Bewcastle

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Bewcastle is a large civil parish in the City of Carlisle district of Cumbria, England.

According to the 2001 census the parish had a population of 411. The parish is large and includes the settlements of Roadhead, Shopford, Blackpool Gate, Roughsike and The Flatt. To the north the parish extends to the border with Scotland. As well as Bewcastle Castle this border area includes Askerton Castle.

sundial showing the four 'Tides' based on the example on the Bewcastle Cross

This areas is home to the famous 7th Century Bewcastle Cross. The sundial on its surface is the oldest in Britain, divided into the four 'tides' which governed the working day in medieval times. A perfect copy of the whole cross is located in the churchyard of the Wreay Romanesque Church near Carlisle.

The area also is known for its unusual hexagonal Roman fort, which has been identified as Fanum Cocidi.

The origin of the name Bewcastle can be traced accurately from its spelling in ancient documents. These show that it was originally "bothy/booth caster", which translates as "the roman fort where there were bothies or shielings". Antiquarians, who did not have our access to well-catalogued and studied ancient documents, leapt at the chance to link the place name with a semi-mythological figure named Bueth, due to his romantic links with the prestigious Barony of Gilsland. Unfortunately, Bewcastle is outside the Barony, and the well-respected book "Place-names of Cumberland" states that it is impossible for Bewcastle to be named after Bueth.