Answers
to Shap Local History Society Quiz, summer 2010
Prior to 1974, which county was Shap in? Westmorland
Which castle is connected with Arthurian legend? Pendragon
in Mallerstang nr Kirkby Stephen. (Uther Pendragon was Arthur's
father).
Where is Brocavum Roman fort? Brougham
– to the south of and abutting the castle.
Which famous lady was High Sherriffess of Westmorland and owned
four castles in the county? Lady Anne
Clifford, Countess of Dorset and Pembroke.
Which ancient monument was known as the ‘Keswick Carles'? Castlerigg
Stone Circle .
Where were two indestructible skulls found that gave rise to
a legend? Calgarth Hall, on the shores
of Windermere near Troutbeck Bridge .
Where was the last battle on English soil fought? Clifton
Moor 18 th December 1745
What was Kendal Green? A dye used on
woollen cloth. Famously worn by the Kendal archers. (will accept
woollen cloth or similar answer).
Where can you find the words: ‘Retain your loyalty – preserve
your rights'? On the High Cross in
Boroughgate, Appleby (outside the castle gates).
Which community was destroyed by flooding in the 1930's? Mardale
(with Measand and Whelter).
Which monastic order founded Shap Abbey? Premonstratesian
(White Canons)
By what name was Mary Robinson better known? The
Beauty of Buttermere. She was the daughter of the landlord of
The Char (now the Fish Hotel), and became entangled
with and married John Hatfield an imposter (he called himself
Hon. Alexander Hope), forger and bigamist; once discovered,
he left her pregnant. He was hanged for his crimes and Mary
later married a Calbeck famer – she is buried in Caldbeck churchyard.
Who or what is Long Meg? A sandstone
monolith associated with the stone circle, Long Meg and her
Daughters at Little Salkeld.
When does the Heritage Centre in Shap date from? 1687
it was formerly the Market Cross.
Why is the mountain High Street so called? Because
the Roman road from Ambleside to Brougham ran on top of it.
Where can you find the Loki stone?
In Kirkby Stephen
Parish Church . A carved stone
depicting Loki bound in chains.
Which local peer was known as the ‘Yellow Earl'? Hugh
Cecil, 5 th Earl of Lonsdale (Lord Lonsdale)
Where and what is Nent Force Level?
Nenthead near Alston, it is an access and haulage tunnel; an
underground canal five miles long. It follows the line of the
River Nent. It was begun in 1776 and designed to transport ore
and waste from underground workings at a time when lead mining
was a thriving industry in the North Pennines .
Which famous historical figure had connections with Kendal Castle?
K(C)atherine Parr ( sixth wife of Henry
VIII) her family owned that castle but she was not born there.
Where is the Goggleby stone? Shap will
get ½
point - a more exact location: e.g. on the footpath from Shap
to Keld / west of Shap/ a map reference (NY559151) will gain
the full point.
Name the five places where the tradition of rushbearing still
takes place. (1 point for each correct answer) Ambleside,
Grasmere , Great Musgrave, Warcop and Great Urswick.
Which town was attacked in the American Civil War? Whitehaven;
it was attacked by a party led by John Paul Jones, the town's
guns were spiked with nails, and some vessels set alight.
Who preached to a thousand people on Firbank fell? George
Fox founder of the Quakers. He
preached for three hours on June 13 th 1652. The meeting proved
of first importance in gathering the Society of Friends known
as Quakers.
Where is Walls Castle ? Ravenglass
it is a Bath House associated with the Roman fort of Glannaventa.
Which hermit lived on an island in Derwentwater? St.
Herbert.
Where is the tallest complete ancient cross in the county to
be found? Gosforth; St Mary's churchyard.
It has elaborate carvings on
four sides which have been interpreted as representing characters
and scenes from Norse
mythology mixed with Christian symbols. The cross
stands 4.4 metres tall and is made out of red sandstone
. It is estimated to date from 920-950 AD .
