Ravenglass

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Ravenglass
Village
Ravenglass Main street.jpg
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Location map Borough of Copeland.svg
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Ravenglass
Location in the former Copeland Borough
Cumbria UK location map.svg
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Ravenglass
Location within Cumbria
OS grid reference SD0896
Civil parish
Unitary authority
Ceremonial county
Region
Country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town Ravenglass
Postcode district CA18
Dialling code 01229
Police Cumbria
Fire Cumbria
Ambulance North West
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
Cumbria
54°21′14″N3°24′40″W / 54.354°N 3.411°W / 54.354; -3.411

Ravenglass is a coastal village in that lies between Barrow-in-Furness and Whitehaven, on the estuary of three rivers: the Esk, Mite and Irt. It is the only coastal village in the Lake District National Park. Formerly in the historical county of Cumberland, it is now part of the civil parish of Muncaster, the unitary authority of Cumberland, and the ceremonial county of Cumbria.

Contents

History

Walls Castle, Ravenglass Walls Castle, Ravenglass.jpg
Walls Castle, Ravenglass

The village dates back to at least the 2nd century, when it was an important naval base for the Romans. The Latin name of the settlement was long thought to be Glannoventa . The discovery of a lead seal in excavations at the Roman fort during the 1970s named the Cohors Prima Aelia Classica (First Cohort of Hadrian's Marines). This unit is listed in the Notitia Dignitatum as being garrisoned at Itunocelum during the fourth century. Due to this it was suggested that Ravenglass was not Glannoventa but actually the Itunocelum. Since the lead seal was discovered two other objects, a Roman military diploma from the beach by the fort at Ravenglass and a fragment of a Roman altar from Muncaster, [1] have been found. These both name the Cohors Prima Aelia Classica and prove beyond reasonable doubt that Ravenglass was the Roman Itunocelum. [2] The fort occupied the most southerly point of the Cumbrian coastal defence system, which can be seen as an extension of Hadrian's Wall and the western extremity of the Roman frontier World Heritage Site.

Ravenglass was occupied by the Romans for over 300 years and had a Roman garrison (castra) of 500 soldiers. The town was a regional supply point for much of north-western Roman Britain, with a road from Ravenglass over the Hardknott Pass to the Roman forts at Hardknott and Ambleside. The location is featured in The Fort at River's Bend, a book in Jack Whyte's A Dream of Eagles (Camulod Chronicles) series, and is also mentioned briefly in Mary Stewart's Merlin trilogy under the name Clannoventa. Today, there are few Roman remains, with the notable exception of a bath house, known locally as Walls Castle. This is one of the largest remaining Roman structures in England, originally covering an estimated area of 30 yards (27 m) by 13 yards (12 m) and with walls up to 12 feet (3.7 m) high, though only one end is now visible. Excavations of the rest of the foundations have since been covered and are not visible. The property is now maintained by English Heritage.

Approximately a mile's walk from the bath house is Muncaster Castle, which it is believed was built partly with the remains of a Roman fort which was located near Ravenglass. [3] [4] The grade II listed Muncaster War Memorial, designed by Edwin Lutyens, sits between Muncaster and Ravenglass. [5]

'Renglas' appears in charters and other records of the late 12th century. In 1208 King John granted Richard de Lucy, Earl of Egremont a charter for a market at Ravenglass on Saturdays and a yearly fair on the festival of St. James, 5 August. In 1297 Ravenglass was described as a port along with Lancaster, Cartmel and Workington. [6]

Ravenglass is reputed to be the birthplace of Saint Patrick. [7] [8]

Etymology

There are multiple explanations of the origin of the name Ravenglass. One is that it may be derived from, or from words equivalent to Welsh yr afon glas, meaning "the greenish or blueish river". [9] The name may also be of Norse-Irish origin, [10] containing the Irish personal name Glas and meaning "Glas's part or share". [10] The terminal element might be Gaelic glas, "small stream". [11] Also suggested is derivation from the Old Norse personal name Hrafnkell, suffixed with Old Norse óss, "estuary". [11]

Governance

Administrarively, Ravenglass is within the civil parish of Muncaster and the unitary authority of Cumberland, both of which have elected councils and are responsible for different aspects of local government. At the national level, Ravenglass is within the Copeland parliamentary constituency, currently represented by Trudy Harrison of the Conservative Party. [12]

Before Brexit, Ravenglass's residents were covered by the North West England European Parliamentary Constituency.

Attractions

Tourist attractions include Muncaster Castle and the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway.

Transport

Ravenglass is served by Ravenglass railway station on the Cumbrian Coast railway line, with trains to Carlisle and Lancaster. This station is also a terminus of the narrow-gauge Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway, which runs inland up Eskdale. This serves both as a tourist attraction and as local transport during its operating season.

