Smardale
| Smardale | |
| Westmorland | |
|---|---|
 Smardale Hall, Smardale | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | NY738081 |
| Location: | 54°28’5"N, 2°24’11"W |
| Data | |
| Post town: | Kirkby Stephen |
| Postcode: | CA17 |
| Dialling code: | 017683 |
| Local Government | |
| Council: | Westmorland & Furness |
| Parliamentary constituency: |
Penrith and The Border |
Smardale is a small village in Westmorland, near Waitby, above the dale which gave the village its name. The dale, just to the west of the village, is now known as the Smardale Gill and through it runs the Scandal Beck.
The village sits in hilly agricultural land at a height of around 720 feet a mile southeast of Crosby Garrett and a little over two miles west of Kirkby Stephen. To the south is Smardale Fell and to the west runs the Scandal Beck, which flows from Smardalegill, a narrow valley to the southwest.
The name 'Smaredale' may derive from smere, an ancient name for clover,[1][2] An alternative suggestion is that it comes from the Old Norse or Old English for butter, fat or grease[3] giving either valley of butter or valley of clover.
History
Chapel well, once reputed a 'holy well', is found west of the Scandal Beck, in a spot once within Smardale church.[4][5] There are also other signs of ancient human activity: the archaeological remains of settlements are found on Smardale Fell, and around Smardalegill, pillow mounds, known locally as 'Giant's graves' which are thought by some to be for drying bracken, and not for rabbits. Oxenbrow wood, to the north of Smardale village is the site of a heronry.
Smardale Hall
There has been a substantial dwelling in Smardale since at least the 14th century; a tower house, a remnant of which, a newel, now forms part of the structure of the south eastern part of the current house.[6]
The current buildings date from 15th and 16th centuries; being originally built on a courtyard plan with the tower incorporated into an east wing, now demolished. The southern part of the hall (now farm buildings) was the original great hall. Sir George Dalston, the castles occupant from 1761 made considerable alterations to the structure.[4] The west wing, which is the current hall is unusual in having four conically roofed round towers at the corners of the structure,[7] giving the structure an appearance similar to the Scottish baronial style of architecture.
The hall and associated buildings are Grade II* listed structures.[8] There is evidence for an earlier fortified structure from a motte and ditch discovered north of the hall.[9]
Smardale Gill
Smardalegill is a small steep sided valley connecting Smardale and the valley of the River Eden with the eastern end of the valley of the River Lune, Scandal Beck runs north-northeast through it, as does the former Stainmore Railway.
Smardale Gill quarry was a large limestone quarry on the west side of Smardale gill, lime was also produced on site at two limekilns with raw materials brought to the top of the kilns using an inclined plane and a stationary engine. A railway siding on the Staimore line directly next to the kilns allowed lime to be carried away by rail. Both limekilns, as well as evidence for the engine house and inclined plane are still extant.[10]
Smardale Gill nature reserve is a national nature reserve and Site of Special Scientific Interest.[11] Land in Smardale Gill was first acquired in 1978, later in 1991 the reserve acquired the trackbed of the former Stainmore railway from Smardale to Brownber from British Rail[12][13] The site contains both woodland and grassland habitats and is a good example of a limestone habitat.
At the far south end of the valley on the border with Ravenstonedale parish is the 18th-century arched stone packhorse bridge known as Smardale bridge, now a Grade II listed structure.[14][15]
There is a small disused sandstone quarry at the south of the gill.
Railway viaducts
Two railway lines ran through Smardale and past the village. The Stainmore Railway passed Smardale on the northern edge of the village, where there was a small halt, Smardale railway station (now a private dwelling). Going westwards it then crossed under the Settle to Carlisle railway line just east of Scandal Beck before curving south through Smardalegill along the east bank. Within Smardalegill the line crosses the beck at a shallow angle by Smardalegill Viaduct. The Settle to Carlisle railway line passes Smardale village to the south, travelling east-west; to the west the line crosses Scandal Beck by Smardale Viaduct.
Two impressive viaducts cross the dale:
- Smardale Gill Viaduct (1861), built for the Stainmore Railway, now carrying a footpath to the reserve
- Smardale Viaduct (1875), which carries the Settle–Carlisle line
Outside links
 |
("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Smardale) |
- Smardale gill Limestone Quarry www.mine-explorer.co.uk
- Pictures of Smardale and the area on Geograph.co.uk
- Smardale Gill Viaduct on Forgotten Relics
References
- ↑ Nicolson, Joseph; Burn, Richard; Nicolson, William; Hornyold-Strickland, Henry: 'pp. 554–555 The history and antiquities of the counties of Westmorland and Cumberland - Volume=1' - "Manor of Smardale" (1777)
- ↑ Mannex, P.J.: 'History, topography, and directory, of Westmorland: and Londsdale north of the sands, in Lancashire together with a descriptive and geological view of the whole of the Lake district ' p.161: 'Smardale' (1849)
- ↑ Mills, A.D.: Smardale in 'A Dictionary of British Place-Names' (2011) ISBN 9780199609086
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Curwen (1932) Chap. 18: The Parish of St. John, Kirkby Stephen: Smardale Hall
- ↑ Lewis, Samuel: 'A Topographical Dictionary of England' (S. Lewis and Co., 1848) ISBN 978-0-8063-1508-9
- ↑ National Monuments Record: No. 14713 – Smardale Hall
- ↑ Images of England — details from listed building database (73043) Swardale Hall and adjoining buildings
- ↑ National Heritage List 1326959: Smardale Hall
- ↑ &resourceID=2 National Monuments Record: No. 14738 – Defensive site
- ↑ Smardale Gill Limestone Quarry on aditnow.co.uk
- ↑ SSSI listing and designation for Smardale Gill NNR
- ↑ Smardale Gill National Nature Reserve – Near Kirkby Stephen
- ↑ Smardale Gill (Wildlife Trust)
- ↑ National Heritage List 1312391: Smardale Bridge over Scandal Beck South of Smardalegill Viaduct
- ↑ Images of England — details from listed building database (73056) Smardale Bridge over Scandal Beck South of Smardalegill