Cumbria

The place names Cumbria and Cumberland both mean "land of the Cumbrians" and are names derived from the term that had been used by the inhabitants of the area to describe themselves. In the period , it is likely that any group of people living in Britain who identified as 'Britons' called themselves by a name similar to 'Cum-ri' which means "fellow countrymen" (and has also survived in the Welsh name for Wales which is Cymru). The first datable record of the place name as Cumberland is from an entry in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle for the year AD 945. This record refers to a kingdom known to the Anglo-Saxons as Cumbraland and in Latin as Cumbria, often also known as Strathclyde, which in the 10th century may have stretched from Loch Lomond to Leeds. The first king to be unequivocally described as king of the Cumbrians is Owain ap Dyfnwal, who ruled from . ==History==

dates from the late Neolithic age and was constructed by some of the earliest inhabitants of Cumbria During the Neolithic period what is now Cumbria area contained an important centre of stone axe production (the so-called Langdale axe factory), products of which have been found across Great Britain. During this period, stone circles and henges were built across the county, and today, Cumbria has one of the largest number of preserved field monuments in England'. While not part of the region conquered in the Romans' initial conquest of Britain in AD 43, most of modern-day Cumbria was later conquered in response to a revolt deposing the Roman-aligned ruler of the Brigantes in AD 69. The Romans built a number of fortifications in the area during their occupation, the most famous being UNESCO World Heritage Site Hadrian's Wall which passes through northern Cumbria. At the end of the period of British history known as Roman Britain () the inhabitants of Cumbria were Cumbric-speaking native Celtic Britons who were probably descendants of the Brigantes and Carvetii (sometimes considered to be a sub-tribe of the Brigantes) that the Roman Empire had conquered in about AD 85. Based on inscriptional evidence from the area, the Roman '' of the Carvetii seems to have covered portions of Cumbria. The names Cumbria, (the native Welsh name for Wales), Cambria, and Cumberland are derived from the name these people gave themselves, *kombroges'' in Common Brittonic, which originally meant "compatriots". Although Cumbria was previously believed to have formed the core of the Early Middle Ages Brittonic kingdom of Rheged, more recent discoveries near Galloway appear to contradict this. For the rest of the first millennium, Cumbria was contested by several entities who warred over the area, including the Brythonic Celtic Kingdom of Strathclyde and the Anglian Kingdom of Northumbria. Most of modern-day Cumbria was a principality in the Kingdom of Scotland at the time of the Norman conquest of England in 1066 and thus was excluded from the Domesday Book survey of 1086. In 1092 the region was invaded by William II and incorporated into England. In 1133 the diocese of Carlisle was founded, cementing Cumbria's position within the English church. Cumbria left Scottish hands for the last time in 1157. Nevertheless, the region was dominated by the many Anglo-Scottish Wars of the latter Middle Ages and early modern period and the associated Border Reivers who exploited the dynamic political situation of the region. There were at least three sieges of Carlisle fought between England and Scotland, and two further sieges during the Jacobite risings. After the Jacobite Risings of the 18th century, Cumbria became a more stable place and, as in the rest of Northern England, the Industrial Revolution caused a large growth in urban populations. In particular, the west coast towns of Workington, Millom and Barrow-in-Furness saw large iron and steel mills develop, with Barrow also developing a significant shipbuilding industry. Kendal, Keswick and Carlisle all became mill towns, with textiles, pencils and biscuits among the products manufactured in the region. The early 19th century saw the county gain fame when the Lake Poets and other artists of the Romantic movement, such as William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge, lived among, and were inspired by, the lakes and mountains of the region. Later, the children's writer Beatrix Potter also wrote in the region and became a major landowner, granting much of her property to the National Trust on her death. In turn, the large amount of land owned by the National Trust assisted in the formation in 1951 of the Lake District National Park, which remains the largest National Park in England and has come to dominate the identity and economy of the county. The Windscale fire of 10 October 1957 was the worst nuclear accident in Great Britain's history. Cumbria was created in 1974 from the administrative counties of Cumberland and Westmorland; the county boroughs of Carlisle and Barrow-in-Furness; the districts of North Lonsdale, Grange, Ulverston, and Dalton-in-Furness from Lancashire; and the Sedbergh Rural District from the West Riding of Yorkshire. Cumbria County Council and the seven district councils were abolished in 2023 and replaced by two new unitary authorities, Cumberland Council and Westmorland and Furness Council. ==Geography==

