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About
Natland
| Natland
is a highly attractive village located about two miles south of Kendal
in the South Lakeland district of Cumbria and a little
less south west of the main line railway station Oxenholme,
The Lake District.
At
the time of the 2001 census, the population was 747.
There
were 672 electors on the register for Natland
Civil Parish published in December 2007.
The
Civil Parish of Natland covers 892 acres of open countryside
on the east bank of the River Kent, in Cumbria.
It extends
from the river to the sudden steep slope of Helm, which
rises to 185m above sea level providing a fine viewpoint.
Natland Village stands at the centre of the Parish.
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Natland
from above Helm
Natland
and Helm
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Signs
of the earliest occupation of the Parish include earthworks
on the summit of Helm, which could be an Iron Age fort.
Undoubtedly the Romans used Helm in conjunction with
the Roman Fort at Watercrook situated on the banks of
the Kent, at the most northerly tip of the Parish. This
four acre site was occupied by the Romans from the first
century to the fourth century A.D. and many roman artefacts
have been found.
Opinions
differ as to the origin of the name "Natland".
The
English Place Names Society gives the derivation of
Natland as the Old Norse "Natislundr", that
is, "Nati's wood", Nati being either a mythological
name or a proper name and Iundr "a small wood, a sacred
grove" However
Nicolson and Burn's 1777 "History and antiquities of the counties of Westmorland
and Cumberland" describes Natland as "a small manor or lordship, containing only about 30 families. It seems to have had its name from the Nativi or bondmen probably placed
there, as attendent upon the capital lord at Kendal castle to do servile
offices."
The
earliest recorded use of the name is in 1164. Natland
Hall farm was granted permission for a chapel in 1246
and is probably the oldest building in the village.
Natland Abbey, an agricultural community, a sub-branch
of Furness Abbey is another 14th century building. Watercrook
Farm, Natland Mill and Cracalt Farm
are also of early origin. In
1674, the Dissenter Richard Frankland founded the Natland
Academy which tutored as many as twenty students until
1693.
There
is a long standing legend that Natland has a Trecle
Mine. What is certain is that there is a cave
system running under the village from Helm to the river
although the precise route is not known. For more
information see Natland
Treacle Mines
and The
Natland Pipeline Cave.
Village
landmarks include St Mark's Church, the fourth church
on the site, St Mark's C. of E. Primary School, the Village
Hall and the Village Store & Post Office
(formerly a public house- The Horse and Farrier). The Village
Green, with its Coronation oak tree (1952), picnic table
and two memorial seats is a popular venue for locals
and visitors alike.
The
Village Green and Helm are both common
land owned by the Lord of the Manor, whose family seat
is Sizergh Castle.
The Lancaster Canal ran through the
west of the parish until its closure in 1947. Plans
are now afoot to restore the canal and link it to a
national waterways network
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are numerous public footpaths and attractive walks in
the area- up Helm (with The Station Inn
at the north end and the Punchbowl at the south), north along the old canal tow path
or the River Kent toward Kendal or south to Sedgwick.
Sizergh Castle (National
Trust with tea room and estate trails), Low Sizergh Barn farm shop,
tea room and farm trail, Strickland Arms, Levens Hall & Park and Scout Scar are within walking
distance.
A
regular bus service between Kendal and Silverdale
has a bus stop near St Mark's Church; a
more frequent service between Kendal
and Oxenholme runs along the A65
at the top of Oxenholme Lane. The Library
Van stops in Park Close.
Yan, Hamilton
and Woody of the
rock band British
Sea Power were raised in the village.
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For
the definitive history of Natland, see Natland
and Oxenholme - The
story of a Westmorland
village
by Whin Inglesfield, 2006.
For
a 360 degree panoramic photo from the summit of Helm
click on the photo below. The enlargement will open in a
new page and you may need to click on it again to see
it in all its glory so that you can scroll round the
full vista.
Natland
on the Map
| Visit
Multi
Map
to find Natland on the map.
Zoom
out to see its location regionally or nationally.
Zoom
in for a street plan.
Or
click for the Parish Council's
Street
Plan
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Watercrook
Roman Fort
This aerial photograph was taken by J K St Joseph in 1949
(Cambridge University Collection) during a period of exceptional drought.
The
fort was built around 69 A.D. and is situated in a sharp loop in the river which
affords protection on three sides.
The site has also good road
communications.
There were as many as twelve buildings including barracks, granaries, bath house
etc.
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There have been several excavations at the site and the three pictures
below illustrate three of the objects found .
Kendal Museum
The picture on the left is a portable altar.
People feared the gods, and sought to win their favour, or ask for their help.
In the middle is an inscribed memorial .
It commemorates P. Aelius Basso an ex-centurion of the twentieth legion.
On the right is a sculpture representing
Bacchus, the God of Wine, as an infant.
A total of 65 coins have been found on the site.
These Watercrook items are on display
at Kendal Museum along with many other exhibits which are displayed in an imaginative,
interesting fashion.
