Descriptive Gazetteer Entry for ORTON

ORTON, a village, a township, a parish, and a sub-district, in East Ward district, Westmoreland. The village stands near a small tributary of the river Lune, 3 miles N by E of Tebay r. station, and 8¼ S W by S of Appleby; is supposed to be a place of great antiquity; consists chiefly of one long irregular street; and has a post-office† under Shap, Westmoreland, a weekly marketon Wednesday, a cattle market once a-month, and four annual fairs in the months of May, June, September, and October. The township includes the village, and extendsinto the country. Real property, £2, 702. The parish contains also the townships of Ruisbeck, Langdale, Bretherdale, Tebay, and Fawcet-Forest, and part of the township of Birbeck-Fells. Acres, 24, 430. Real property, with the rest of Birbeck-Fells, £9, 566. Pop. in 1851, 1, 456; in 1861, 1, 615. Houses, 331. The increase of pop. was caused by the temporary presence of labourers employed on railway works. The property is much sub-divided. Orton Hall is the seat of the Burnfamily; and the old hall is now a farm-house ' The general surface is very hilly. Orton Scar, in the N vicinity of the village, is a picturesque height, and was formerlycrowned with a beacon, in a chain of beacon-communication along a great extent of country. The rocks include limestone, white sandstone, and traces of lead and copper ores. There are an ancient British cairn, a Druidical circle, and remains of several ancient camps and earthworks; and Roman coins have been found. The living is a vicarage in the diocese of Carlisle. Value, £280.* Patrons, the Landowners. The church belonged formerly to Conishead priory; is ancient but pretty good; and has an embattled tower. There are a Wesleyan chapel, three endowed schools, and charities £112. Richard Burn, author of the " Justice of Peace", was vicar; and Bishop Barlow was a native.—The sub-district contains also two other parishes. Acres, 51, 275. Pop., 3, 31 9. Houses, 667.


(John Marius Wilson, Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales (1870-72))

Linked entities:
Feature Description: "a village, a township, a parish, and a sub-district"   (ADL Feature Type: "populated places")
Administrative units: Orton CP/AP       Orton SubD       East Ward RegD/PLU       Westmorland AncC
Place: Orton

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