villages around appleby...

The valleys of the Eden and Lyvennet have attracted settlers. Not only was the fertile land capable of producing arable crops and raising livestock, but the underlying sandstone rock was easily hewn into building blocks to create the characteristic red sandstone villages of the area today.

Bolton has a long history of occupation dating back to Anglo-Saxon times. The small sandstone church of All Saint's (NY 639 234) is in a picturesque setting at the end of an avenue of clipped yews. Inside there is a decorative oak screen in the chancel, a 16th-century oak chest that once held the parish records and a ‘pour man's' box dated 1634. Outside, above the north doorway, is an early (c.1115) stone relief of two knights jousting - one of only two such reliefs in the country (the other is in Dorset).

Cliburn's main street is lined with attractive sandstone buildings, many dating from the 18th and 19th centuries, although the village itself was founded in Anglo-Saxon times.

Crosby Ravensworth developed around a fortified pele tower. The large church of St Lawrence (NY 622 148), often described as a cathedral in miniature, was once owned by Whitby Abbey. Several fine trees can be seen in the churchyard.

Dufton (‘settlement of the doves') is an attractive village on the Pennine Way with many old houses bordering a village green. The fellside above the village was mined for lead by the Quaker-owned London Lead Company, who provided cottages, a school and library for the inhabitants and improved the village's drinking water supply (an impressive sandstone fountain is on the village green). www.dufton.org.uk

Great Ormside is a village of great antiquity. The unpretentious church of St James (NY 701 177) on a raised mound overlooking the river Eden is one of the oldest churches in the Carlisle diocese. A fascinating ‘leper's squint' allowed ostracised parishioners to view the communion service. Evidence of early Christian burials and a Viking sword (now in Tullie House Museum in Carlisle) have been uncovered from the churchyard. But the most exciting find was the Ormside Cup, a fine example of decorated Anglo-Saxon silverware from the 9th century and now on display in the York Museum. Ormside Hall, built around a 14th-century pele tower, lies opposite, and a little further down is the Cross Tree - a large sycamore growing within tiered steps where a preaching cross once stood.

Great and Little Strickland obtain their names from ‘Stircaland' or ‘pasture for young bullocks'. Both villages lie on the outcropping limestone rock to the west of the Eden Valley.

King's Meaburn and Mauld's Meaburn were once part of the manor of Meaburn, held by Roger de Morville. On his death, the manor was divided between his son (Hugh) and his daughter (Maud). Hugh Morville, however, was one of the knights who murdered Thomas à Becket in 1170, an action which led to the forfeit of his lands to Henry II. Thereafter his part of Meaburn manor was known as ‘King's Meaburn', whilst Maud retained ‘Mauld's Meaburn'; the latter regarded as one of the most attractive villages in the Eden Valley.

Kirkby Thore is on the site of the Roman fort of Bravoniacum - a junction between two important Roman routes. Nowadays the village is better associated with the mining of gypsum. St Michael's Church (NY 638 260) was built by the Normans using stone from the Roman fort. The church bell is said to be the largest in Cumbria and came from Shap Abbey during the dissolution of the monasteries.

Long Marton means ‘homestead by the mere', although the lake is no longer visible on the ground. Today, Long Marton's neighbour is the Settle to Carlisle railway, which is carried over Trout Beck on an impressive viaduct. The isolated location of St Margaret & St James' Church (NY 666 240) suggests that it was built to serve two hamlets - Long Marton and Brampton. The stonework is mainly Norman (c.1200) with interesting carvings of dragons and other fantastical creatures over the south entrance and original west doorway.

Morland was one of the more important villages in the mid Eden Valley, having the right to hold a weekly market and yearly fair. During the plague years, the Appleby Horse Fair temporarily moved here (a back road is still known as ‘Little Appleby Lane'). The church of St Lawrence (NY 598 226) is the only church in Cumbria with its Saxon tower largely intact. With walls that are over 5 ft (1.6 m) thick at the base, the tower probably served as a refuge and lookout in times of trouble and contains two enormous ladders (made in 1673) which are used to access the church clock and bells. Inside, the wooden communion rails of the chancel are interestingly carved with the faces of kings, queens, bishops, monks, angels and patriarchs.

Newby (the ‘new settlement') near Morland comprises a string of houses, the most notable of which is Newby Hall dating from 1685. At Cross House in the centre of the village, a plague stone now forms the corner of a garden wall. During the plague years, vinegar was placed in the stone receptacle to wash and disinfect coins left for food.

Temple Sowerby has many elegant buildings fronting the village green and main road. The village is named after the Knights Templar (established to protect the temple of Jerusalem and its pilgrims) who once owned the manor of Sowerby in 1228 - hence the village of ‘Sowerby' became known as ‘Temple Sowerby'.