What does the monument at Black Dub commemorate? King
Charles II resting his army and drinking the waters of the Lyvennet
on his march from Scotland following his coronation at Scone
. The inscription reads: Here at Black Dub the source of
the Livennet King Charles the II regaled his army and drank
of the water on his march from Scotland August 8 1651 .
Where is the ‘licking stone'? In the
dungeons of Carlisle Castle . This is of sandstone which naturally
attracts moisture, and was licked by thirsty prisoners.
Who was Dunmail? The last King of Cumberland.
Reputedly buried under the cairn on Dunmail Raise.
What do Muncaster, Edenhall and Burrell Green have in common?
They all have Lucks associated with
them. Muncaster's Luck is a glass bowl given to the Penningtons
by Henry VI; Edenhall's is a glass goblet (now in the Victoria
& Albert Museum , London ); Burrell Green's is a brass dish.
Both the latter were believed to have been the gifts of or stolen
from the fairies.
As
indicated all questions related to the present county of Cumbria
.
Thank
you for taking part and we hope you enjoyed the challenge.
Winners:
There were 7 all-correct sheets returned (maximum marks 34). The
prize-winners were picked at random from these.
1
st : (£15) Ken Noble, Shap
2
nd (£10) Judith Edwards, Sleagill
3
rd (£5) Marion Jackson, Shap
REPORT
ON SHAP LOCAL HISTORY SOCIETY VISIT TO ASKHAM HELD ON MONDAY 14
th JUNE 2010.
Discovering
a village steeped in history.
Around
twenty members and friends of Shap Local History Society travelled
to Askham for the first of their summer outings. They were met by
Andy Lowe, architectural historian who was introduced to the group
by Liz Amos.
Mr
Lowe had led a course on vernacular architecture at Shap seven years
ago, and one of the field trips had been to Askham, an experience
which those who had been on the course wished to share again with
other members. He has also lectured the group on several occasions.
He began by showing maps of the village layout, it is situated at
an important crossroads; and has a sweep of cottages at each side
of the village green, descending steeply from the fells in the west
to the river Lowther.
With
its fascinating mix of architecture from many periods, the village
provides an ideal subject for students to study. The name Askham
comes from ‘ask' for ash tree and translates as ‘the settlement
with ash trees'. The village lies in the shadow of Askham Hall,
the residence of the Lord of the Manor, the Earl of Lonsdale.
Traditional
building materials are limestone and sandstone in a variety of colours,
with local slate on older roofs and Welsh slate on the post-railway
buildings. Mr Lowe pointed out keys to ‘reading a building' from
the obvious dates stones, and styles of windows and doorways. Styles
ranged from Elizabethan through to 20 th century, but the group
were informed that some foundations could be as early as 13 th century.
The
magnificent late 19 th century bridge over the river Lowther was
admired, and the old church restyled by Robert Smirke the Architect
who designed the nearby Lowther Castle . Tantalising glimpses of
Askham hall with its pele tower could be seen through the trees,
whilst the imposing gateway to the hall is listed in its own right.
The
majority of buildings are small cottages of 18 th century date,
with larger Georgian and Victorian houses. Some showed signs of
enlargement and alteration at different periods whilst still retaining
some original features. The village green had an open watercourse
running through it, most of which is now culverted; and the short
open section which survives was sadly dry.
Any
new developments are on the outer perimeter so do not encroach on
the village; and one new development of three houses has used traditional
styles and materials so that it blends quite nicely into the village
scene.
Towards
the end of the evening the group climbed to the highest point of
the village for a panoramic view to the Pennines lit by late sunshine.
The evening was most enjoyable, and informative, this being due
in no small part to the enthusiasm and knowledge of the guide. Mr
Lowe was thanked by Jean Scott-Smith.
Next
month the group will visit Carlisle Castle on Sunday 25 th July
for a guided tour led by Leo Holden meet at the castle at 1:30p.m.
There will an entry charge to the castle.
Please
inform Liz or Jean 01931 716244/716386 by 20 th July if planning
to attend.
