Visit Westnewton, Cumbria Places

Welcome to Visit Westnewton, Cumbria Places
The Walkfo guide to things to do & explore in Westnewton, Cumbria

  

Westnewton, Cumbria Places Overview: History, Culture & Facts about Westnewton, Cumbria

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Westnewton, Cumbria history

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Westnewton (until the 20th century spelled ‘West Newton’) is located in an area of West Cumbria which is sparsely populated and for which little evidence of pre- historic activity survives: crop marks in the area around the village may suggest early human activity but the nearest firm evidence is a Bronze Age barrow near Aspatria. Activity increased during the Roman occupation, with the defences against Scottish invasion along the Solway coast, but little evidence survives inland. Anglo-Danish and Norman settlement is more evident, again in Aspatria, but not outside established settlements. There is therefore little evidence that Westnewton existed before the Mediaeval period, although it may stand on an earlier communication route. At this point the Aspatria to Silloth road crosses Westnewton Beck and also intersects with the road from Allonby to Wigton, all of them no doubt seeking a convenient fording point. The flat land of the valley bottom in this strategic but sheltered location, with a good water supply and fertile fields surrounding it, made it ideal for an agricultural settlement. Yearn Gill also joins the valley at this point, offering a further good source of water in Sandwith Beck. The site of Westnewton Castle, at the western end of the village and close to the stream, may mark the baronial home of the de Neuton family and the start of the settlement which bears their name. However, the surviving ruins – now just limited to grassy mounds and faint ditches – are now thought to be those of a mediaeval manor house, fortified or ornamented by a moat and gatehouse. The natural meander in the stream and the flatness of the land would readily lend the site to being moated. Farmhouses were built in the valley, upstream of the manor house, presumably by tenants of the manor: the earliest and most notable survival is Yew Tree Farm, dated 1672, which was a house of some status. The village pinfold stood on the opposite side of the stream, near Burn View. The land to either side of the stream became more developed with ad hoc farmsteads, and under the Enclosure Acts the fields rising up to either side were divided into narrow strips which still survive to the present day, and which are particularly noticeable on the southern side of the valley High status farmhouses were built at the western end, closest to the manor house (Westnewton Hall of the early 19th century, followed by Westnewton Grange in the mid 19th century) with buildings of lesser status to the east. At the eastern end the Aspatria to Silloth Road was flanked on one side by the Swan Inn and on the other by the Queen’s Head inn at the ford (now Raeburn House). One or two houses of quality were built at this end (Bridge End Farm and Croft View). The status of the village increased in 1848 when it was provided with a school for 84 children, but this was replaced by a grander building in 1858. The benefactor was John Todd, a Manchester businessman of some wealth who was a native of the village. He also built St Matthews Church in 1856, together with a Vicarage at the western end of the village (1858) and a row of four imposing houses opposite the school (St Matthew’s Cottages) presumably as almshouses or for other village worthies. Historical records starting in the late 1800s show the overwhelming occupation of the residents to be agriculture-based, being predominantly farmsteads and their related businesses (smithying, stone-walling, quarrying, milling etc.), and this has probably always been the case. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries coal mining along the Solway coast provided a further source of employment. Prior to the introduction of motor transport, and particularly widespread car ownership, Westnewton would have been relatively self-supporting and a hive of economic activity, centred on agriculture but including a range of trades exchanged between the residents such as shoe-making, tailoring, merchandising, food production, cooking, and laundering. The church and the inns would be the hubs of community activity and social interchange. Westnewton was made a separate ecclesiastical parish in the late 1800s along with Langrigg and Mealrigg, with a total population of 443. It was made a civil parish in 1896. The population of the village itself had risen to around 400 by the start of the Second World War and has been boosted since the war by ‘The Guards’ housing estate at west end of the village. The Post House opposite the school is shown as being a Post Office (and village shop) by 1900. The village hall was built shortly after World War One (originally as the village reading room) next to Yew Tree House, and a new burial ground was opened next to the vicarage. The village now still retains many working farmsteads, interspersed with some modern houses and bungalows, but its character remains firmly agricultural. In 2014, a wind farm was built at Warwick Hall farm.

Westnewton, Cumbria etymology

Westnewton derives its name from the de Neuton family, who were lords of the manor in the late 12th and 13th centuries. The manor passed briefly by marriage to the Martindale family and the Musgrave and Hylton families of Hayton Castle near Allonby.

You can visit Westnewton, Cumbria places with Walkfo Westnewton, Cumbria to hear history at Westnewton, Cumbria’s places whilst walking around using the free digital tour app. Walkfo Westnewton, Cumbria has 22 places to visit in our interactive Westnewton, Cumbria map, with amazing history, culture & travel facts you can explore the same way you would at a museum or art gallery with information audio headset. With Walkfo, you can travel by foot, bike or bus throughout Westnewton, Cumbria, being in the moment, without digital distraction or limits to a specific walking route. Our historic audio walks, National Trust interactive audio experiences, digital tour guides for English Heritage locations are available at Westnewton, Cumbria places, with a AI tour guide to help you get the best from a visit to Westnewton, Cumbria & the surrounding areas.

“Curated content for millions of locations across the UK, with 22 audio facts unique to Westnewton, Cumbria places in an interactive Westnewton, Cumbria map you can explore.”

Walkfo: Visit Westnewton, Cumbria Places Map
22 tourist, history, culture & geography spots

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Westnewton, Cumbria historic spots	Westnewton, Cumbria tourist destinations	Westnewton, Cumbria plaques	Westnewton, Cumbria geographic features
Walkfo Westnewton, Cumbria tourism map key: places to see & visit like National Trust sites, Blue Plaques, English Heritage locations & top tourist destinations in Westnewton, Cumbria

  

Best Westnewton, Cumbria places to visit

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Westnewton, Cumbria has places to explore by foot, bike or bus. Below are a selection of the varied Westnewton, Cumbria’s destinations you can visit with additional content available at the Walkfo Westnewton, Cumbria’s information audio spots:

Hayton and Mealo Hayton and Mealo is a civil parish in Allerdale district, Cumbria. The only settlement is Hayton, a village in the centre of the parish, which had a population of 237 in the 2011 census. The parish has an area of 2.9 square miles (7.6 km)

Solfest Solfest is a music and arts festival on the Solway Coast in the North West of England. It is held annually at North Lakes Country Park on the August Bank Holiday weekend. It has grown from a 1,800 capacity event in 2004 to a 10,000 capacity festival.

Langrigg Hall Langrigg Hall is a Grade II listed building in Cumbria. It is a country house near the village of Langriggl in the Cumbrian region. It was built in the 1930s and is located in the Langrigrigg area.

Visit Westnewton, Cumbria plaques