Cumbria is the most northwesterly ceremonial county of England and is mostly mountainous, with large upland areas to the south-west and east. The south-west contains the Lake District, a national park and UNESCO world heritage site which includes Scafell Pike, England's highest mountain at , and Windermere, its longest and largest lake. The Border Moors and North Pennines lie along the county's eastern border. The south-east contains the Orton Fells, Howgill Fells and part of the Yorkshire Dales, which are all within the Yorkshire Dales national park. The Vale of Eden, the valley of the River Eden, runs south-east to north-west between these upland areas, and broadens into the Solway Plain near Carlisle. The county has long coast to the west, which is bordered by a plain for most of its length. In the north-west it borders the Solway Firth, a national landscape, and to the south are the Cartmel and Furness peninsulas. East of the peninsulas, the county contains part of Arnside and Silverdale, also a national landscape. The Lancaster Canal runs from Preston into southern Cumbria and is partly in use. The Ulverston Canal which once reached to Morecambe Bay is maintained although it was closed in 1945. The county contains a number of Sites of Special Scientific Interest, several of which are grouped into the Lake District High Fells, which is a designated Special Area of Conservation. Boundaries and divisions The northernmost and southernmost points in Cumbria are just west of Deadwater, Northumberland and South Walney respectively. Kirkby Stephen (close to Tan Hill, North Yorkshire) and St Bees Head are the most easterly and westerly points of the county. The boundaries are along the Irish Sea to Morecambe Bay in the west, and along the Pennines to the east. Cumbria's northern boundary stretches from the Solway Firth from the Solway Plain eastward along the border with Scotland. Cumbria is bordered by Northumberland, County Durham, North Yorkshire, Lancashire in England, and Dumfries and Roxburgh, Ettrick and Lauderdale in Scotland. , in the North Pennines ==Economy==

in Barrow-in-Furness has a workforce of around 14,500 people Many large companies and organisations are based in Cumbria. The county council itself employs around 17,000 individuals, while the largest private employer in Cumbria, BAE Systems in Barrow employs around 14,500 with further job growth associated with new contracts expected, the Sellafield nuclear processing site, has a workforce of 10,000. Tourism The largest and most widespread industry is tourism, with the county attracting over 47 million visitors annually. The Lake District National Park alone receives some 15.8 million visitors every year. Despite this, fewer than 50,000 people reside permanently within the Lake District: mostly in Ambleside, Bowness-on-Windermere, Coniston, Gosforth, Grasmere, Keswick, and Windermere. Economic output == Governance ==

Local Cumbria comprises two unitary authority areas: Cumberland, which covers the north and west of the county, and Westmorland and Furness, which covers the south and east. They are named after the historic counties of Cumberland and Westmorland, although they have different boundaries, and the Furness region, which was historically part of Lancashire. The Cumbria Combined Authority is the strategic authority for the area. The two areas are governed by Cumberland Council and Westmorland and Furness Council, respectively. They are unitary authorities, with the powers and responsibilities of both a non-metropolitan county council and non-metropolitan district council. Cumberland has had a Labour majority administration since the 2022 Cumberland Council election, and Westmorland and Furness has had a Liberal Democrat majority administration since the 2022 Westmorland and Furness Council election. The Duchy of Lancaster, the private estate of the sovereign, exercises some rights of the Crown in the County Palatine of Lancaster, which includes the Furness area of Cumbria. History The Local Government Act 1888 reformed English local government. Cumberland, Westmorland, Lancashire, and the West Riding of Yorkshire were reconstituted as administrative counties, with elected county councils. Barrow-in-Furness was considered to be within Lancashire, but was made a county borough in the same act and therefore had independent local government. Carlisle was made a county borough within Cumberland in 1914. The Local Government Act 1972 reformed English local government again, and in 1974 the non-metropolitan county of Cumbria was created from all of Cumberland and Westmorland, the Furness area of Lancashire, and the Sedbergh district of the West Riding. The new county was divided into six non-metropolitan districts: Allerdale, Barrow-in-Furness, Carlisle, Copeland, Eden, and South Lakeland. The provision of local government services was divided between Cumbria County Council and the district councils of the six non-metropolitan districts. Regional Cumberland Council and Westmorland and Furness Council collaborate through the Cumbria Combined Authority, which was established in February 2026. It will elect its first mayor on 10 May 2027. National Cumbria contains five constituencies of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, and part of a sixth. Barrow and Furness, Carlisle, Penrith and Solway, Westmorland and Lonsdale, and Whitehaven and Workington are entirely within the county, and Morecambe and Lunesdale is shared with Lancashire. As of the 2024 United Kingdom general election, Westmorland and Londsale is held by the Liberal Democrats and the remainder of the constituencies by the Labour Party. Politics Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats are strongest in rural areas, and Labour is strongest in the industrial towns. ==Education==

