Portal:Cumbria

The Cumbria Portal

Cumbria (/ˈkʌmbriə/ KUM-bree-ə) is a ceremonial county in North West England. It borders the Scottish council areas of Dumfries and Galloway and Scottish Borders to the north; the English ceremonial counties of Northumberland and County Durham to the east, North Yorkshire to the south-east, and Lancashire to the south; and the Irish Sea to the west. Its largest settlement is the city of Carlisle.

Cumbria is predominantly rural, with an area of 6,769 km² (2,614 sq mi) and an estimated population of 510,680 in 2024. Carlisle is in the north of the county; the towns of Workington and Whitehaven lie on the west coast, Barrow-in-Furness on the south coast, and Penrith and Kendal in the east. For local government purposes the county comprises two unitary authority areas, Westmorland and Furness and Cumberland, the councils of which collaborate through the Cumbria Combined Authority. Cumbria was created in 1974 from the historic counties of Cumberland and Westmorland, the Furness area of Lancashire, and a small part of Yorkshire.

The interior of Cumbria contains several upland areas. Together they fringe the Vale of Eden, the wide valley of the River Eden, which runs south-east to north-west across the county and broadens into the Solway Plain near Carlisle. To the north-east are part of the Border Moors, and to the east part of the North Pennines; the latter have been designated a national landscape. South of the vale are the Orton Fells, Howgill Fells, and part of the Yorkshire Dales, which are all within the Yorkshire Dales national park. The south-west contains the Lake District, a large upland area which has been designated a national park and UNESCO World Heritage Site. It includes England's highest mountain, Scafell Pike; its longest and largest lake, Windermere; and its deepest lake, Wast Water. The county has a long coast to the west which is bordered by a plain for most of its length. The north-west coast is part of the Solway Firth, a national landscape, and the south coast includes the Cartmel and Furness peninsulas. East of the peninsulas, the county contains part of Arnside and Silverdale, another national landscape. (Full article...)

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Gleaston Castle's ruined north-west tower in 2015

Gleaston Castle is a medieval building in a valley about 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) north-east of the village of Gleaston. The village lies between the towns of Ulverston and Barrow-in-Furness in the Furness peninsula, Cumbria, England. Gleaston Castle has a quadrilateral plan, with a tower at each corner. The largest of these, the north-west tower, probably housed a hall.

The castle was most likely built for John Harington, 1st Baron Harington in the 14th century, replacing nearby Aldingham Motte. Gleaston Castle descended through the Harrington family until 1458 when it passed to William Bonville through marriage and was subsequently abandoned. The castle passed to the Grey family until Henry Grey, 1st Duke of Suffolk was executed for treason in 1554. As a result, Gleaston Castle became royal property before it was bought by the Preston family in the 17th century, and then passed to the Cavendish family. (Full article...)

