caldbeck & hesket newmarket...
A couple of hundred years ago, Caldbeck was a thriving hive of self-sufficiency with at least eight mills and its own brewery. Today, most of the mills have been converted to houses or restored for craft workshops, but traces of Caldbeck's industrial past can be readily gleaned from what survives.
Just a stone's throw away is Hesket Newmarket, known for its community-owned pub and brewery. Attractive 18th century houses are ranged down either side of its central green where the market cross still stands.
About the area
History & heritage
Caldbeck is named after the river on which it stands - the Cold Beck. The river once supported many industrial processes.
Art & culture
Today, some of the mills have been restored for craft workshops. Quality locally made items, from jewellery to clogs!
read more
Natural environment
The Caldbeck Fells, Back o' Skidda' (Skiddaw) is now become the haunt of moorland birds and walkers on the Cumbria Way.
Oddities
Hesket Hall
Hesket Hall was built as a giant sundial, incorporating 12 different angles ‘so arranged that the shadows give the hour of the day'.
Settlement of the Irish
The name Ireby means ‘settlement of the Irish'. In the early 19th century, the village had its own bank and printed its own bank notes.
Carrock Fell
Tungsten (or wolfram) is found at just two locations in the UK - one of which is Carrock Fell in the Caldbeck Fells (the other is in the southwest).
Charles Dickens
Charles Dickens and Wilkie Collins stayed at the Queen's Head in Hesket Newmarket in September 1857. It is now called Dickens House after its famous visitor.
Wind turbines
The wind turbine overlooking Hesket Newmarket was one of the first to be erected in the country (1988).
Where to stay
Using this search
This quick search allows you to find accommodation within 3 miles of Caldbeck. For more detailed searches click on the advanced option.
