The Airfield at Anthorn

Before the airfield was built, this handsome villa stood on the site. Known as Solway House it was home to the Donald family for many years.

The first runway to be constructed at Anthorn was completed in 1918. In his book on the Cumbrian Airfields, Martyn Chorlton suggests it was intended for training pilots in the use of torpedoes against submarines but there is no evidence that it was ever used for this purpose and it quickly fell into disuse.

In 1938, work began on a new RAF airfield at Silloth and the runway at Anthorn was renovated to act as an emergency landing strip for the new station.

Then, in late 1943, the Admiralty moved in. They took over the old airstrip and requisitioned a large area of land between Cardurnock and Anthorn. John Laing & Son also moved in and began construction of three tarmac runways and a wide range of ancillary buildings. The Royal Naval Air Station, Anthorn was born.

It opened on 7^th September, 1944. It was the base of No. 1 Aircraft Receipt and Despatch Unit (ARDU) which had the job of receiving aircraft fresh from manufacturers, modifying them to service standards and despatching them to operational squadrons. The personnel consisted of 74 officers, seven of whom were WRNS, and 950 'other ranks' which included a further 150 WRNS.

The station was now officially known as 'HMS Nuthatch'.

This work continued through the last two years of the war. In peacetime the role of the ARDU changed. Rather than flying the planes on to operational airfields the pilots were now often flying them to other destinations to be scrapped.

The beautiful chapel on the airfield

As well as the permanent personnel on the station, it acted as a temporary host to other squadrons. 772 Second Line Squadron was based there from May 1946 until February 1947 and First Line Squadron 813 operated from Anthorn between May and October in 1948.

The first edition of the 'Anthorn Post' was published in the spring of 1949. It was a magazine written for and by the men and women stationed there. Its pages provide a fascinating glimpse of life on the air station. The striking cover of the first issue was designed by AA3 Abrams for which he received a prize of ten shillings (50p).

Capt. Bowring

In this issue, the commanding officer, Captain F.G.S. Bowring, outlines the work then being carried out on the airfield where about 940 people were currently employed; this represented a fall from the peak of 1,200 at the end of the war. Around 300 aircraft were stored there, in varying states of readiness for service, these included Barracudas, Firebrands, Seafires and Seafuries. The main work carried out involved ferrying the planes to other airfields and test flights of the aircraft before dispatch for active service.

Captain Bowring also remarked on the success of the base's first open day which had taken place in July 1948 and had attracted between 3,000 and 4,000 visitors. He also confirmed that approval had been granted for the construction of a new Married Quarters Housing Estate and it was expected work on this would begin in the summer.

Life on the airbase wasn't all work. The 'Anthorn Post' reports on the many spare-time activities available. At Easter 1949, the Amateur Dramatics group were rehearsing an extract from Noel Coward's “Hay Fever” which they planned to enter in Royal Naval Drama Festival later in the year.

Every Saturday night there was two hours of Scottish Country Dancing and the magazine includes brief reports from the Gliding Club, the Anglers and the Shooting Club. There had been a handicrafts exhibition with sections for both embroidery and perspex constructions.

However, by far the most popular leisure activity was sport. The Cricket team was having a mixed season. They had beaten 12MU (Kirkbride), Garlands, Wigton and the Carlisle Teachers team, but had lost both their matches against Hadrian's Camp, and were also beaten by British Railways. The players were complaining about a shortage of kit, especially bats which were apparently in very short supply.

The Soccer club had also had mixed results but Anthorn's sporting super-stars were undoubtedly the Rugby team. In the 1947-8 Season they had played 18 matches, won 11 and lost 7. Points for 159, against 78.

Unfortunately, only two copies of the 'Anthorn Post' have come to light so far and few details are available on the last years of the airfield's life. The Married Quarters, promised by Captain Bowring were built and these houses still form a substantial part of the village homes. The last aircraft, a Gannet, took off from there in November 1957 and the site closed completely a few months later.

For a few years, local farmers used the land as extra grazing then, in 1962, NATO moved in and construction of a large communications centre began. It was officially handed over to the MOD in November 1964. Its array of masts became the most prominent landmark on this stretch of the Solway.

Today, the Very Low Frequency transmitter there is used for communications with submarines. A separate operation by the National Physical Laboratory operates two atomic clocks which generate the familiar Greenwich Time Signal.

CLICK ON THE PICTURES FOR A LARGER VIEW

Sources:

Martyn Chorlton: Cumbria Airfields in the Second World War (Countryside Books, 2006)

Ken Delve: The Military Airfields of Britain, Northern England (Crowood, 2006)

The Anthorn Post, Easter and Summer 1949 (Carlisle Library, Local Studies Section)

Wikipedia.org/Anthorn Radio Station.