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General images

The following are images from various Cumbria-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1The Castlerigg stone circle dates from the late Neolithic age and was constructed by some of the earliest inhabitants of Cumbria (from Cumbria)
Image 2Castlerigg Stone Circle (from History of Cumbria)
Image 3The University of Cumbria's Fusehill Campus in Carlisle (from Cumbria)
Image 4Loki stone, Kirkby Stephen parish church, part of a 10th-century Viking-age cross-shaft. But does it show Loki or Satan? (from History of Cumbria)
Image 5Hadrian's Wall (from History of Cumbria)
Image 6The Fish Hotel, Buttermere – where Mary Robinson worked (from History of Cumbria)
Image 7'Giants Grave', St. Andrew's churchyard, Penrith, an unusual arrangement of two Viking-age cross-shafts with four hogbacks (in the foreground). In addition, there is a smaller, Viking-age, wheel-headed cross just visible in the background (from History of Cumbria)
Image 8Iron Age roundhouse reconstruction (from History of Cumbria)
Image 9Carlisle Castle – begun by William Rufus in 1092; rebuilt in stone under Henry I, 1122–35, and David I of Scotland, 1136–1153 (from History of Cumbria)
Image 10Furness Abbey, founded in 1123 by Stephen, King of England, attacked by the Scots in 1322 (from History of Cumbria)
Image 11Hadrian's Wall (from Cumbria)
Image 12Great Langdale, site of the Langdale Axe Factory (from History of Cumbria)
Image 13 Stan Laurel (from Cumbria)
Image 14Muncaster Castle (from Cumbria)
Image 15Location of Inglewood Forest, stretching from Carlisle to Penrith; it was the most northerly of the Royal forests (from History of Cumbria)
Image 16The historic counties shown within Cumbria
  Boundary of Cumbria
  Cumberland
  Westmorland
  Lancashire
  West Riding of Yorkshire
(from History of Cumbria)
Image 17Penrith Castle : Richard, Duke of Gloucester, (later Richard III of England), was based here when Sheriff of Cumberland in the 1470s (from History of Cumbria)
Image 18The Flag of Cumbria, adopted in 2025 (from Cumbria)
Image 19Claife Station on the western shore of Windermere – built in the 1790s with tinted windows angled to take in all the aesthetically pleasing views (from History of Cumbria)
Image 20 William Wordsworth (from Cumbria)
Image 21The Crosby Garrett Helmet – (private collection) (from History of Cumbria)
Image 22The M6 motorway and West Coast Main Line near Grayrigg Forest (from Cumbria)
Image 23So-called "Saint's tomb" (left), and "Warrior's tomb" (right), two hogbacks in St. Mary's church, Gosforth. Typically high and narrow Cumbrian style, in the shape of a building with a roof, eaves and walls. The Saint's tomb has a crucifixion on the end, the Warrior's tomb has a procession of armed men (from History of Cumbria)
Image 24Wray Castle – built by a Liverpool doctor who had married a rich wife. Constructed in 1840 at the head of Windermere. Associated with two key players of the National Trust : Canon Rawnsley and Beatrix Potter (from History of Cumbria)
Image 25Local government districts 1974–2023
1. City of Carlisle
2. Allerdale
3. Eden
4. Copeland
5. South Lakeland
6. Barrow-in-Furness (from History of Cumbria)
Image 26The Anglo-Scottish marches (from History of Cumbria)
Image 27Greta Hall, Keswick – home of Samuel Taylor Coleridge, 1800–1804; home to Robert Southey, 1803–1843 (from History of Cumbria)
Image 28The banks of Brocavum Roman fort in the foreground; Brougham Castle is in the background (from History of Cumbria)
Image 29Hardknott Roman Fort (from History of Cumbria)
Image 30Milefortlet 21 at Crosscanonby on the Cumbrian coast, with later, 18th-century, saltpans across the road to the left (from History of Cumbria)
Image 31Kentmere Hall, an example of a Cumbrian Pele tower (from History of Cumbria)
Image 32Neolithic stone axe with handle from Ehenside Tarn (now in the British Museum) (from History of Cumbria)
Image 33The Rere or Rey Cross on Stainmore (from History of Cumbria)
Image 34Gateway to the College at Kirkoswald (from History of Cumbria)
Image 35Calder Abbey (from History of Cumbria)
Image 36The site of the 2007 Grayrigg train derailment (from History of Cumbria)
Image 37The Stanegate line is marked in red, to the south of the later Hadrian's Wall. (n.b. Brocavum is Brougham, not Kirkby Thore as given in the map) (from History of Cumbria)
Image 38Brunton Park, the home of Carlisle United (from Cumbria)
Image 39The entrance to Whinlatter Forest Park (from Cumbria)
Image 40Yanwath hall – a semi-fortified house near Penrith (from History of Cumbria)
Image 41Tomb of Thomas Dacre, 2nd Baron Dacre at Lanercost Priory (from History of Cumbria)
Image 42Approximate extent of Domesday coverage : the district of Hougun, if indeed it was a district, may have covered the three peninsulas at the left of the pink area (from History of Cumbria)
Image 43Swinside stone circle (from History of Cumbria)
Image 44Galava Roman fort, Ambleside (from History of Cumbria)
Image 45Cumbria within England (from History of Cumbria)
Image 46Fibulae from the Penrith Hoard, 10th century (British Museum) (from History of Cumbria)
Image 47Furness Abbey (from Cumbria)
Image 48Kents Bank, Cumbria (from History of Cumbria)
Image 49St Mary's Church, Abbeytown : all that is left of Holmcultram Abbey, founded by David I, King of Scots, and his son, Earl Henry, in 1150 (from History of Cumbria)
Image 50The Irton Cross, Irton, Cumbria, early 9th century, Anglian (pre-Viking) sculpture (from History of Cumbria)

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Featured articles

Brougham Castle • HMS Cardiff (D108) • Norman Birkett, 1st Baron Birkett

Featured pictures

File:Derwent Water, Keswick - June 2009.jpg • File:Helvellyn Striding Edge 360 Panorama, Lake District - June 09.jpg • File:Keswick, Cumbria Panorama 1 - June 2009.jpg • File:Keswick Panorama - Oct 2009.jpg • File:Catbells Northern Ascent, Lake District - June 2009.jpg • File:Glenridding, Cumbria, England - June 2009.jpg

Good articles

Andrew Johnston (singer) • Askam and Ireleth • Brough Castle • Grayrigg derailment • Herdwick • Lady in the Lake trial • Nethermost Pike • The Story of a Fierce Bad Rabbit • The Story of Miss Moppet • The Tale of Benjamin Bunny • The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck • The Tale of Mr. Jeremy Fisher • The Tale of Mr. Tod • The Tale of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle • The Tale of Mrs. Tittlemouse • The Tale of The Flopsy Bunnies • The Tale of Timmy Tiptoes

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Great End from the top of Grains Gill

Great End is the most northerly mountain in the Scafell chain, in the English Lake District. From the south it is simply a lump continuing this chain. From the north, however, it appears as an immense mountain, with an imposing north face rising above Sprinkling Tarn (lake). This is a popular location for wild camping, and the north face attracts many climbers.

Alfred Wainwright wrote of Great End in his Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells: "This is the true Lakeland of the fellwalker, the sort of terrain that calls him back time after time, the sort of memory that haunts his long winter exile. It is not the pretty places – the flowery lanes of Grasmere or Derwentwater's wooded bays – that keep him restless in his bed; it is the magnificent ones. Places like Great End..." (Full article...)

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Credit: Diliff

A 360 degree view from the middle of Striding Edge near the summit of Helvellyn in the Lake District. Helvellyn is the tallest summit just to the right of centre. Red Tarn is the small lake on the right, Catstye Cam is the fell directly behind Red Tarn, and Ullswater and the village of Glenridding are visible on the horizon along the far left corner.

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