Wikipedia

Appleby-in-Westmorland

Appleby-in-Westmorland is a market town and civil parish in Westmorland and Furness, Cumbria, England, with a population of 3,048 at the 2011 Census.[1] Crossed by the River Eden, Appleby is the county town of the historic county of Westmorland. It was known just as Appleby until 1974–1976, when the council of the successor parish to the borough changed it to retain the name Westmorland, which was abolished as an administrative area under the Local Government Act 1972, before being revived as Westmorland and Furness in 2023.[2] It lies 14 miles (23 km) south-east of Penrith, 32 miles (51 km) south-east of Carlisle, 27 miles (43 km) north-east of Kendal and 45 miles (72 km) west of Darlington.

Appleby-in-Westmorland
Boroughgate (2004)
Flag
Appleby-in-Westmorland is located in the former Eden District
Appleby-in-Westmorland
Appleby-in-Westmorland
Location in Eden, Cumbria
Appleby-in-Westmorland is located in Cumbria
Appleby-in-Westmorland
Appleby-in-Westmorland
Location within Cumbria
Population3,048 (2011)
OS grid referenceNY6820
Civil parish
  • Appleby-in-Westmorland
Unitary authority
Ceremonial county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townAPPLEBY-IN-WESTMORLAND
Postcode districtCA16
Dialling code017683
PoliceCumbria
FireCumbria
AmbulanceNorth West
UK Parliament
Websitehttp://applebytown.org.uk/
List of places
UK
England
Cumbria
54°34′37″N 2°29′06″W / 54.577°N 2.485°W / 54.577; -2.485

History

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The town's name derives from the Old English æppel-by, meaning "farm or settlement with apple trees".[3]

St Lawrence's Parish Church is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade I listed building.[4] Appleby Castle was founded by Ranulf le Meschin in the early 12th century. The Borough followed by royal charter in 1179 and the Moot Hall was built about 1596.[5] Surviving timbers in the roof had been felled between 1571 and 1596.[6] In the Second English Civil War Appleby was placed under a siege, in which the Regicide Major General Thomas Harrison was wounded.[7]

Appleby Grammar School dates from two chantry bequests in 1286.[8] It was incorporated by Letters Patent of Queen Elizabeth in 1574.[8] George Washington's father and two half-brothers, born in Virginia, were educated at Appleby Grammar School. He would have followed, but his father died suddenly in 1743, just as he reached the age when the two older boys had made the voyage.[9]

Economy

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Appleby is overlooked by the privately owned Appleby Castle, a largely Norman structure that served as home to Lady Anne Clifford in the 17th century. Appleby's main industry is tourism, through its history, remoteness and scenery, and its proximity to the Lake District, North Pennines, Swaledale and Howgill Fells.[10]

From 1973 Ferguson Industrial Holdings Plc was based at Appleby Castle.[11][12][13] WA Developments Limited, now Stobart Rail Limited, was long based in Appleby as a civil engineering firm founded by Andrew Tinkler and William Stobart, specialising in railway maintenance.[14]

Appleby's economy is based mainly on the service sector, in small firms, eating houses and pubs. The private shops include butchers, grocers, bakers and newsagents.[15] Appleby Creamery makes premium, hand-made cheeses, including Eden Valley Brie.[16]

Events

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Gypsy horses in the River Eden

Appleby and nearby villages host old-established events such as Warcop rushbearing, dating back at least to 1716.[17]

The four-day Appleby Horse Fair is held on the first weekend of June.[18]

Appleby Agricultural Society, founded in 1841, puts on an annual show.[19] From 1989 to 2007 it hosted the Appleby Jazz Festival.[20]

Other local events are listed on the community website.[21]

Governance

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The Moot Hall

Appleby was a parliamentary borough from medieval times, electing two Members of Parliament (MPs). By the 18th century it was a pocket borough, whose members were effectively in the gift of the Lowther family. They included William Pitt the Younger, who was MP for Appleby when he became Prime Minister in 1783, although he stood down in the next general election, preferring to take a Cambridge University seat.[22]

A later Appleby member was Viscount Howick, later as Earl Grey the Prime Minister under whom the Great Reform Act of 1832 was passed. However, that did not save it from losing both members under the Act. As the only county town disenfranchised, Appleby was a controversial case in the debates on the Reform Bill, where the opposition attempted vainly to save it at least one MP. It gained a new charter in 1885.[23]

