Crosby-on-Eden

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Crosby-on-Eden is the combined name for two villages within the civil parish of Stanwix Rural near Carlisle, Cumbria, England.

The two small villages are by the River Eden north-east of Carlisle, joined by a road that previously was the line of the Stanegate Roman road ^[1]. and are called High Crosby and Low Crosby.

In Low Crosby is the Church of St John the Evangelist, a rebuilt church by R.H. Billings in the gothic style. A grange was built here and named Crosby. High Crosby is a half mile east of Low Crosby, and located in the village is Crosby House, a former mansion now hotel.

RAF Crosby-on-Eden was a World War II airfield originally home to No.59 Operational Training Unit providing day training for Hawker Hurricane pilots ^[2], which was replaced by OTU17 Group Coastal Command in August 1942 for training long-range fighter crews on Bristol Beaufort and Bristol Beaufighter conversion squadrons, as well as air firing and night flying ^[3]. In August 1944 the station came under the command of 109 OTU, a transport command of Douglas Dakotas ^[4]. The station was renamed 1383 TCU 1/8/45.

After World War II British European Airways commenced flights to Ronaldsway and Belfast. However, the RAF station had no post war use or need and was closed in 1947, but since 1960 has become reopened as the official Carlisle Airport, but known unofficially as Lake District airport.

The villages are bypassed by the A689 road which was previously numbered as part of the B6264 and follows the route of General Wade's Military Road.