Bowston
| Bowston | |
| Westmorland | |
|---|---|
 Bowston Bridge | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | SD498966 |
| Location: | 54°21’45"N, 2°46’24"W |
| Data | |
| Post town: | Kendal |
| Postcode: | LA8 |
| Dialling code: | 01539 |
| Local Government | |
| Council: | Westmorland & Furness |
| Parliamentary constituency: |
Westmorland and Lonsdale |
Bowston is a village in Westmorland, some four miles north of Kendal, beside the River Kent, which is bridged here. The old bridge over the Kent is probably of the 17th century, and is a Grade II listed structure. A rare Victorian postbox, with the Royal cypher VR, can be seen in the wall at the junction of Burneside Road and Potter Fell road.
The village was home to William T Palmer, an unsung Lakeland author, climber and local character.
A mile north of the village, Godmond Hall is a 17th-century house incorporating a mediæval pele tower.[1]
History
Bowston has roots in the paper production industry, which made Cropper's Paper Mill at Burneside successful. In 1880, Bowston Mill, between Burneside and Cowan Head, was purchased by Cropper's. Bowston Mill may well have begun life as a fulling mill, but a new building was constructed to prepare rags and ropes for the other two mills.
Bowston Mill was closed in the early 1960s when waste paper rather than rags came into use in the paper pulp. The mill has now been replaced by terraced housing running along the river's edge.[2]
Walking
Bowston is on the Dales Way which links Windermere in the west to Yorkshire in the east, making it a busy destination for walkers and climbers who follow this long-distance path. The village is also at the bottom of the ascent to Potter Fell.
Outside links
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("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Bowston) |
References
- ↑ Godmond Hall - British Listed Buildings
- ↑ History of James Cropper plc