The town remained a municipal borough until such status was abolished under the Local Government Act 1972.[24] It was superseded by Eden district, based in Penrith.[25]

Appleby was the county town of Westmorland. The Courts of Assise met at the Shire Hall there,[26][27] although the former county council sat at the County Hall in Kendal.[28]

Present

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Appleby today is in the parliamentary constituency of Penrith and the Border. At the 2019 general election, the Conservative Neil Hudson was elected as the Member of Parliament (MP), replacing Rory Stewart. While the UK remained in the European Union, Appleby was in the North West England European Parliament constituency.[29]

For local government purposes it now forms part of Westmorland and Furness unitary authority. It formerly bridged the Appleby and Bongate wards of Eden District Council and the Appleby Ward of Cumbria County Council. Its own parish council is named Appleby-in-Westmorland Town Council.[30]

Media

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Local news and television programmes are provided by BBC North East and Cumbria and ITV Border. Television signals are received from the Caldbeck TV transmitter. [31] Appleby's local radio stations are BBC Radio Cumbria on 95.6 FM, Greatest Hits Radio Cumbria & South West Scotland on 102.5 FM, and community based station Eden FM Radio which broadcast from its studios in Penrith on 107.5 FM. [32] The town's local newspapers are Cumberland and Westmorland Herald and The Westmorland Gazette. [33][34]

Transport

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Appleby railway station is a stop on the Settle-Carlisle Line. It was opened by the Midland Railway in 1876. Northern Trains operates a generally two-hourly service in each direction between Leeds and Carlisle, via Settle.[35]

Appleby East station also served the town on the North Eastern Railway;[36] it was closed in 1962.[37]

As of November 2024 the town is served by two bus routes:[38]

  • 560 connects Kirkby Stephen with Penrith; it is operated by Stagecoach Cumbria
  • S6 links Sedburgh and Penrith; it is operated by Western Dales Community Bus

Notable people

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A chronological list of notables from Appleby with a Wikipedia page:

