In 1870-72, John Marius Wilson's Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales described Ainstable like this:
AINSTABLE, a parish in Penrith district, Cumberland; between the Croglin and the Eden rivers, 7 miles E of Southwaite r. station, and 11 N by E of Penrith. It is divided into the High and Low quarters, and includes the village of Ruckcroft. Post Town, Kirkoswald under Penrith. Acres, 4,178. Real property, £3,957. ...
Pop., 543. Houses, 113. The property is subdivided. A Benedictine nunnery was founded here by William Rufus; and its site, on high ground, is now marked by a stone pillar. Nunnery, a mansion taking name from it, stands on lower adjacent ground, amid scenery which is highly picturesque, and has been sung by Wordsworth. The living is a vicarage in the diocese of Carlisle. Value, £225. Patrons, the representatives of Mrs. Aglionby. The church was built from the Plumpton Walls; contains a tomb of John de Deutorem; and is in tolerable condition. Charities, £15. Dr. John Leake, the founder of the Westminster lying-in-hospital, was a native.
Ainstable through time
Ainstable is now part of Eden district. Click here for graphs and data of how Eden has changed over two centuries. For statistics about Ainstable itself, go to Units and Statistics.
GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth, History of Ainstable, in Eden and Cumberland | Map and description, A Vision of Britain through Time.
URL: https://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/place/5996
Date accessed: 23rd March 2025
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