Welcome to the ancient village of Kirkoswald.
The day ahead looked to be rather changeable, with unpredictable downpours combined with gusty winds. Our best bet was to head to Northern Cumbria. So why not spend a day with Dad?
We all ventured to Kirkoswald for a gentle stroll around the area. The village is timeworn, with many buildings still standing since the 1600s and 1700s. Even older—to the south of the village—is St. Oswald’s Church, with parts of it dating back to the 12th century. The church is, in fact, where the village gets its name: “Kirk” is the Old Norse word for “church”. It is thought that the body of Saint Oswald, King of Northumbria, was taken through the village.
Southwest of the village is Eden Bridge, a beautiful red sandstone construction. It dates from 1762, with repairs made in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Thankfully the day was largely cooperative, weather-wise, and we all enjoyed some lovely photography walking around this ancient parish.
All photos shot on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my three prime lenses: a Fujinon 23mm f/2.0, a Laowa 9mm f/2.8, and an adapted Pentax SMC 55mm f/2.0. All images 95% made in-camera using Øyvind Nordhagen’s Modern Documentary Fujifilm recipe, with cropping and framing in Pixelmator and Darkroom.
My Dad’s lovely little farm cottage, in the middle of nowhere of Northern Cumbria.
The road that passes by Dad’s cottage.
Dad set up a load of bird feeders outside the cottage, home to many species that he’s always happy to take photos of.
We parked at a small car park just before the Lazonby Eden Bridge. This signalled the start of our walk into Kirkoswald. The River Eden was rather high and fast.
On the Kirkoswald side of the main bridge that spans the River Eden are these “dry arches” that were, nevertheless, flooded.
She’s a beaut of an 18th century bridge.
I whipped on my 9mm ultra wide lens to capture the whole span of the bridge as well as the lovely cloud textures that were forming.
One last look back along the entire span of the bridge before carrying on towards Kirkoswald.
Evidence of Storm Arwen’s vengeance on trees across the UK.
We took the permissive footpath from Eden Bridge into Kirkoswald, then through the church gate to follow the old cobbled path towards St. Oswald’s Church.
The church is in a beautiful setting.
There she is, St. Oswald’s Church. The building’s unique in having a 19th-century bell tower on top of a hill 200 yards from the church itself.
The main entrance to the church. Historic England specifies this timber frame thus: “North timber-framed gabled porch of c1523”. So 500-years old.
Small, and old, but humble.
People are still buried in this church’s graveyard. I spotted a gravestone for January 2021. I’m sure there are conditions/restrictions that need to be satisfied for burial here.
Love the wrought iron works around the churchyard.
A rather grand entrance to an estate of some sort.
Crossing over the small bridge that spans Raven Beck. Ancient red sandstone buildings everywhere.
Not sure what these folk were doing along the shores of the beck… but I had to snap them.
One of many buildings in Kirkoswald dating from the 18th century. This one’s datestone reads 1713.
The Crown Inn, still very much in operation. It’s an old coaching inn, again from the 18th century.
On t’other side of t’road, Lisabet inspects the menu for the Featherston Arms.
Love old buildings that are wrapped in branches and vines.
Victorian-era road signage, which still references Cumberland County Council.
Out of the top of Kirkoswald, the views across the Eden Valley are extensive.
The village square. Kirkoswald gained a Market Charter in the 13th century, and hosted markets at the village square for centuries. This then moved to the Lazonby and Kirkoswald Railway Station after the opening of the Settle–Carlisle line in 1876.
Heading back to Eden Bridge via the permissive footpath, I spy a simple composition as the storm clouds build up above.
A high and fast-flowing River Eden from the top of Eden Bridge.
Then support me