Burton in Lonsdale

Burton in Lonsdale is a village and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England, close to the border with Lancashire and Cumbria. It is in Lonsdale (the River Lune valley and its tributaries). The parish is approximately 1,500 acres (6 km2) in area and has many farms – dairy, beef and sheep. Little is grown, except grass to feed the animals. The village was historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire until 1974. From 1974 to 2023 it was part of the district of Craven, it is now administered by the unitary North Yorkshire Council. Formerly famous for country pottery, it is now a quiet village situated between two national parks (the Lake District National Park and the Yorkshire Dales National Park) and by the side of the River Greta.

1. History

The settlement is mentioned in the Domesday Book as being in the Hundred of Amounderness, later being recorded in the wapentake of Ewecross. The name derives from the Old English burh-tūn, a farmstead with, or near, a fortification (the castle). It was first recorded in 1130 as being either Burtona de Lanesdala, Burton(a) in Lanesdala, or Burton(a) in Lanesdale. The village contains a motte that is the remains of Burton in Lonsdale Castle. The castle belonged to the Mowbray family, and is believed to have been abandoned sometime in the middle of the 14th century. In his will of 1593 Henry the 4th Earl of Derby bequeathed his manor of Burton In Lonsdale to his second son the Hon William Stanley who less than two years later became the 6th Earl after the poisoning of his older brother Ferdinando the 5th Earl. Stoneware and earthenware pottery was produced between about 1650 and 1944, in a total of thirteen potteries, using locally available clay and coal. It is said Burton was known as 'Black Burton' because of the amount of smoke produced by the kilns' fires when firing pots. The firing was carried out over several days at a time, on a regular basis. The quality of the coal (initially locally sourced) was to blame for the amount of smoke. This was eventually replaced by better coal from South and West Yorkshire when the railways arrived in the locality. Burton pottery is notoriously difficult to identify as most potteries did not mark their products. Coal and clay were readily available from the Ingleton Coalfield, which outcropped at Burton in Lonsdale. The River Greta winds its way past the village to the south. Several woodlands are sited on the banks of the river, some of them ancient. The paths leading to the wood has pottery remnants strewn across them.

1. Modern village

In 2001, the census recorded 579 people living in the civil parish, which was unchanged at the 2011 Census. In 2015, North Yorkshire County Council estimated the population to be 600. The village has a community-run shop (containing a small post-office) where local goods such as meats, cheeses and vegetables are available. It also has a pub, The Punch Bowl. In August 2014 the village founded a road cycling club called Lonsdale Wheelers CC. The club meets on the first and third Sundays of every month with a 10.00 start from the village shop. The Village Hall hosts a number of regular clubs and events, details on the Village Hall page. Events include circuit training, a monthly music night, a WI group and karate. Also for the 2014–15 season a football club, Burton United F.C, was formed and admitted into the North Lancashire and District Football League. The club however folded at the end of the 2015–16 season. The club played their home games at Burton recreation ground. The village school closed in 2014, after pupil numbers fell to 13. The school had been built in 1853, with money donated by Richard Thornton, a millionaire who had been born in the village. Pupils now travel to Bentham for schooling. The nearest railway station is at Bentham, some 3 miles (5 km) away, and the town of Settle is 12 miles (19 km) to the south-east.

1. Notable people

Laurence Binyon (1869–1943), poet who wrote For the Fallen, lived in the village between 1870 and 1875. The view of Ingleborough influenced his poem Inheritance James Dyson (1914–1990), physicist who lived in the village in his childhood Geoffrey Holmes, historian, lived in Burton in Lonsdale from 1969 onwards Richard Thornton (1776–1865), the Victorian millionaire was born in Burton in Lonsdale. He donated £10,000 (equivalent to £1,208,000 in 2023) to fund a school in the village.

