Gilcrux
| Gilcrux | |
| Cumberland | |
|---|---|
 St. Mary's Church, Gilcrux | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | NY115381 |
| Location: | 54°43’48"N, 3°22’30"W |
| Data | |
| Population: | 299 (2011) |
| Post town: | Wigton |
| Postcode: | CA7 |
| Dialling code: | 01697 |
| Local Government | |
| Council: | Cumberland |
| Parliamentary constituency: |
Workington |
Gilcrux is a small village in Cumberland, on the south bank of the River Ellen around five miles north of Cockermouth and around 23 miles southwest of Carlisle.
The name 'Gilcrux' is of uncertain origin, but it may come from the Old Welsh language meaning 'Hill Retreat'.[1] An early record of the village is shown on a map of Cumberland by Christopher Saxon in 1567, on which the village is marked as Gilcrosse.
The 2001 Census recorded the population of the parish as 303. The population rose sharply in the Victorian Age, which is explained by John Marius Wilson in his Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales from the extensions of coal mines in the area.[2]
Sights of the village
The parish church, St Mary's Church, stands atop of a mound in the centre of the village. The church dates back to Norman times and was renovated in the late 13th century. It has an Anglo-Danish Norse cross on its roof[3] and contains a glass communion table screen based on Leonardo da Vinci's painting of The Last Supper.
The Village also contains a newly refurbished village hall, building work started on the village hall in January 2010,[4] and was completed in March 2012, costing £580,000, much of which came from national lottery funding.[5] The refurbishments included a glass entrance lobby, more meeting rooms, a bar area and improved toilet facilities.[6]
The village also contains the Beeches Caravan Park, benefiting from close proximity to the Lake District.[7]
Outside links
 |
("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Gilcrux) |
References
- ↑ Cumberland; Gilcrux - Institute for Name-Studies
- ↑ Vision of Britain
- ↑ "Visit Cumbria". http://www.visitcumbria.com/crosses.htm. Retrieved 1 May 2012.
- ↑ "Cumberland News, Gilcrux Village Hall". http://www.cumberlandnews.co.uk/news/lottery-windfall-for-gilcrux-hall-s-revamp-1.560934?referrerPath=news/politics. Retrieved 5 February 2012.
- ↑ "News and Star, Gilcrux Village Hall". http://www.newsandstar.co.uk/gilcrux-hall-reopened-after-major-refit-1.932985?referrerPath=2.1887. Retrieved 5 February 2012.
- ↑ "News and Star, Gilcrux Village Hall". http://www.newsandstar.co.uk/gilcrux-hall-reopened-after-major-refit-1.932985?referrerPath=2.1887. Retrieved 5 February 2012.
- ↑ Beeches Caravan Park