Although secondary schooling in Cumbria has a comprehensive system almost fully, there is one state grammar school in Penrith. There are 42 state secondary schools and 10 independent schools. The more rural secondary schools tend to have sixth forms (although in Barrow-in-Furness district, no schools have sixth forms due to the only sixth form college in Cumbria being located in the town) and this is the same for three schools in Allerdale and South Lakeland, and one in the other districts. Chetwynde is also the only school in Barrow to educate children from nursery all the way to year 11. Colleges of further education in Cumbria include: • Carlisle College • Furness College which includes Barrow Sixth Form College • Kendal College • Lakes College The University of Cumbria is one of the UK's newest universities, having been established in 2007. It is at present the only university based in Cumbria and has campuses across the county, together with Lancaster and London. ==Transport==

Road and West Coast Main Line near Grayrigg Forest The M6 is the only motorway that runs through Cumbria. Kendal and Penrith are amongst its primary destinations. Further north it becomes the A74(M) at the border with Scotland north of Carlisle. Major A roads within Cumbria include: Several bus companies run services in Cumbria serving the main towns and villages in the county, with some services running to neighbouring areas such as Lancaster. Stagecoach Cumbria & North Lancashire is the largest; it has depots in Barrow-in-Furness, Carlisle, Kendal and Workington. Stagecoach's flagship X6 route connects Barrow-in-Furness and Kendal in south Cumbria. Air There are only two airports in the county: Carlisle Lake District and Barrow/Walney Island. Both airports formerly served scheduled passenger flights and both are proposing expansions and renovations to handle domestic and European flights in the near future. The nearest international airports to south Cumbria are Blackpool, Manchester, Liverpool John Lennon and Teesside. North Cumbria is closer to Newcastle, Glasgow Prestwick and Glasgow International. Ports Barrow-in-Furness is one of the country's largest shipbuilding centres, but the Port of Barrow is only minor, operated by Associated British Ports alongside the Port of Silloth in Allerdale. There are no ferry links from any port or harbour along the Cumbria coast. Rail The busiest railway stations in Cumbria are Carlisle, Barrow-in-Furness, Penrith and Oxenholme Lake District. The West Coast Main Line runs through the Cumbria countryside, adjacent to the M6 motorway. The Cumbrian Coast Line connects Barrow-in-Furness to Carlisle and is a vital link in the west of the county. Other railways in Cumbria are the Windermere Branch Line, most of the Furness Line and much of the Settle-Carlisle Railway. ==Demography==

Population Cumbria's largest settlement and only city is Carlisle, in the north of the county. The largest town, Barrow-in-Furness, in the south, is slightly smaller. The county's population is largely rural: it has the second-lowest population density among English counties, and only five towns with over 20,000 people. Cumbria is one of the country's most ethnically homogeneous counties, with 95% categorised as White British (around 471,000 of the 500,000). The larger towns have ethnic makeups closer to the national average. The 2001 census indicated Christianity was the religion with the most adherents in the county. 2010 ONS estimates placed the number of foreign-born (non-United Kingdom) people living in Cumbria at around 14,000 and foreign nationals at 6,000. Population trends indicate a gradual decline in younger demographics, with an increasing proportion of elderly residents. The 2001 UK Census showed the following most common countries of birth for residents of Cumbria that year: ==Settlements==

