Kirkandrews upon Esk
| Kirkandrews | |
| Cumberland | |
|---|---|
 St Andrew's Church, Kirkandrews | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | NY362703 |
| Location: | 55°1’25"N, 2°59’55"W |
| Data | |
| Population: | 458 (2021) |
| Post town: | Carlisle |
| Postcode: | CA6 |
| Local Government | |
| Council: | Cumberland |
Kirkandrews, also known as Kirkandrews on Esk to distinguish it from Kirkandrews-on-Eden, is a parish in Cumberland. The main settlement in the parish is a hamlet named Moat.
The parish lies immediately south of the border of Dumfriesshire. In the Middle Ages, Kirkandrews formed part of the Debatable Lands claimed by both England and Scotland. Following a treaty in 1552, the Debatable Lands were partitioned between the two kingdoms, and Scots' Dike built to mark the agreed border; it remains part of the boundary of Kirkandrews parish today. The parish straddles the River Esk.
At the 2021 census, it had a population of 458.
Name
Kirkandrews takes its name from its parish church, which is dedicated to St Andrew. A church has existed on the site since the Middle Ages. The current church was built in 1776, replacing a building of 1635 which had in turn replaced the original mediæval church.[1]
About the village
The parish straddles the River Esk; the only bridge over the river wholly in the parish is the disused Thistle Viaduct on the former Waverley Route railway. To travel between the parts of the parish either side of the river by road, it is necessary to leave the parish, the shortest route being by way of Longtown. The part of the parish east of the Esk is a rural area surrounding the hamlet of Moat.
The part of the parish west of the Esk is also rural, particularly in the north, and contains the peat bog of Solway Moss. There is no village called Kirkandrews; the parish church of St Andrew stands in a relatively isolated position on the west bank of the Esk, near Kirkandrews Tower, a peel tower (fortified manor house). The part of the parish west of the Esk also includes MOD Longtown, a Ministry of Defence munitions storage depot, which has been operating since 1938. At its western end, the parish is crossed by the M6 motorway and West Coast Main Line railway, and there are several bridges across the River Sark into Gretna.
Parish church
The parish church, St Andrew, was built in 1776, and is grade II* listed.[1] It is described as "a plain Georgian rectangular structure on an unusual north south axis", and was remodelled by Temple Moore in 1893.[2] The Friends of Kirkandrews upon Esk Church is a registered charity which supports the church.[3]
History
Kirkandrews was historically controlled by the Graham family, who built Kirkandrews Tower. The family also built Netherby Hall on the opposite bank of the Esk, in the neighbouring parish of Arthuret. Kirkandrews Tower was rebuilt in the 16th century, after the previous building was destroyed in a battle in 1527 between the Grahams and their rivals, the Armstrongs of Hollows Tower near Canonbie.[4][5]
Kirkandrews was claimed by both England and Scotland as part of the Debatable Lands, which also included the neighbouring barony of Canonbie to the north. In 1542, the Battle of Solway Moss between the two countries was fought in the parish of Kirkandrews. In 1552 the two countries reached agreement on a division of the Debatable Lands, which saw Scotland claim Canonbie and England claim Kirkandrews.[6] The earthwork of Scots' Dike was then built to mark the agreed border.[7]
The Border Union Railway was built through the parish as part of the Waverley Route from Carlisle to Edinburgh, opening in 1861.
Outside links
- Kirkandrews on Esk Parish Council
- Information on KirkandrewsonEsk from GENUKI
- "Kirkandrews upon Esk through time". http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/place/20969. Retrieved 17 April 2017.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 National Heritage List 1087506: Church of St Andrew (Grade II* listing)
- ↑ "Kirkandrews on Esk St Andrew" (in en). National Churches Trust. https://www.nationalchurchestrust.org/church/st-andrew-kirkandrews-esk.
- ↑ "The Friends of Kirkandrews upon Esk Church". https://friendsofkirkandrews.uk/.
- ↑ Pettifer, Adrian (1995). English Castles. Boydell Press. p. 43. ISBN 9780851157825. https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/English_Castles/47iheRUGKIEC?hl=en&gbpv=1&pg=PA43&printsec=frontcover. Retrieved 27 April 2025.
- ↑ National Heritage List 1205396: Kirkandrews Tower (Grade II* listing)
- ↑ Maxwell, Herbert (1896). A History of Dumfries and Galloway. Edinburgh and London: William Blackwood and Sons. p. 182. https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/A_History_of_Dumfries_and_Galloway/Sl0JAAAAIAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&pg=PA182&printsec=frontcover. Retrieved 27 April 2025.
- ↑ National Heritage List 1016860: Scots' Dike (Scheduled ancient monument entry)