-quarter miles to the south-west, Blitterlees, three miles to the north-west, Blackdyke, two-and-a-quarter miles due north, and Foulsyke. Carlisle, Cumbria's county town, is located twenty miles to the north-east.

Kelsick is a hamlet in the civil parish of Dundraw in Cumbria, United Kingdom. It is located approximately 1.8 miles (2.9 km) southeast of Abbeytown, 0.9 miles (1.4 km) northwest of Dundraw, and 14.5 miles (23.3 km) west of Carlisle, Cumbria's county town. Kelsick is accessed by two side-roads off the B5302 road, which runs between Silloth and Wigton.

References

↑ "Cumbria Geography Atlas - Parish boundaries". Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 28 December 2014.
↑ "Neighbourhood Statistics - Allerdale parish headcounts" . Retrieved 28 December 2014.
↑ "Parish population 2011" . Retrieved 18 June 2015.
↑ "Holme Low Parish Council" . Retrieved 28 December 2014.
↑ "Holme Low Parish Council - Local history". Archived from the original on 23 January 2015. Retrieved 28 December 2014.
↑ "Holme Low Parish Council - Wolsty castle". Archived from the original on 23 January 2015. Retrieved 28 December 2014.
↑ "Cumbria Railways - Carlisle & Silloth Bay Railway" . Retrieved 17 February 2015.
↑ "Holme Low Parish Council - The parish council". Archived from the original on 23 January 2015. Retrieved 28 December 2014.

External links

Cumbria County History Trust: Holme Low (nb: provisional research only – see Talk page)

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Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
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[1] "Cumbria Geography Atlas - Parish boundaries". Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 28 December 2014.

[2] "Neighbourhood Statistics - Allerdale parish headcounts" . Retrieved 28 December 2014.

[3] "Parish population 2011" . Retrieved 18 June 2015.

[4] "Holme Low Parish Council" . Retrieved 28 December 2014.

[5] "Holme Low Parish Council - Local history". Archived from the original on 23 January 2015. Retrieved 28 December 2014.

[6] "Holme Low Parish Council - Wolsty castle". Archived from the original on 23 January 2015. Retrieved 28 December 2014.

[7] "Cumbria Railways - Carlisle & Silloth Bay Railway" . Retrieved 17 February 2015.

[8] "Holme Low Parish Council - The parish council". Archived from the original on 23 January 2015. Retrieved 28 December 2014.

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