Seaton, Cumberland
| Seaton | |
| Cumberland | |
|---|---|
 Saint Paul's Church | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | NY018310 |
| Location: | 54°39’54"N, 3°31’23"W |
| Data | |
| Population: | 5,022 (2011) |
| Post town: | Workington |
| Postcode: | CA14 |
| Dialling code: | 01900 |
| Local Government | |
| Council: | Cumberland |
| Parliamentary constituency: |
Workington |
Seaton is a village in western Cumberland; a place of around 5,000 people.[1] The population of the parish was measured in the 2011 Census as 5,022.[2]
The village stands on the north side of the River Derwent, across from the town of Workington, and close to a smaller village, Camerton.
Name
The name Seaton is believed to originate from the Old English name 'Sætun', meaning simply "Sea Village", but since Seaton is over a mile away from the sea, this interpretation of the name is not certain.[3]
History
The earliest evidence of habitation in and around Seaton are the so-called 'Burrow Walls' less than a mile west of the village. These walls are the remains of a mediæval manor house, itself built within the remains of a Roman fort believed to be called 'Magis'.[4] It is believed the fort was built between 79 and 122 to guard the coast against attacks by the Scoti from Ireland and the Caledonii from north of Hadrian's Wall.
Around 1100, the manor of Seaton was granted to a man named Orme on his marriage to Gunhild, sister of Waltheof, Lord of Allerdale and daughter of Gospatric, Earl of Northumbria.[5][6] Orme's manor house was built on the same site as the old Roman fort, although a descendent, Patrick Culwen de Workington, pulled the house down and moved the family south across the river to Workington Hall. They would later adopt the surname Curwen, and generally used the title Lord of Workington, first obtained by Gospatric, son of Orme.[5]
Traditionally, Seaton's economy was based on farming and mining. In 1762 Seaton Iron Works was established on the north bank of the River Derwent below the village at Barepot. It was a major concern at one time, employing hundreds of people, before its blast furnace ceased operation in 1857. The structures were demolished and there is very little trace remaining of the iron works today.[1] The village experienced a large population increase during the 1800s caused by the boom of nearby Workington's steel industry. Workington's steel industry is now much smaller, and Seaton has become a dormitory settlement for other west Cumberland industries.[1]
On 7 April 1964 Seaton was the site of the murder of John Alan West which led to the two final executions in the United Kingdom.[7]
Parish church
The parish church is St Paul's, which stands in the middle of the village. The church was built in 1882 and opened in July 1883 as a chapel of ease within the Parish of Camerton, but became a parish church when Seaton became a parish in its own right in July 1987.[8]
In and about the village
The village has three pubs, some small local shops, a petrol station, and two schools (Seaton Academy and Seaton Junior Church of England School) and a library.
Seaton once had a station ((54°39’44"N, 3°31’24"W) on the Cleator and Workington Junction Railway, but the station closed in 1922.
Sport
- Rugby League: Seaton Rangers.[9]
Outside links
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("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Seaton, Cumberland) |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Seaton". Seaton Parish Council. http://www.seatonparishcouncil.org.uk/seaton-parish-council. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
- ↑ "Parish population 2011". http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadKeyFigures.do?a=7&b=11128282&c=CA14+1LD&d=16&e=62&g=6411145&i=1001x1003x1032x1004&m=0&r=0&s=1434633970969&enc=1. Retrieved 18 June 2015.
- ↑ Armstrong, A.M. & Mawer; A.; Stenton, F.M. & Dickins, B.: 'Place-Names of Cumberland , Part 2' (English Place-Names Society, 1950), page 319
- ↑ Burrow Walls – Gazetteer (University of Portsmouth)
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 John Burke (1834). A genealogical and heraldic History of the Commoners of Great Britain and Ireland, enjoying territorial possessions or high official rank, but uninvested with heritable honours. Colburn. pp. 578. https://books.google.com/books?id=uo9AAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA578.
- ↑ William Hutchinson (1794). The History of the County of Cumberland: And Some Places Adjacent, from the Earliest Accounts to the Present Time: Comprehending the Local History of the County; Its Antiquities, the Origin, Genealogy, and Present State of the Principal Families, with Biographical Notes; Its Mines, Minerals, and Plants, with Other Curiosities, Either of Nature Or of Art .... F. Jollie. pp. 262. https://books.google.com/books?id=2X8gAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA262.
- ↑ Elwyn Jones (1966). The Last Two to Hang. Stein and Day. https://books.google.com/books?id=YatAAAAAIAAJ.
- ↑ St Paul, Seaton on A Church Near You
- ↑ Seaton Rangers