St Paul's Church, Causewayhead

St Paul's was erected in 1845. The church cost £850 to build. The money was raised by the local parishioners (mainly the farmers) with financial assistance from the Church Building Society. The church was designed with seating accommodation for 357 worshippers. An inscription above the door within the porch tells us that all the pews are "free and unappropriated for ever".

Mannix & Whelan's Directory of Cumberland of 1847 describes the building as "a neat Gothic edifice" and tells us that the first "officiating minister" was the Reverend Isaac Bowman.  The living of St. Paul's was originally in the gift of the vicar of Holm Cultram and was worth £220 a year.

St. Paul's is built of red sandstone as in the Early English style. It has a south porch and a west facing turret containing one bell, which is used to summon people to worship. Inside, the church is beautifully simple, consisting of a chancel, nave and a small vestry.

In the period 1889-90 the church was renovated throughout and at this time a two manual organ was installed at a cost of £700 (an interesting comparison with the original cost of the church). The organ pipes are decorated in a similar fashion to those at Christ Church, Silloth.

The 1890s decor

The floor of the chancel is tiled, but the nave has a plain sandstone floor. The pews are raised up on wooden blocks. On either side, the east window is flanked by depictions of the Ten Commandments.

Bulmer's History and Directory of West Cumberland (1883) makes reference to the "many beautiful stained-glass windows, rich in scriptural symbolism". The splendid east window is in triple form and portrays at its centre St. Paul, in medallions, the symbols of the four evangelists. The window is by John Scott of Carlisle and dates from 1852. It commemorates John Messenger of East Cote, "a zealous promoter of the building of the church".

In the sanctuary, the north and south windows are lozenge quarries with various motifs (the artist is not identified). On the south wall of the nave: Christ the Sower (unsigned, but thought to be the work of John Scott); the window is in memory of Ann and George Bailiffe-Bowman. 

The second window in the nave is in memory of Dr Hugh Hutton (1911-1996) a much respected physician in Silloth for many years and a staunch supporter of St. Paul's. The window was commissioned by his widow and is the work of the artist Peter Strong.

The third window in the nave depicts - in a medallion - Christ giving sight to a blind man. It is the work of John Scott and it was created in memory of Betty Messenger, who died in June 1864. Completing the array of windows in the nave, comes the fourth which has two lights. These depict St. Mark and Christ the Light of the World. The artist is G.J. Baguely. The window was given by Canon Robert Walker and his wife Margaret Elizabeth in 1903.

In the west wall, the first window portrays St. Andrew and it is the work of Powell Bros. of Leeds, Installed in 1889 the window commemorates Henry Thomas Tandy who died in July 1894. The second depicts - in a medallion - Christ as a boy in the carpenter's shop. The window is in memory of John Albert Redford with the date June 1863 and is by John Scott.

Continuing on the north wall of the nave, the first window features - in a medallion - Christ and the daughter of Jairus, the daughter who "was not dead, but sleepeth" whose "spirit came again". The window is in memory of John Holliday, who died in January 1864, the work of John Scott. The second window from the west, also by John Scott shows - in a medallion - Christ blessing the children. The window is a memorial to J Hayton and is dated 1853. The third window portrays the Figure of Hope. It is in memory of John Henry Wise and is the work of G.J. Bagueley.

The communion table in the sanctuary was provided by Molly and Jake Tomlinson, upon their retirement from farming in 1970. 

Rev Redford's observations

The oak lectern was presented by Mr C E Boyd in memory of the Reverend Francis Redford the first curate of St. Paul's in around 1850 and subsequently its rector. He was largely responsible for Silloth's reputation as a health resort. He published his observations of its meteorological features, rainfall, hours of sunshine, prevalent winds and the amount of 'ozone' in the air, claiming the area had a similar climate to the Isle of Wight.

Causewayhead rectory was built around 1851 "in the Elizabethan style". Cannon Robert Walker lived there as  rector from 1898 until 1936, he had six children. His daughter, Gladys, married the Rev. Hodges, who was vicar of Allonby between 1932 and 1946. Two of his sons were army officers and served in the first world war. 

Canon Walker with three of his sons.

For forty years, the organist at St. Paul's was "Blind Tommy" Foster. He lost his sight when he was only three months old but was a talented musician. He played all the hymns and psalms from memory and had a wide repertoire of classical pieces such as the 'Te Deum' and Mozart's 'Exulate Jubilate'.