REPORT
ON MEETING OF SHAP LOCAL HISTORY SOCIETY HELD ON MONDAY 24 th MAY
2010.
History
Society enjoys images old and new.
Shap
Local History Society gathered for their last indoor meeting until
September. Chairman Jean Jackson welcomed everyone and explained
that the advertised speaker, who was to have addressed the meeting
on turnpikes and milestones, had cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances,
so an emergency presentation had been arranged at short notice.
Liz
Amos projected a series of images of old views of Shap and district
that have recently been acquired by the Society for its archive;
Mrs Jackson described the scenes and shared other interesting information
about former residents.
Wherever
possible, Mrs Amos had taken photographs of the scenes from the
same viewpoints as they look today. It was interesting to see how
some buildings had been changed out of all recognition, whilst others
had vanished completely; one derelict property had been restored
and given a new lease of life.
The
presentation ended with photographs of village groups such as cricket
and football team, the village silver band and Rose fetes. The evening
was greatly enjoyed by all.
The
next event will be an outing on Monday 14 th June to Askham for
a walk around the village led by Andy Lowe, there will be a charge
of £1 for members and £3 for visitors, everyone is asked
to meet in the village car park at 7p.m.
REPORT
ON THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF SHAP LOCAL HISTORY SOCIETY HELD
ON MONDAY 26 th APRIL 2010.
Local
History Society looks to the future.
Shap
Local History Society gathered for their Annual Meeting in the Green
Room of Shap Memorial Hall. Chairman Jean Jackson welcomed everyone
and thanked the officers, Liz Amos the secretary for her efficiency,
Jean Scott-Smith the Vice Chairman for her work with publicity and
the Shap Memorial Trust; and committee members Liz Kerrey for her
energy, Wendy Fairer for her practical help, and Ken Noble for his
local knowledge. All had helped to make the Society a success.
Barbara
Cotton had resigned as Treasurer, and Mrs Jackson paid tribute to
her work with difficult grant applications. The grant money was
used to carry out some necessary repairs at the Heritage Centre.
She
went on to say that last summer's Family Research exhibition had
been a moderate success, but there seemed to be a real lack of local
interest in the exhibitions, and the Society would like to see more
involvement with the school. This summer's exhibition on Mardale
Homesteads which opened over Easter is already proving a great success;
there had been more visitors that weekend than there had been for
a whole summer in previous years.
The
financial report submitted by Mrs Cotton was read by Mrs Amos and
this showed the Society to be holding its own. Jean Scott-Smith
submitted the accounts for the Shap Memorial Trust.
The
following were elected: Chairman, Jean Jackson, Vice Chairman, Jean
Scott-Smith, Secretary and Treasurer, Liz Amos, Committee: Wendy
Fairer, Liz Kerrey, and Ken Noble. Mrs Scott-Smith is to take on
the role of Membership and Programme secretary. There is one vacancy
on the committee, and Dennis Hale was appointed as auditor for the
coming year.
A
Local History quiz has been compiled by Mrs Scott-Smith as a fund
raiser and these were available for sale. Members were asked to
submit ideas for next year's programme.
Following
the business meeting, Mrs Scott-Smith gave a short talk on local
customs – Eastertide to Midsummer, starting with Lent, Easter, pace
eggs and pace egging plays, the talk covered topics such as Yak
Bob Day, shaking-bottles, seasonal bonfires, hiring fairs and midsummer
revels. She described the traditional local dish, herb pudding made
from Easter ledges, nettles and a variety of green vegetables, she
had brought one she had made earlier for members to sample. Mrs
Jackson thanked her for the interesting talk, saying she was sad
that the young people of today would not have any knowledge or experience
of many of the colourful customs that were still observed as recently
as fifty years ago.
The
next meeting will be on Monday 24 th May at 7:30p.m. A selection
of newly acquired photographs from the Society's archive will be
presented by Jean Jackson and Liz Amos.
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