1. See also

Listed buildings in Burton in Lonsdale William Stanley, 6th Earl of Derby

1. References


1. = Sources =

Burton-in Lonsdale Conservation Area Appraisal (PDF). cravendc.gov.uk/ (Report). Skipton: Craven District Council. August 2016. Retrieved 19 April 2022. Self, John (2008). The land of the Lune - and its tributaries : a guide to the region within the Lune Watershed. Brookhouse: Drakkar Press. ISBN 9780954860516. Speight, Harry (1892). The Craven and north-west Yorkshire highlands. Being a complete account of the history, scenery, and antiquities of that romantic district. London: E Stock. OCLC 7219082.

1. External links

Media related to Burton in Lonsdale at Wikimedia Commons Welcome to Burton-in-Lonsdale Example of Burton in Lonsdale pottery at MERL

Nearby Places View Menu

The Punch Bowl, Burton in Lonsdale

The Punch Bowl is a historic pub in Burton in Lonsdale, a village in North Yorkshire, in England. The building was constructed as a coaching inn in the 18th century, and extended in the 19th century. In the early 20th century, its stables were converted, to enlarge the public areas. As the village grew, with a pottery industry, it had at its peak 13 pubs, but with the decline of the industry, they closed, leaving only the Punch Bowl. The building was Grade II listed in 1958 and altered in the 1970s. In 2014, Thwaites Brewery sold the pub, at which time it was listed as an asset of community value. The pub became a free house, but was again put up for sale in 2024, with an asking price of £315,000. A group of villagers formed an organisation to explore bringing it into community ownership. The two-storey pub is built of limewashed stone, with painted stone dressings, and a slate roof. The original part has three bays, a central doorway with a moulded hood, and mullioned windows containing casements and fixed lights. In the 19th-century extension, to the left, are a doorway and two windows.

Brewery Historic Site

All Saints Church, Burton in Lonsdale

All Saints Church is in the village of Burton in Lonsdale, North Yorkshire, England. It is an active Anglican parish church in the deanery of Ewecross, the archdeaconry of Craven, and the Diocese of Leeds. Its benefice has been united with that of St Oswald, Thornton in Lonsdale. The church is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II* listed building. It stands in High Street, opposite the site of Burton in Lonsdale Castle.

Church Historic Site

Burton in Lonsdale Castle

Burton in Lonsdale Castle was in the village of Burton in Lonsdale in North Yorkshire, England (grid reference SD649721). The Pipe Rolls for the reign of Henry II record that the castle's garrison in 1129–1130 consisted of a knight, ten sergeants, a gatekeeper, and a watchman. This was a motte castle with two baileys. In 1322 it was confiscated from the Mowbrays who had been in opposition to King Edward II. The mound is still visible.

Castle Landmark

2.1 km

Bentham Quaker Meeting House

Bentham Quaker Meeting House is a historic building in Low Bentham, a village in North Yorkshire in England. The first Quaker meetings in Low Bentham were held in a barn in 1686, then moved to a purpose-built meeting house in 1720. This closed in 1750, but in 1768 a new building at Calf Cop was acquired. This proved to be too small, and it was demolished and replaced with the current building in 1798. In 1886, the Low Bentham meeting was merged with the High Bentham meeting, although the Calf Cop building was retained for occasional worship. In 1975, the High Bentham meeting house was sold. The area's regular meetings returned to the Calf Cop building, which was restored to the designs of Michael Sykes, using the proceeds of the sale of the High Bentham Building. The building is constructed of stone, with a stone slate roof with timber gutters, and a stone chimneystack. It has a rectangular plan, with a porch on the east side, with access to a cross-passage. South of the passage is the main meeting room, and north is the former women's meeting room, since divided into smaller rooms. The passage also has a staircase, providing access to the gallery of the main meeting room. The porch has a datestone reading "1718", which is believed to have come from the predecessor building. The north and south walls are gabled and blank, while the east and west walls have sash windows: smaller original windows, and larger ones probably dating from the 19th century. Inside, there is an elders' stand with original panelling, and other early features include the staircase, and the balustrade of the balcony. In the meeting room are two 18th century oak chairs, along with benches, and a heavily altered 18th century table. The meeting house has been grade II listed since 1958.

Church Historic Site