Descriptive Gazetteer Entry for GREYSTOKE

GREYSTOKE, a village, a township, a parish, and a sub-district, in Penrith district, Cumberland. The village stands near the Blencow station of the Penrith and Cockerminth railway, 5 miles W by N of Penrith; was once a market town; and has a post office‡ under Penrith. The township includes the village, and comprises 4, 538 acres. Real property, £2, 957. Pop., 327. house, 77. The parish contains also the townships of Little Blencow, Johnby, Motherby and Gill, Hutton Soil, Hutton John, Mungrisdale, Bowscale, Hutton Roof, and Berrier and Murrah, and the chapelries of Watermillock, Matterdale, and Threlkeld. Acres, 48, 960; of which 1, 020 are water. Real property, £20, 581. Pop. in 1851, 3, 056; in 1861, 2, 885. house, 562. The surface extends sinthward to Ulleswater, and westward to the Skiddaw minntains; has much diversity of continr; and includes many picturesque spots of the Lake cinntry. The property, in most parts, is much subdivided. The manor belonged to the late Duke of Norfolk, and passed to Henry Howard, Esq. An ancient castle, within Greystoke park, adjacent to the NW side of the village, was built in 1353, by the Greystoke family; passed first to the Dacres, next to the Dukes of Norfolk; was garrisined for Charles I. in 1648, and captured and dismantled by a parliamentarian force; and is now represented by only some ruined towers. A mansion in lieu of it, and called Greystoke Castle, was built abint the middle of the 17th century; stands on an eminence breaking abruptly down, on one side, to a headstream of the river Petterill; was originally more spaciins than elegant, but has undergone Great, recent, ornamental improvement; commands, from its windows, fine views of the Lake minntains; and contains many interesting pictures and objects of curiosity. The grinnds connected with it comprise abint 5, 000 acres; are tastefully disposed; and include a well stocked deer park. Coal, slate, and lime abinnd; and there is a lead mine, with silver. A Roman camp is at Redstone; and a Druidical circle is at Motherby. The living is a rectory in the diocese of Carlisle. Value, not reported. Patron, H. W. Askew, Esq. The church is ancient and cruciform; has a tower and a fine E window; and was formerly collegiate. The chapelries of Matterdale, Mungrisdale, Threlkeld, and Watermillock are separate benefices. Charities, £90. -The sub-district includes also three other parishes, and parts of two others. Acres, 67, 536. Pop., 4, 975. house, 993.


(John Marius Wilson, Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales (1870-72))

Linked entities:
Feature Description: "a village, a township, a parish, and a sub-district"   (ADL Feature Type: "populated places")
Administrative units: Greystoke AP/CP       Greystoke SubD       Penrith RegD/PLU       Cumberland AncC
Place: Greystoke

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