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Cumrew

Cumrew is a small village and civil parish in the Cumberland district of Cumbria, England. It lies about 7 miles (11 km) south of Brampton and 13 miles (21 km) east of Carlisle. The population of the parish at the 2021 census was 102. Cumrew shares a parish council with the neighbouring parish of Carlatton.

History

In the 1770s, William Hutchinson noted the outline of an extensive quadrangle in a field near the church, and speculated that it may indicate the site of Dunwalloght Castle, a fortified house in the area referenced in some documents from the late 13th century.[4] There is not much supporting evidence for this claim or assumption, as when two small mounds were removed in 1832 there was no trace of a foundation. The Dacre family formerly owned two small estates in the area, which they sold to Sir Christopher Musgrave. William Dugdale, in his Baronage of England (1676) suggested that the Dacres had a castle at Cumrew. Beyond this allusion, nothing is known of Dunwalloght's history or its site.[5]

On the summit of Cardunnock is a cairn of stones indicating a burial mound, believed to be of an ancient chieftain, having been buried with a war axe and flint headed spear.[5]

St Mary's Church

St Mary's Church, Cumrew[6]

The church is dedicated to St Mary, built in 1890 on a medieval site, and was designed by George Dale Oliver. The church is very small with a small tower to the west of the church which holds two bells.[7] The church became a Grade II listed building on 1 April 1957.[8]

Geography

The parish borders Croglin, Cumwhitton, Carlatton, and Castle Carrock.[9] Most of the dwellings are on lower ground in the west of the parish. The parish also includes an area of high ground to the east called Cumrew Fell, with its summit at Cardunneth Pike.[10]

Governance

There are two tiers of local government covering Cumrew, at parish and unitary authority level: Carlatton and Cumrew Parish Council, and Cumberland Council. The parish council is a grouped parish council, also covering the neighbouring parish of Carlatton.[11] The parish council meets at St Mary's Church in Cumrew.[12] For national elections, Cumrew is within the Carlisle constituency.[10]

Administrative history

Cumrew was an ancient parish in the historic county of Cumberland. The parish was subdivided into two townships, called Cumrew Inside (which included the village and parish church) and Cumrew Outside.[13] The parish was included in the Brampton Rural District from 1894 to 1934 and then the Border Rural District from 1934 to 1974.[14]

Border Rural District was abolished in 1974, and Cumrew became part of the Carlisle district in the new county of Cumbria.[15][16] The district of Carlisle was in turn abolished in 2023 when the new Cumberland Council was created, also taking over the functions of the abolished Cumbria County Council in the area.[17]

Economy

Business in Cumrew is very limited and consisted of farms and a company called Cleanroom Supplies Ltd. The local farms include Rising Sun, Helme and Gateshaw Mill.[18]

Demography

At the 2021 census, the parish had a population of 102.[1] The population had been 85 at the 2001 census,[19] and was 131 at the 2011 census.[20]

Population changes in Cumrew from 1811 to 2001[21]

The population of Cumrew decreased between 1831 and 1891. The population slightly increased in 1901 then took another turn and decreased again between 1921 and 1951.[22] Since 1961, the population of the village has stayed in an upward trend.[23]

Occupational structure of Cumrew in 1831

Males aged 20 and over in 9 occupational categories[24]

Information on the occupational structure of Cumrew is limited.[25] The bar chart shows that many of the men living in the parish in 1831 were agricultural labourers working on farms, for example Rising Sun, Helme Farm and Cateshaw Mill,[18] in and round Cumrew. The farms also supplied many of the boarding parishes with employment as 12 of the farmers employed agricultural labourers.[24]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "2021 Census Parish Profiles". NOMIS. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 31 March 2025. (To get individual community data, use the query function on table PP002.)
  2. ^ "Carlatton and Cumrew Parish Council". Carlatton and Cumrew Parish Council.
  3. ^ "Geographic Numbers". Dialling Code. ukphoneinfo. Retrieved 16 March 2012.
  4. ^ Ferguson, Richard, ed. (1880). Transactions of the Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society: Volume 4. Kendal. p. 469. Retrieved 21 April 2025.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  5. ^ a b "Description of Cumrew". Description from T. Bulmer & Co's History, Topography and Directory of East Cumberland, 1884. UK and Ireland Genealogy. Retrieved 19 March 2012. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  6. ^ "Geograph". St Mary's Church. Peter McDermott. Retrieved 18 March 2012.
  7. ^ "Visit Cumbria". St Mary's Church. Visit Cumbria. Retrieved 15 March 2012.
  8. ^ "Church of St Mary, Cumrew". Listing Text. British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 16 March 2012.
  9. ^ "Cumberland Towns & Parishes". CUMREW, Cumberland. GEN UKI. Retrieved 15 March 2012.
  10. ^ a b "Election Maps". Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 20 April 2025.
  11. ^ "Carlatton and Cumrew Parish Council". Cumberland Council. Retrieved 21 April 2025.
  12. ^ "Carlatton and Cumrew Parish Council". Retrieved 21 April 2025.
  13. ^ "Cumberland Sheet XXV". National Library of Scotland. Ordnance Survey. 1868. Retrieved 21 April 2025.
  14. ^ "Cumrew Ancient Parish / Civil Parish". A Vision of Britain through Time. GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth. Retrieved 21 April 2025.
  15. ^ "The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Definition) Order 1972", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1972/2039, retrieved 3 March 2023
  16. ^ "The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Names) Order 1973", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1973/551, retrieved 3 March 2023
  17. ^ "The Cumbria (Structural Changes) Order 2022", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2022/331, retrieved 24 January 2024
  18. ^ a b "The Cumbria Directory". Businesses in Cumrew. The Butler. Retrieved 12 March 2012.
  19. ^ "Area: Cumrew CP (Parish)". Parish Profile – People. Office for National Statistics. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 7 March 2012.
  20. ^ "Civil Parish population 2011". Retrieved 27 January 2016.
  21. ^ "Population changes in cumrew". Historical statistics Population. Vision of Britain. Retrieved 15 March 2012.
  22. ^ "Historical statistics". Population data. Vision of Britain. Retrieved 19 March 2012.
  23. ^ "Population" (PDF). Parish Population Change 1991 – 2001. Cumbria County Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 19 March 2012.
  24. ^ a b "Cumrew AP/CP". Historical statistics – Industry (table view). Vision of Britain. Retrieved 20 April 2012.
  25. ^ "Historical statistics – Occupational Information". Males aged 20 & over, in 9 occupational categories. Vision of Britain. Retrieved 19 April 2012.

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