Extensive details
of Watercrook Roman Fort can also be found in "Romans in the North West" by T W
Potter. A copy is in the Kendal Library reference section.
The Question of Tithes
by Whin Inglesfield
Natland Church was a chapelry within the large parish of Kendal. In 1246
Ralph Daincurt gave to Master Roger Pepin, rector of the Church at
Kirkby-in-Kendale, land at Natalunt in a competent place, 80ft in length and
40ft in breadth, to hold during his life, for the site of a barn in which to put
his tithe at Natalunt. ( This was to the SSW of the present Church and now a
bungalow called Tithe Barn occupies the site over the corner of Helm Lane).
Natland was in the archdeaconry of Richmond, which, until 1541, was part
of the Diocese of York. It is probable that Natland Abbey - or an earlier
primitive building on that site - was used by the monks of St Mary's Abbey,
York, to collect the rents and tithes. (I'm not sure what the difference is
between the terms 'rents' and 'tithes').
In 1541 the southern part of what is now the Diocese of Carlisle, was
transferred to the Bishopric of Chester, and it was not until the 1850's that
the diocese took its present shape.
After the dissolution of the Monasteries, in the mid 16th century, the
Rectory of Kendal passed from St Mary's Convent at York ( why Convent as
distinct from Abbey?) to the Crown - and therefore, in 1553 was in Queen Mary's
gift and she bestowed this to Trinity College, Cambridge.
The tithes were originally paid in Kendal - hence the necessity for the
tithe barns - which wouldn't be convenient at a distance and with awkward
cartage/haulage. Eventually, to settle the many disputes this arrangement
caused, an Act of Parliament in 1834 introduced the Kendal Corn Rent, with
definite sums based on the price of crops. The rents were apportioned among the
chapelries of Kendal Parish Church - including Natland. Later the Kendal Corn
Rent Bill of 1932, enabled individual tithe payers to redeem their tithes at any
time which led to the end of the Kendal Corn Rents. The Churchwardens appointed
a collector of tithes, which were payable to Trinity College, Cambridge. The
total amount of the township of Natland was initially £112. During the 1960's or
thereabouts, many payers (and we were not all payers) had bought out their
tithes, reducing the numbers to about 20. You will be probably know how many are
still paying this - I'd be glad to hear how many.
Footnote by Stan O'Connor
About 1965 the
Vicar (the Rev Eric Mann) approached me and said "I have a job for you".
Somewhat innocently I offered my services. The job was to persuade individuals
to allow buy out of their tithes. I have forgotten the exact number - somewhere
about sixty or so and during the next months I laboured away at this. The
difficult part was that the tithe holders had animal grazing rights on common
land (eg the Helm). These related to cattle, sheep and ducks. When houses were
built the particular grazing rights were apportioned over the houses. For
example our share at High Meadows was "half a sheep" or something like that.
Whin is right to say that about twenty people retained their grazing rights -
the Vicar was one!. The main reason for this was the owner of the rights could
attend the meeting of the "Commoners of Natland" and express their views on the
letting of grazing on Helm. All the correspondence and the names of those
who retained their grazing rights should still be in the Commoner's records.
St
Mark's 1825 Church
This was the third church in the village,
built in 1825.
A new site was chosen for this
church, a hundred yards from the old one, and where the present church stands.
There was also a burial ground for the first time. The cost was £550 of which
£450 was subscribed by parishioners.
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The pews were numbered and most were reserved for particular persons or
for the occupants of the larger houses. The rest "shall be set apart and
perpetually remain for the use of the poor inhabitants".
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The Chancel was
initially very small and the pulpit and reading desk were placed on the South
side about half way down the church with all the pews facing them.
The people in
the Eastern half of the Church, therefore faced the pulpit but had their backs
to the altar.
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In 1872 the Church was reseated and in 1879 a new chancel, organ chamber,
and vestry were built (as in photo above).
Extract
from "The Church on Natland Green" by Laura
Oldham,
copies can be purchased in the Church.
The
present church is the fourth in the village.
For
more information on the churches in Natland
back
as far as 1246 see
History
of Natland and Visit
Cumbria
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The Census of 1901 shows five of these Cottages. They were situated where
Park Cottages are now. As their name indicates they were owned by the local
Gunpowder Works.
The local Gunpowder Works were at Sedgwick and Gatebeck. Sedgwick was the
earliest one being established in about 1764 and supplied local quarries with
blasting powder. One advantage of the site was its seclusion which allowed a
dangerous process to operate in relative safety. There was also sufficient
woodland to supply the key ingredient of charcoal.The site was relocated in 1850 to a larger site at
Gatebeck.
In 1901 the five Cottages housed 25 persons (including children) with 8
employed at the Works. The trades are interesting and are recorded as Powder
Maker, Wrapper, Cartridge Filler, Gunpowder maker, Machinist.
More details of
the local gunpowder mills can be found in "'Gunpowder Mills of
Cumbria" by Tyler which can be purchased at Ottakers and there is also a copy in
Kendal Library in the reference section.
