Dacre, Cumbria

Coordinates: 54°37′52″N 2°50′20″W / 54.631°N 2.839°W / 54.631; -2.839

Dacre
Dacre
Dacre  Dacre shown within Cumbria
Population	1,326 (2001)
OS grid reference	NY4526
Parish	Dacre
District	Eden
Shire county	Cumbria
Region	North West
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	PENRITH
Postcode district	CA11
Dialling code	01768
Police	Cumbria
Fire	Cumbria
Ambulance	North West
EU Parliament	North West England
UK Parliament	Penrith and The Border
List of places: UK • England • Cumbria

Dacre is a small village and civil parish in the Lake District National Park in the Eden District of Cumbria, England, and was historically in Cumberland. In the 2001 census, the parish, which includes Newbiggin and Stainton, had a population of 1,326.^[1]

Dacre is situated about 5 miles (8 km) west of Penrith and contains St Andrew's Parish Church and an ancient castle as well as the Horse & Farrier pub. Nearby is the well-known small stately home of Dalemain. Dacre Beck is a major tributary of the River Eamont.

Although Dacre is a small place in itself its civil parish is quite large and includes the villages and hamlets of Stainton, Redhills, Newbiggin, Great Blencow and Soulby. Stainton is by far the largest place in the parish and is a dormitary village of Penrith. Redhills is home to a Little Chef restaurant, the Penrith Golf Driving Range, The Limes Country Hotel and the Rheged Discovery Centre.

History

As early as AD 731, the Venerable Bede, in his Ecclesiastical History, speaks of a monastery at Dacre, written as 'Dacore'. There is no later reference to the monastery, and it is assumed to have been destroyed by the Vikings.^[2] A church, however, has been present on the site for over a millennium. Archaeological excavations support the view that the church may be built on the site of the former monastery.^[3]

In William of Malmesbury's account of the Treaty of Eamont Bridge, he states that the meeting of the kings took place in Dacre ('ad locum qui Dacor uocatur'), but historians doubt the accuracy of his statement.

The present church is a Norman design. Several notable archaeological remains are at the site. These include various stone bears - the celebrated 'Dacre Bears', and inside the church two fragments of Viking crosses.^[3] Above the tower doorway, there is a plaque stating that the church was partly rebuilt by William Pollock. The south door has a large lock dated 1671 inscribed 'AP', referring to the Countess of Pembroke, Lady Anne Clifford.^[3] The resting place of Viscount Whitelaw, the former Home Secretary, is in the church grounds.^[4]

Dacre Castle was a quadrangular building with four turrets, a pele tower design, and built around the time of Henry VII. The castle was restored as a private dwelling in 1688. By 1816 it was being used as a farmhouse.^[2] The castle is presently in an excellent state of restoration.^[5] It featured in 2007 in Robbie Coltrane's ITV series, "Incredible Britain", where he travelled from Glasgow to London in a classic 1958 Jaguar XK 150 using only minor roads.

The Horse and Farrier public house is the 18th-century inn signposted from the A66 and A592. It is a pub and not an inn, as it does not have rooms; the interior of the building has been described as 16th century. The pub now has a letting flat, and after the signing of a new lease its future is secure.^[6]

In the Middle Ages the parish formed part of the Barony of Greystoke. The Rheged Discovery Centre is at Slapestones between Stainton and Redhills.

Transport

The Cockermouth, Keswick and Penrith Railway had a station at Newbiggin but was called Blencow Station to avoid confusion with Newbiggin station on the Settle to Carlisle Railway.

References

1. ^ Office for National Statistics : Census 2001 : Parish Headcounts : Eden Retrieved 2009-11-22
2. ^ ^{a b} Parishes Dacre-Brigg, British History
3. ^ ^{a b c} St Andrew's Parish Church, Dacre
4. ^ William Whitelaw, 1st Viscount Whitelaw
5. ^ Dacre Castle
6. ^ Horse and Farrier: Dacre

External links

Media related to Dacre, Cumbria at Wikimedia Commons