Bassenthwaite is a village and civil parish to the east of Bassenthwaite Lake in Cumbria, historically part of Cumberland, within the Lake District National Park, England. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 412,[1] increasing to 481 at the 2011 Census.[2] There is a Church of England Church, St John's Bassenthwaite[3] and a tiny Methodist chapel. The village contains many elements of the archetypal English village including a green, primary school and a stream that runs through it.
| Bassenthwaite | |
|---|---|
 Bassenthwaite Cottages and Sun Inn | |
| Population | 481 (2011) |
| OS grid reference | NY2332 |
| Civil parish |
|
| Unitary authority | |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | KESWICK |
| Postcode district | CA12 |
| Dialling code | 017687 |
| Police | Cumbria |
| Fire | Cumbria |
| Ambulance | North West |
| UK Parliament | |
Bassenthwaite is at the foot of Skiddaw, one of the highest mountains in England at 3,054 feet (931 m). Robin Hood,[4] Skiddaw, Ullock Pike, Longside Edge and Barf can be seen from the village.
Location
editBassenthwaite is approximately 1 mile (1.6 km) from Bassenthwaite Lake, 7.5 miles (12.1 km) east of Cockermouth, 7.1 miles (11.4 km) north of Keswick, 23 miles (37 km) south of Carlisle and 23.9 miles (38.5 km) west of Penrith.
Toponymy
editThe name 'Bassenthwaite' is derived from an Old Norse name meaning Bastun's clearing. The 1st element is usually taken to be the Anglo-French nickname or surname Bastun, originally meaning stick, while the 2nd is the Old Norse þveit meaning clearing. The lake, in early times known as Bastun's water, takes its name from the village.[5]
Governance
editBassenthwaite is part of the parliamentary constituency of Workington. In the December 2019 general election, the Tory candidate for Workington, Mark Jenkinson, was elected the MP, overturning a 9.4 per cent Labour majority from the 2017 election to eject shadow environment secretary Sue Hayman by a margin of 4,136 votes.[6] Until the December 2019 general election The Labour Party has won the seat in the constituency in every general election since 1979.The Conservative Party has only been elected once in Workington since World War II, at the 1976 by-election.[7]
Prior to Brexit, for the European Parliament residents in Bassenthwaite voted to elect MEP's for the North West England constituency.
For Local Government purposes it is in the Cumberland unitary authority area.
Bassenthwaite has its own Parish Council; Bassenthwaite Parish Council.[8]
St Bega's Church
edit
The Church of St Bega is the parish church of Bassenthwaite, it's in a field near the lake, some distance away from the village. It was built about 950 AD and is a Grade II* listed building,[9]
St John's Church was built later as a chapel of ease.[3]
See also
edit
References
edit- ^ Office for National Statistics : Census 2001 : Parish Headcounts : Allerdale Archived 13 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 2009-11-22
- ^ "Parish population 2011". Retrieved 16 June 2015.
- ^ a b "Bassenthwaite". The Binsey Team Ministry. Archived from the original on 18 January 2015. Retrieved 27 March 2014.
- ^ "Robin Hood".
- ^ Whaley, Diana (2006). A dictionary of Lake District place-names. Nottingham: English Place-Name Society. pp. lx, 423 p.20. ISBN 0904889726.
- ^ "Workington parliamentary constituency – Election 2019".
- ^ "A vision of Britain website – general elections section". Retrieved 27 April 2012.
- ^ "Bassenthwaite Parish Council".
- ^ Historic England. "Church of St Bega (1332957)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 27 March 2014.
External links
edit
- Cumbria County History Trust: Bassenthwaite (nb: provisional research only - see Talk page)