Helme
Lodge
Helme Lodge was built for William Dilworth Crewdson in 1824-7; the
architects being Francis and George Webster who were responsible for many of
Kendal's finest buildings. A square Grecian Villa of great quality, built of
limestone with freestone dressings and a service wing projecting to the east, it
represents the retreat to the country of this Kendal banker.
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The golden freestone is used for window architraves and the Ionic portico
which was carved at Longridge Fell by William Coulthard of Lancaster who was
paid £135/16/9 and carried to the site by the Kendal-Lancaster canal.
The designs show
variations in planning within a fixed outline. The best design shows the
staircase leading to an Ionic gallery under a dome. The handrail is like those
at Kendal Town Hall. There were excellent fireplaces throughout of local and
imported marbles. Along the south front is a metal verandah . When repairs were
carried out after a fire in 1915 the tripartite windows on the west were pushed
forward to give balconies above them. Some subsidiary buildings like the stables
and the gig house were by William Airey . The Lodge was divided into flats in
1988.
Extracted from 'The Websters of Kendal' by Angus Taylor and published
by Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian and
Archaeological Society
St
Mark's Home for Boys
On
July 1st 1882 four boys became the first inhabitants
of St Mark's Home for Boys, Natland. The Reverend Charles
Whitaker founded the Home and acted as Warder after
The Waifs and Strays Society ( later the Children's
Society) took over in 1894.The number of boys housed
quickly grew to 25.
The
first boy to be taken into care at the Home was partially
disabled due to a fall on ice and neglect by his parents.
At the age of 10 he worked as a crossing sweeper on
Clapham Common. After he left the Home he became a reader
in a print firm, got married and had a daughter, In
the 1920's he wrote poems under the pseudonym 'A Waif'.
He died of tuberculosis in March 1930.
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The
Home had a Scout Troop. On February 10th
1912, the boys had their first outing. All
the boys from Natland lined the village
to see the troop proudly march down the
road in their uniforms.
This
picture was taken in October 1902. The clothes
they are wearing are their Sunday best -
an outfit they wore to Church on Sunday.
In
1960 the home started to look after girls
as well as boys
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St
Mark's ceased being a home in 1975 and became a holiday
centre for children in other Society Homes. The Centre
closed in 1995 and Appletree School for problem children
now occupies the site.
For
more information see Hidden
Lives
George's
Story
What
was
life as a Waif and Stray in St Mark's Home really
like?
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Those
familiar with Natland will recognise the large Victorian
building on Sedgwick Road as being the Appletree Special
Needs Residential School. Many
will remember it in its earlier guise as St Mark's
Church of England Children's Society Home.
Fewer will recall (unless
they have read Whin Inglesfield's book on Natland
& Oxenholme)
that it was originally founded as St Mark's Home for
Boys by the Church of England Incorporated Society for
Providing Home for Waifs and Strays.
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The
former St
Mark's Home for Waifs and Strays
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George
with his sisters Lily and Ann
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In
her book, Whin refers to the Waifs and Strays Society
becoming the Church of England Children's Society in
1947 and that St Mark's Home "gradually became
more relaxed". She is silent on what conditions were
like for the residents in the years prior to the change.
However
one former inmate, George Wenman, has been in
touch with Natland.info, initially with a letter to
the Open
Forum (see message 38 seeking to get in
touch with a former friend). Subsequently George
met John Fisher to discuss how to organise Scarecrow
Festivals. On hearing George's story of his time
at St Mark's Home during the war, John suggested
to him that it should be told to a wider audience.
It
is a tale of sadness and of bullying yet
at the same time provides an unusual insight
into everyday life coupled with underlying
humour and optimism.
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To
learn what life was like as a Waif and Stray
in St Mark's Home, Natland, click on George's Story.
Natland
Village Green Millennium Photograph
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Here
you can see residents and visitors clustered
on the Village Green for the Millennium
photo taken from the church tower
Click
on the picture for a larger version.
How
many dogs can you see in the photo?
There
are at least 13!
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Census
2001
The
2001 Census records Natland civil parish as having a population
of 747;
369 males (49.4%) and 378 females (50.6%).
Ages
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Population
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Percentage
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0
- 4
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18
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2.4%
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5
- 15
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82
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10.9%
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16
- 24
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50
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6.7%
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24
- 64
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409
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54.8%
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65
- 74
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112
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15.0%
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75+
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76
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10.2%
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There
were 114 singles persons, 447 and 86 widowed or divorced.
519
reported thesleves as in good health but 164 were recorded
as suffering from limiting long term illness. 101
persons were recorded as providing unpaid care.
7
people were unemployed.
The
number of dwellings was 363 of which 224 were detached,
102 semi-detached and 37 flates. The number of
second homes was 14.
The
number of cars owned in the village was 513. 150 households
had 1 car, 132 had 2 cars and 25 had 3 cars.
For
census information on Natland Ward (as opposed to the
civil parish)
see Natland
Ward Profile
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