Causewayhead Mission was built in the late 1800s as a Sunday School with a reading room and library attached. It has now been converted into two private houses.

In 1892 a large piece of land for burial purposes was donated by the Earl of Lonsdale. Consecrated in 1893 this land forms the cemetery opposite St. Paul's churchyard and is under the authority of Allerdale Borough Council. Here are many graves of young airmen who died while stationed at Silloth during the Second World War.

The churchyard is now "closed" and is also in the care of Allerdale Council.

In 1949 the parish of St. Paul's was united with Christ Church, Silloth and services at Causewayhead were finally suspended on 15 May 2016.

Reverend Canon Bryan Rothwell told the Cumberland News that over recent years, it has become more difficult to maintain two buildings in the parish, it was no longer viable because of the number of people attending and the finances involved. "It's been something that has been discussed over many years with the congregation and we have come to the decision that now was the right time to say goodbye to the church" he said.  If the Church Commissioners agree to make the church redundant then the local diocese will take over responsibility for the building and try and find alternative usage or potentially sell it.

Sources: "A Short History of St Paul's Church" by John Gray, formally available as a guide for visitors to the church. Other material and pictures from Holme St Cuthbert History Group.
Photography by Gordon Akitt, Copyright 2017.

Allonby Disasters

In the early years of the twentieth century, Allonby saw two events which might have proved to be major disasters. In both cases the village had a lucky escape.

In March 1903, the barque 'Hougomont' ran ashore. She was bound from San Francisco, via Cape Horn, to Liverpool. She was driven north by heavy weather and was standing off Maryport when she dragged her anchors and was swept into Allonby bay.

Crowds of spectators gather on the shore

The Wigton Advertiser reported: “Telegrams were sent by the postmaster and Mr Twentyman for the lifeboat from Maryport. . . heavy breakers landed with awful crash over the decks and rigging of the helpless barque. . . the surging mass of storm-driven billows presented an awe-inspiring spectacle, never to be forgotten . . . the main topmast and fore topmast broke off . . . the men hung on for dear life but no lifeboat could be seen.” Eventually the lifeboat arrived and the crew were all rescued. 

The cargo was washed ashore, it included 32,000 cases of tinned pears and peaches plus 24,000 cases of salmon. The locals examined the crates, the tins had no labels. The only way they could tell which was which was by shaking them. If the contents moved it was fruit!

Crowds arrived from the surrounding towns and village to see the spectacle and help themselves to a few tins too.

The ship was later towed into Maryport docks for repair.

Two years later, there was another near disaster. Until then the beck had been crossed by a iron bridge built as part of the Maryport-Wigton turnpike road.

The old bridge

On 28 November 1905, a traction engine approached the bridge hauling three large wagons containing Caris & Fox's Venetian Gondolas – a steam-powered fairground ride.

The beck was swollen at the time due to recent heavy rain and, when the engine was half-way over, the bridge collapsed. The engine crashed through the railings into the beck. The driver and his mate jumped clear and nobody was hurt.

Sometime later, a new stone bridge was built and this still carries the coast road over the beck.

Click on any of the pictures for a larger view

Holm Cultram Abbey

In 1150 Holm Cultram Abbey was founded by Prince Henry of Scotland who gave the land to monks from Melrose Abbey to settle.

These Cistercian monks organized the clearing of forests and draining of large tracts of the Solway marshes, making the land of the Holm district habitable and profitable. By 1200 the Abbey was well under construction. When finished the Abbey and associated buildings covered ten acres of land.

Throughout the thirteenth century benefactors on both sides of the Solway lavished gifts on the Abbey, the main motivation being a hope that they could buy their way into heaven.

This plan shows the outline of the original abbey church with the present building indicated by the thick black lines. It is claimed that the original church was larger than Carlisle cathedral.


The monks were very successful sheep farmers and became the largest supplies of wool in the Northwest of England with an estimated flock of over 6,000 sheep. The Abbey became immensely wealthy and was raided and plundered by the Scots on many occasions. Robert the Bruce caused the worst devastation in 1319, despite the fact that his father was buried there.

These photographs of the abbey church date from around 1900. Note the plaster ceiling on the interior view.

In 1538 the Act dissolving the Greater Monasteries was passed. Holm Cultram Abbey along with 1,600 acres of land and all its possessions was surrendered to Henry VIII.

The Abbey Church was not destroyed, as many were, because it served as a parish church and as a refuge against the Scots. Over time the Abbey church fell into disrepair due to lack of local authority and money.

In 1703, when Bishop Nicholson visited Holm Cultram he was shocked at the state the Abbey was in. He appointed Trustees to organise its restoration. The nave was reduced in size and the side aisles were removed. Between 1833 and 1973 further remodelling has taken place.

