Allonby

Allonby

Allonby, from the east
Allonby
 Allonby shown within Cumbria
OS grid referenceNY081430
DistrictAllerdale
Shire countyCumbria
RegionNorth West
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post town Maryport
Police Cumbria
Fire Cumbria
Ambulance North West
EU Parliament North West England
UK ParliamentWorkington
List of places
UK
England
Cumbria

Coordinates: 54°46′18″N 3°25′53″W / 54.7717°N 3.4313°W

Allonby is a village on the coast of the Allerdale district in Cumbria, England. The village is on the B5300 road five miles (8 km) north of Maryport and eight miles (13 km) south of Silloth.[1] Three miles to the north is the village of Mawbray, and three-and-a-half miles to the east is the village of Westnewton. The county town of Carlisle is located 26 miles to the north-east. Other nearby settlements include Crosscanonby, Edderside, Hayton, and Salta.

The village overlooks Allonby Bay in the Solway Firth. The area is within the Solway Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and the historic county of Cumberland. Allonby, and the five-mile coastal strip of the bay, afford spectacular views across the Solway to the Galloway hills of southern Scotland. Both the South Saltpans beach and the West Winds beach were awarded the Blue flag rural beach award in 2005. The village is located on the 150 mile (240 km) Cumbria Coastal Way long distance footpath.

From the late 18th century until the mid-19th century, Allonby was home to a small fishing fleet. The main catch was Herring. Fish Yards were built where these were salted and packed in barrels made on the premises.[2] There was also a smoke house where Kippers were produced.

In the early part of the 19th century Allonby was a popular sea-bathing resort. Baths were built in 1835. The buildings still survive as private residences in the Market Square.

The village is noted for a 17th-century coaching inn now known as the Ship Hotel. Charles Dickens and Wilkie Collins reputedly stayed at the hostelry in 1857 while touring northern Cumberland. The village is also home to the supposedly haunted Crookhurst Farm.

The Reading Room, opened in 1862, was designed by Alfred Waterhouse the famous Victorian architect when he was only 32-years-old. The building was largely financed by Joseph Pease who was Britain's first Quaker MP.[3]

Etymology

'Allonby' is " 'Alein's bȳ'...'Alein' is a French personal name of Breton origin." [4] ('Bȳ' is a late Old English word from Old Norse 'bȳr' and Swedish or Danish 'by' meaning 'village', 'hamlet').

People

Sources

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Allonby.
  1. ↑ Cumbria Directory - Allonby
  2. ↑ ‘Mary Beeby’s Memorandum’ published by Cumbria Family History Society, Aug. 1998
  3. ↑ Holme St Cuthbert History Group: More Plain People, 2007
  4. ↑ Armstrong, A. M.; Mawer, A.; Stenton, F. M.; Dickens, B. (1950). The place-names of Cumberland. English Place-Name Society, vol.xxi. Part 2. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 261.
  5. ↑  "Huddart, Joseph". Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.

External links