Ravenglass is connected by a minor road to the nearby A595 trunk road. It also has minor tracks running northwards and southwards via tidal fords, which are unsuitable for normal motor vehicles.

In literature

Eskdale and Rafnglass (modern Ravenglass) feature in Rosemary Sutcliff's final novel (1992) Sword Song, set in the 9th century. The 1972 Granada television serial The Intruder - based on the novel of the same name by John Rowe Townsend - was predominantly filmed in Ravenglass which represented the fictional location of Skirlston. [13]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway</span> Heritage railway in Cumbria, England

The Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway is a 15 in minimum gauge heritage railway in Cumbria, England. The 7-mile (11.3 km) line runs from Ravenglass to Dalegarth Station near Boot in the valley of Eskdale, in the Lake District. At Ravenglass the line ends at Ravenglass railway station on the Cumbrian Coast Line.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roman sites in Great Britain</span>

There are many Roman sites in Great Britain that are open to the public. There are also many sites that do not require special access, including Roman roads, and sites that have not been uncovered.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">River Esk (Ravenglass)</span> River in Cumbria, England

The River Esk, sometimes called the Cumbrian Esk, is a river in Cumbria, England. It flows for approximately 25 km from its source in the Scafells range of mountains to its estuary at Ravenglass. The valley it flows through is known as Eskdale. It is one of two Rivers Esk in Cumbria, and not to be confused with the Border Esk which flows into Cumbria from Scotland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eskdale, Cumbria</span> Civil parish in England

Eskdale is a civil parish in the western Lake District National Park in Cumbria, England. It is named after the Eskdale valley which the River Esk flows through on its way from the fells of the Lake District to the Irish Sea at Ravenglass. The civil parish is not coterminous with the valley, as the parish also includes the upper valley of the River Mite (Miterdale), whilst the lower reaches of the River Esk are in the civil parish of Muncaster.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hardknott Pass</span> Hill pass in the Lake District, Cumbria, England

Hardknott Pass is a hill pass between Eskdale and the Duddon Valley in the Lake District National Park, Cumbria, England. The tarmac-surfaced road, which is the most direct route from the central Lake District to West Cumbria, shares the title of steepest road in England with Rosedale Chimney Bank in North Yorkshire. It has a maximum gradient of 1 in 3.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hardknott Roman Fort</span> Archeological site in Cumbria, England

Hardknott Roman Fort is an archeological site, the remains of the Roman fort Mediobogdum, located on the western side of the Hardknott Pass in the English county of Cumbria. The fort was built between 120 and 138 on a rocky spur, and was initially garrisoned by a detachment of the Cohors IV Delmatarum from the Dalmatian coast. It was abandoned around a decade later, then reoccupied circa 200 and remained in use for much of the next two centuries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Muncaster Castle</span> Castle in Cumbria, England

Muncaster Castle is a privately owned castle overlooking the River Esk, about a mile east of the west-coastal town of Ravenglass in Cumbria, England. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade I listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waberthwaite</span> Human settlement in England

Waberthwaite is a small, former rural civil parish on the south bank of the estuary of the River Esk, in Copeland, Cumbria, England. Since 1934 it has been part of the combined parish of Waberthwaite and Corney, which covers 10 square miles and has a population of 246. It is located opposite Muncaster Castle and the village of Ravenglass which lie on the north bank of the Esk. It is well known for its Cumberland sausages, and lists among its other assets a granite quarry that is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI); the Esk estuary, which forms part of the Drigg Coast Special Area of Conservation (SAC) - a designation for areas of European importance; the 800-year-old St. John's Church, and the remains of two Anglian/Norse crosses of an earlier period. Archeological finds within 3 kilometres of Waberthwaite indicate that the area has been continuously inhabited since Mesolithic times.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boot, Cumbria</span> Village in the English county of Cumbria

Boot is a small village in Eskdale on the western side of the English Lake District. It lies within the civil parish of Eskdale, the unitary authority of Cumberland, and the ceremonial county of Cumbria. The main part of the village lies beside the Whillan Beck, whilst its church, St Catherine's, lies 0.6 miles (0.97 km) to the south on the bank of the River Esk. The Whillan Beck flows into the Esk just downstream of the village.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Cumbria</span> History of area now known as Cumbria, England

The history of Cumbria as a county of England begins with the Local Government Act 1972. Its territory and constituent parts however have a long history under various other administrative and historic units of governance. Cumbria is an upland, coastal and rural area, with a history of invasions, migration and settlement, as well as battles and skirmishes between the English and the Scots.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">River Mite</span> River in Cumbria, England

The River Mite is a river in the county of Cumbria in northern England. The valley through which the river Mite runs is called Miterdale.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ravenglass Roman Bath House</span>