Over eight hundred years, the Abbey had a troubled existence but survived all attempts to destroy it. It became a parish church somewhat reduced in size and circumstances but still a place of great beauty, peace and serenity.

All this changed on Friday, June 9, 2006, a very hot day, when the abbey church was badly damaged by fire. Crews from Maryport, Silloth, Wigton and Aspatria were called to the scene.

They entered the church wearing breathing apparatus but were unable to prevent the fire spreading to the roof which collapsed completely around 7pm. Although the damage to the interior was extensive, all but one of the stained glass windows were saved.

Following the fire, six teenagers were arrested, five were released but one, 17-year-old Shane Walker of Solway Street, Silloth, was charged with arson and the theft of £5 from the church. He appeared at Carlisle Crown Court on November 7 and was sentenced to four years detention. Judge John Phillips told him “Not only have you destroyed a national treasure – you have also severely damaged an entire community.”

Restoration work on the church began in 2007 and was completed in 2014 at a cost of several million pounds.

Allonby and its buildings

For such a tiny village, Allonby contains a remarkable number of interesting and historic buildings. In this postcard view, from around 1900, the group of buildings on the left were originally the Fish Yards, operated by the Beeby family. Here herring were gutted, salted and packed into barrels which were made at a cooperage there. In the centre of the picture is the Reading Room and, on the right, with the balcony, are Allonby Baths.

A busy day at the fish yards

In the fish yard, herring were gutted, salted and packed into barrels which were made at a cooperage there.

Some of the herring were turned into kippers. The Costin family ran this operation in their smokehouse, seen above. A wood-burning open hearth was located on the first floor. The herring could be hung in this room or, on the floor above in the roof space.

The chimney passed through both floors and flagstones could be removed from it to allow the smoke to belch out into either of the rooms as required. When the kippers were ready, the louvre shutters on the front of the building, bearing the family's name, were opened, allowing the smoke to escape.

The outline of the old smokehouse can still be
seen; it is now a cottage.

The Baths opened in July 1836. They have a fine, portico which faces into 'The Square' away from the sea.

There was a basement floor with warm, cold, sulphur and vapour baths and, above this, an assemby room 50 feet long and 25 feet wide. The baths were fitted out in marble and were supplied with water drawn from the sea in pipes by a small steam engine. The engine’s furnace also heated the water for the hot baths.

The Meeting House (Sketch by David Butler)

The Quakers formed a large and influential section of the local community. Their Meeting House stood at the north end of the village. It was originally converted from a cottage in 1703, extended in 1732 and continued in use until 1991. It is now a private dwelling.

A little further along the coast road stands North Lodge, seen below in its original state, around 1907.

North Lodge was built in the 1830s by Thomas Richardson who had married an Allonby girl, Martha Beeby, in 1799. The central pavilion was to provide a holiday home for the Richardsons. At either side of this, were six cottages for local widows and spinsters who were to live there rent free and receive £5 per year from an endowment fund which Thomas provided. The building is still in use as low-cost housing and is operated by the Allonby Alms House trust.

Thomas Richardson, the builder of North Lodge was a Quaker banker and held shares in both the Stockton & Darlington Railway and Stephenson’s Locomotive Works. 

He was one of the original proprietors of Middlesbrough Docks and founded the nearby Ayton Friends’ School.


At the back of North Lodge, there was a stone-faced, six-sided privy. Each resident of the cottages had their own door which admitted them to their individual earth closet.

Allonby Reading Rooms opened in 1862. The construction was largely financed by Joseph Pease, M.P., a wealthy Quaker industrialist from County Durham who was a cousin and business associate of Thomas Richardson.

Pease commissioned a 32-year old Quaker architect from Manchester, Alfred Waterhouse to design the building.

Waterhouse went on to become one of the Victorian era's most celebrated architects. He designed the Natural History Museum in London, Strangeways Prison and Manchester Town Hall.

The Reading Rooms closed in the 1970s and fell into serious disrepair. They have recently been converted into a private house.

Allonby Church dates from 1845 and replaced an earlier building on the same site. The adjoining Sunday School was originally used as the village school. This rather plain, undistinguished building fits particularly well with its landscape.

In this postcard view of Allonby Square in the 1920s, the pediment of the Baths is just visible on the right. The old cobbled street was the original main road through the village.

Another postcard view, from the late 1800s, shows the Ship Inn, Allonby's main hostelry, on the right over the old cast-iron bridge which was destroyed when a traction engine ran into the brook in 1907.