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Parish population 2011" (PDF). Eden District Council. Archived (PDF) from the original on 7 February 2019. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
  2. ^ Kelner, Simon (23 April 2013). "Eric Pickles's championing of traditional English counties is something we can all get behind". The Independent. Archived from the original on 24 October 2017. Retrieved 19 September 2017.
  3. ^ "Key to English Place-names". kepn.nottingham.ac.uk.
  4. ^ Historic England. "Parish Church of St Lawrence, Appleby-in-Westmorland (1312067)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 24 June 2012.
  5. ^ Barter, Marion; Elsworth, Dan (2018). "The Moot Hall, Appleby-in-Westmorland: An Architectural Investigation and Assessment of Significance. Historic England Research Report 25/2018". research.historicengland.org.uk. Archived from the original on 24 October 2020. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
  6. ^ Arnold, Alison; Howard, Robert; Tyers, Cathy (2018). "Moot Hall, Boroughgate, Appleby-in-Westmorland, Cumbria: Tree-ring analysis and radiocarbon dating of oak timbers. Historic England Research Report 14/2018". research.historicengland.org.uk. Archived from the original on 24 October 2020. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
  7. ^ Maurice Ashley (1954), Cromwell's Generals, London: Cape, OCLC 798976, OL 6150316M
  8. ^ a b Higginson, J. H. (1976). "Reviewed Work: Appleby Grammar School by Edgar Hinchcliffe". British Journal of Educational Studies. 24 (1): 98–99. doi:10.2307/3120766. JSTOR 3120766.
  9. ^ "George Washington and Appleby Grammar School". Cumberland and Westmorland Herald. 25 September 2009. Archived from the original on 29 September 2018. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
  10. ^ Archer, Brian H.; Jones, D. R. (1977). Tourism in Appleby, Keswick and Sedbergh. Institute of Economic Research, University College of North Wales.
  11. ^ "Industrialist who first opened Appleby Castle". Cumberland and Westmorland Herald. 26 October 2002. Archived from the original on 14 February 2020. Retrieved 9 September 2019.
  12. ^ Hurst, John (2000). Come Back to Eden: Lakeland's Northern Neighbour. Sigma Leisure. ISBN 9781850587057.
  13. ^ Holmes, Martin (1974). Appleby Castle. Ferguson Industrial Holdings Ltd, Newcastle upon Tyne.
  14. ^ "2,000 job companies prepare to quit Eden". Cumberland and Westmorland Herald. 21 January 2006. Archived from the original on 14 February 2020. Retrieved 9 September 2019.
  15. ^ "Visit Appleby - Shopping". Archived from the original on 24 January 2021. Retrieved 30 June 2021.
  16. ^ "Appleby Creamery". Archived from the original on 5 December 2020. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
  17. ^ Willcock, Richard (14 November 2015). "Episodes from Rushbearing at Musgrave and Warcop". Archived from the original on 7 February 2019. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
  18. ^ "Appleby Horse Fair". Archived from the original on 23 April 2009. Retrieved 13 September 2019.
  19. ^ de Silva, Carrie (2013). A Short History of Agricultural Education and Research. Newport, Shropshire, UK: Harper Adams University. Archived from the original on 16 September 2018. Retrieved 16 September 2018.
  20. ^ "Appleby Jazz Festival". Retrieved 31 March 2022.
  21. ^ "Appleby and Eden Valley Events: What's on in Appleby-in-Westmorland". Archived from the original on 24 May 2020. Retrieved 13 September 2019.
  22. ^ "10 Downing Street – PMs in history – William Pitt 'The Younger' 1783–1801 and 1804-6". Number10.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 7 August 2008. Retrieved 23 April 2010.
  23. ^ "Appleby" in Chambers's Encyclopædia. London: George Newnes, 1961, Vol. 1, p. 491.
  24. ^ "Appleby MB". Vision of Britain. Retrieved 26 March 2023.
  25. ^ "Planning application full details: Appleby Ward". Retrieved 26 March 2023.
  26. ^ "Appleby Conservation Area Character Appraisal and Management Plan" (PDF). Eden District Council. 1 February 2022. p. 59. Retrieved 26 March 2023.
  27. ^ Jones, Sir Clement (1948). "A Tour In Westmorland". Kendal: Titus, Wilson & Son.
  28. ^ Holloway, Norman (2012). Kendal Through Time. Amberley Publishing. ISBN 978-1445608129.
  29. ^ "Your MEPs: North West". European Parliament Information Office in the United Kingdom. Archived from the original on 13 February 2013.
  30. ^ "Home". Archived from the original on 25 August 2019. Retrieved 9 September 2019.
  31. ^ "Full Freeview on the Caldbeck (Cumbria, England) transmitter". UK Free TV. 1 May 2004. Retrieved 2 October 2023.
  32. ^ "Eden FM". Retrieved 26 September 2023.
  33. ^ "Cumberland and Westmorland Herald". British Papers. 18 August 2013. Retrieved 2 October 2023.
  34. ^ "The Westmorland Gazette". British Papers. 15 November 2013. Retrieved 2 October 2023.
  35. ^ "Timetables and engineering information for travel with Northern". Northern Railway. 2 June 2024. Retrieved 11 November 2024.
  36. ^ Catford, Nick (12 May 2017). "Station name: Appleby East". Disused Stations. Retrieved 11 November 2024.
  37. ^ Jenkins, Stanley C.; Loader, Martin (2016). The London, Midland and Scottish Railway Volume Three Leeds to Carlisle. Amberley Publishing. ISBN 978-1445643861.
  38. ^ "Appleby-in-Westmorland bus services". Bustimes.org. 2024. Retrieved 11 November 2024.
  39. ^ "Lady Anne Clifford". English Heritage. Retrieved 26 March 2023.
  40. ^ "Balow, Thomas". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Retrieved 26 March 2023.
  41. ^ "John Boste". St Anthony's and St Aidan's Catholic Sixth Form. Retrieved 26 March 2023.
  42. ^ "Eddie lets go of wheel". The Westmorland Gazette. 22 October 2003. Retrieved 26 March 2023.
  43. ^ "'I'm still Gavin Skelton, the farmer's son from Appleby'". Times and Star. 9 May 2014. Retrieved 26 March 2023.
  44. ^ "Appleby supports Strictly Come Dancing's Helen Skelton". Cumberland and Westmorland Gazette. 9 October 2022. Retrieved 26 March 2023.
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Wikisource has the text of the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica article "Appleby".
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