Ravenglass Roman Bath House is a ruined ancient Roman bath house at Ravenglass, Cumbria, England. Belonging to a 2nd-century Roman fort and naval base, the bath house is described by Matthew Hyde in his update to the Pevsner Guide to Cumbria as "an astonishing survival". The still standing walls are 13 ft high, there are patches of the internal rendering, in dull red and white cement, and traces of the splayed window openings remain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Muncaster Fell</span> Mountain in the English Lake District, Cumbria, England

Muncaster Fell is a fell at the far western edge of the Lake District National Park, in Cumbria, England. Muncaster Fell is a long, narrow ridge of land, approximately 1.2 km wide and 6 km long, lying between the River Mite to the north, and River Esk to the south. The fell rises from the coast near Ravenglass village to its highest point at Hooker Crag (231 m). The ridge then continues to the north-east, dropping gently to its furthest prominence at Silver Knott (174 m). The fell then falls away rapidly to the village of Eskdale Green at its north-eastern tip.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alauna (Maryport)</span> Roman fort and settlement on the site of present-day Maryport in Cumbria, England

Alauna was a castrum or fort in the Roman province of Britannia. It occupied a coastal site just north of the town of Maryport in the English county of Cumbria.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glannoventa</span>

Glannoventa is a Roman fort associated with the Roman naval base at Ravenglass in Cumbria, England. Its name is derived from the Latin place-name Clanoventa as recorded in the 2nd-century Antonine Itinerary, Glannibanta in the 4th-century Notitia Dignitatum, and Cantiventi in the 6th-century Ravenna Cosmography.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kirkandrews-on-Eden</span> Village in England

Kirkandrews-on-Eden or Kirkandrews-upon-Eden, in the past known as Kirkanders, is a village and former civil parish, now in the civil parish of Beaumont, in the Cumberland unitary authority area of Cumbria, England. The village is 4 miles northwest of Carlisle. Kirkandrews forms part of the Barony of Burgh together with the nearby villages Monkhill, Grinsdale, Rattlingate and Burgh-by-Sands. In 1931 the civil parish had a population of 145.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brocavum</span>

Brocavum is the Latin name of a Roman fort at Brougham near Penrith, Cumbria. The fort survives as earthworks, but no excavation of these has been carried out so far.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roman Cumbria</span> Area that used to lay on the north-west frontier of Roman Britain and the Roman Empire itself

Roman Cumbria was an area that lay on the north-west frontier of Roman Britain, and, indeed, of the Roman Empire itself.. Interest in the Roman occupation of the region lies in this frontier aspect: why did the Romans choose to occupy the north-west of England; why build a solid barrier in the north of the region ; why was the region so heavily militarised; to what extent were the native inhabitants "Romanised" compared to their compatriots in southern England?

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Muncaster</span> Human settlement in England

Muncaster is a civil parish in the Cumberland district, in the ceremonial county of Cumbria, England. The parish is 41 miles (66 km) south west of the city of Carlisle. The parish includes the village of Ravenglass. In 2011 the parish had a population of 290. The parish touches Bootle, Drigg and Carleton, Eskdale, Irton with Santon, Ulpha and Waberthwaite.

References

  1. Tomlin, R.S.O. (2019). "Inscriptions". Britannia. 50: 495–496. doi:10.1017/S0068113X19000473. S2CID   231735073.
  2. Holder, Paul. (2004) "Chapter 2. Roman Place Names on the Cumbrian Coast" from Wilson, R. J. A. & Caruana, I. D. (eds), Romans on the Solway: Essays in honour of Richard Bellhouse pp.52-65, Kendal: CWAAS
  3. "Ruins of a Roman Bath and the Foundations of a Castle – Ravenglass and Muncaster". 30 April 2015.
  4. "Ravenglass Roman fort: Project to unearth civilian settlement". BBC News. 3 May 2013. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
  5. Historic England. "Muncaster War Memorial and area wall (1086636)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 7 September 2016.
  6. Taylor, A. R. (n.d.). Port of Lancaster (PDF). Lancaster: Kasulu.org.
  7. "St Patrick".
  8. "St Patrick – the Welsh Speaker".
  9. "The place-names of England and Wales" . Retrieved 17 July 2017.
  10. 1 2 Millward, Roy; Robinson, Adrian Henry Adrian Wardle (1972). Cumbria - Part 2 - Volume 5 of Landscapes of Britain. MacMillan. p. 38. ISBN   9780333032480 . Retrieved 12 January 2019.
  11. 1 2 Sedgefield, W J (1915). The Place-Names of Cumberland and Westmorland. Manchester University Press. p. 14. Retrieved 12 January 2019.
  12. "Copeland".
  13. Pixley, Andrew (2022) The Intruder - booklet included with the blu-ray release of the series by Network