Dean, Cumberland
| Dean | |
| Cumberland | |
|---|---|
 St. Oswald's Church, Dean | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | NY075252 |
| Location: | 54°36’50"N, 3°26’10"W |
| Data | |
| Population: | 1,227 (2011) |
| Post town: | Workington |
| Postcode: | CA14 |
| Dialling code: | 01946 |
| Local Government | |
| Council: | Cumberland |
| Parliamentary constituency: |
Copeland |
Dean is a village in western Cumberland. It is a modest place, with a church, St Oswald's, an associated Church of England school, and a pub.
The village is in the west of the county four miles south-west of Cockermouth, on a minor road off the A5086 (the nearest main road linking the village to the rest of the county). Dean is just three miles or so west of the bounds of the Lake District National Park.
Nearby settlements include the towns of Workington and Cockermouth. The wider parish of Dean includes the villages of Dean, Ullock, Branthwaite and Eaglesfield, and the hamlets of Pardshaw and Deanscales.
The name 'Dean' is from the Old English 'denu' meaning 'valley'.[1]
Parish church
The parish church is St Oswald's., which is located on the edge of the village of Dean. It dates back to the 12th century, built of blocks of calciferous sandstone and has green slate for its roofs.. Changes to the church were made in the 15th century with the addition of a chancel and a sanctuary in the 17th century. From 1967-1973 extensive renovations were carried out which included new oak pews and a pulpit.
Other features of St Oswald's include the Norman font and the 15th century chancel windows. St Oswald's Church is one of three in the diocese to have gargoyles. In the graveyard there are several ancient gravestones and a Preaching Cross, the base of which is 12th century or earlier and thought to have been used by the monks of Calder Abbey.
The Village
The village contains The Royal Yew Inn,[2] which is a traditional country [[pub. Dean C of E Primary School,[3] which also serves three other small villages. Dean is situated in farming land; it has existed for a long time, dating back to the 12th century through the evidence of the 12th century church and a grammar school that was founded in 1596. Forms of agriculture in the 19th century include; wheat, oats and potatoes because of the fertile land. The Curwens of Workington were known to be the principal landowners in the area.
History
Records for Dean's housing and population go up to the 1961 census and they show that in 1961 there was a population of 710 with 214 houses. The census goes right back to 1831 and through the years you can see changes between the number of houses and population. Population in Dean has fluctuated between the 500s and the 700s between 1931 and 1961, having the highest population between 1821 and 1881.
Dean's housing has only every consisted of a couple hundred houses. Dean's housing however has been seen to also fluctuate, with a loss of 30 properties between 1901 and 1931. Despite the drop in houses the amount of properties in Dean has now risen to 214.[4]
Outside links
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("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Dean, Cumberland) |
References
- ↑ Armstrong, A.M. & Mawer; A.; Stenton, F.M. & Dickins, B.: 'Place-Names of Cumberland , Part 2' (English Place-Names Society, 1950), page 366
- ↑ The Royal Yew
- ↑ http://www.dean.cumbria.sch.uk/index.php?category_id=-1. Retrieved 2012-04-10
- ↑ http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk. Retrieved 2012-04-30