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About the two Parishes
The two parishes chosen for the pilot study were Crosby Ravensworth and Dacre. This was due to the fact that remnant orchards were known to be present in both parishes and in many ways the parishes could be seen as typical and representative of other parishes in the Eden Valley uplands and in the rest of the county.
Crosby Ravensworth parish lies 5 miles to the southwest of Appleby and contains the settlements of Crosby Ravensworth, Maulds Meaburn (above) and Reagill. Remains of Bronze Age cairns around the parish suggest that this area has been inhabited for over 3,000 years. Iron Age remains at Ewe Close also indicate an ancient settlement. Danish Viking influences from the East in the 9th and 10th centuries resulted in the naming of the parish. 'Crosseby' is the Norse word for 'farmstead with crosses' (Sedgefield 1915), and the Raven was a popular icon of the Vikings. Maulds Meaburn gets its name from 'Maude' who was the wife of William de Veteriponte who granted the estate to her in 1174, Meaburn is Anglian dialect of 'Old English' meaning 'meadow stream'. Reagill is an ancient name for 'ravine haunted by foxes'.
Dacre parish lies 5 miles immediately to the west of Penrith and contains the villages of Dacre (above), Stainton, Newbiggin and Great Blencow. Mentioned by the Venerable Bede in AD 698 the village of Dacre got its name from the small river or 'beck' that flows by it, 'Deigr' being the Old British name for 'tear'. The church at Dacre is thought to be built on the site of an earlier Anglo-Saxon monastery. Newbiggin was named in between 1100 and 1500 AD. Being 'Middle English' for 'New Building' this is a long village of detached houses 3 miles west of Penrith. At the beginning of the 20th century two large (by local standards) orchards could be found here at Orchard House and The Hill. Both were in the order of 0.5ha. in area although now only remnants of them remain.
Soil Characteristics in Study Areas
The soils for Crosby Ravensworth, Maulds Meaburn and Reagill are known as 'Brickfield 3 Association' lying on sandstone and shale drift, (Jarvis RA et al 1984). They comprise seasonally waterlogged fine loams over clayey sub soils.
The Brickfield 3 Association soils are waterlogged for long periods in winter. At 70cm depth they are waterlogged for 90 to 180 days per year, although in drier areas underdrainage occurs. Characteristics of this soil include clayey subsurface horizons, which impede drainage.
Soils for the Newbiggin, Stainton and northern half of Dacre are the 'Newbiggin Association' on reddish drift. The southern half of Dacre and Soulby are 'Brickfield 2 Association' on sandstone and shale drift.
Newbiggin Association soils are deep, well drained fine loams with only slight seasonal waterlogging. They are permeable and well drained, the soil profile is not waterlogged for more than 30 days per year. These soils occur over Carboniferous limestone with a typical pH range of 5.8 at 0-19cm depth to 6.5 at 19-85cm depth.
Brickfield 2 Association soils are seasonally waterlogged fine loams.
Geology of Study Area
The solid geology underlying the glacial drift found in both parishes is predominantly Carboniferous limestone at Crosby Ravensworth and Penrith sandstone at Dacre. Retreating glaciers at the end of the last Ice Age deposited the sandstone and shale drift lying on top of the parent rocks 13,000 years ago, (Shackleton EH, 1969). These glaciers scoured the shale and sandstone from the land between Penrith and Brampton (Carlisle) and carried it south along the Eden Valley as they traversed Stainmore into Yorkshire. As they melted the fragments of rock and debris were deposited on top of the bedrock.
Altitude
The elevation of Crosby Ravensworth parish ranges from 157m (517ft) at Roans to 297m (975ft) at Harberwain. For Dacre parish the elevation ranges from 152m (500ft) at Dalemain to 232m (762ft) at Newbiggin.