Dacre, Cumbria
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dacre is a small village in the Lake District National Park in Cumbria, England, and was historically in Cumberland.
Dacre is situated about four miles south-west of Penrith and contains St Andrew's Parish Church and an ancient castle as well as the Horse & Farrier pub. Nearby is the well-known small stately home of Dalemain. Dacre Beck is a major tributary of the River Eamont.
Although Dacre is a small place in itself its civil parish is quite large and includes the villages and hamlets of Stainton, Redhills, Newbiggin, Great Blencow and Soulby. Stainton is by far the largest place in the parish and contary to many, is not a suburb of Penrith. Redhills is also home to a Little Chef restaurant, the Penrith Golf Driving Range, The Limes Country Hotel and Rheged Discovery Centre.
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[edit] History
As early as AD 731, the Venerable Bede, in his Ecclesiastical History, speaks of a monastery at Dacre, written as 'Dacore'. There is no later reference to the monastery, and it is assumed to have been destroyed by the Vikings.[1] A church, however, has been present on the site for over a millennium. Archaeological excavations support the view that the church may be built on the site of the former monastery.[2]
In William of Malmesbury's account of the Treaty of Eamont Bridge, he states that the meeting of the kings took place in Dacre ('ad locum qui Dacor uocatur'), but historians doubt the accuracy of his statement.
The present church is a Norman design. Several notable archaeological remains are at the site. These include various stone bears - the celebrated 'Dacre Bears', and inside the church two fragments of Viking crosses.[2] Above the tower doorway, there is a plaque stating that the church was partly rebuilt by William Pollock. The south door has a large lock dated 1671 inscribed 'AP', referring to the Countess of Pembroke, Lady Anne Clifford.[2] The resting place of Viscount Whitelaw, the former Home Secretary, is in the church grounds.[3]
Dacre Castle was a quadrangular building with four turrets, a pele tower design, and built around the time of Henry VII. The castle was restored as a private dwelling in 1688. By 1816 it was being used as a farmhouse.[1] The castle is presently in an excellent state of restoration.[4] It will be featured in the summer in Robbie Coltrane's new ITV series, Incredible Britain, where he travels from Glasgow to London in a classic 1958 Jaguar XK 150 using only minor roads.
The Horse and Farrier public house is the 18th-century inn signposted from the A66 and A592. It is a pub and not an inn, as it does not have rooms; the interior of the building has been described as 16th century. The pub now has a letting flat, and after the signing of a new lease its future is secure.[5]
In the Middle Ages the parish formed part of the Barony of Greystoke. The Rheged Discovery Centre is at Slapestones between Stainton and Redhills.
[edit] Transport
The Cockermouth, Keswick and Penrith Railway had a station at Newbiggin but was called Blencow Station to avoid confusion with Newbiggin station on the Settle to Carlisle Railway.
[edit] Sport
The Dacre name is still present in nearby Ulverston with legendary Rugby League player Stuart Dacre heralding from the town.