• Alston • Ambleside • Appleby-in-Westmorland • Arlecdon and Frizington • Askam and Ireleth • Aspatria • Barrow-in-Furness • Bowness-on-Windermere • Brampton • Carlisle • Cleator Moor • Cockermouth • Coniston • Dalston • Dalton-in-Furness • Egremont • Grasmere • Harrington • Hawkshead • Keswick • Kirkby Lonsdale • Kirkby Stephen • Kirkoswald • Longtown • Maryport • Millom • Milnthorpe • Sedbergh • Shap • Silloth • St Bees • Ulverston • Walney Island • Whitehaven • Wigton • Windermere • Workington ==Sport==

Running Fell running is a popular sport in Cumbria, with an active calendar of competitions taking place throughout the year. Cumbria is also home to several of the most active orienteering clubs in the UK as well as the Lakes 5 Days competition that takes place every four years. Football codes Workington is home to the ball game known as Uppies and Downies, a traditional version of football, with its origins in medieval football or an even earlier form. Players from outside Workington also take part, especially fellow West Cumbrians from Whitehaven and Maryport. Cumbria formerly had minor American football clubs, the Furness Phantoms (the club is now defunct, its last name was Morecambe Bay Storm) and the Carlisle Kestrels. Association , the home of Carlisle United Barrow and Carlisle United are the only professional football teams in Cumbria. Carlisle United attract support from across Cumbria and beyond, with many Cumbrian "ex-pats" travelling to see their games, both home and away. Workington—who are always known locally as "the reds"—are a well-supported non-league team, having been relegated from the Football League in the 1970s. Workington made a rapid rise up the non league ladder and in 2007/08 competed with Barrow in the Conference North. Barrow were then promoted to the Conference Premier in 2007/08. In 2020, Barrow were promoted to the Football League as a result of winning the National League. Rugby codes Rugby union is popular in the county's north and east with teams such as Furness RUFC & Hawcoat Park RUFC (South Cumbria), Workington RUFC (Workington Zebras), Whitehaven RUFC, Carlisle RUFC, Creighton RUFC, Aspatria RUFC, Wigton RUFC, Kendal RUFC, Kirkby Lonsdale RUFC, Keswick RUFC, Cockermouth RUFC, Upper Eden RUFC and Penrith RUFC. , home of Barrow Raiders Rugby league is a very popular sport in south and West Cumbria. Barrow, Whitehaven and Workington play in the Rugby League Championships. Amateur teams; Wath Brow Hornets, Askam, Egremont Rangers, Kells, Barrow Island, Hensingham and Millom play in the National Conference. Bat-and-ball Cumbria County Cricket Club is one of the cricket clubs that constitute the National Counties in the English domestic cricket structure. The club, based in Carlisle, competes in the National Counties Cricket Championship and the NCCA Knockout Trophy. The club also play some home matches in Workington, as well as other locations. Cumbrian club cricket teams play in the North Lancashire and Cumbria League. Cumbria is home to the Cartmel Valley Lions, an amateur baseball team based in Cartmel. Wrestling Cumberland and Westmorland wrestling is an ancient and well-practised tradition in the county with a strong resemblance to Scottish Backhold. In the 21st century Cumberland and Westmorland wrestling along with other aspects of Lakeland culture are practised at the Grasmere Sports and Show, an annual meeting held every year since 1852 on the August Bank Holiday. The origin of this form of wrestling is a matter of debate, with some describing it as having evolved from Norse wrestling brought over by Viking invaders, while other historians associate it with the Cornish and Gouren styles indicating that it may have developed out of a longer-standing Celtic tradition. Racing Cumbria Kart Racing Club is based at the Lakeland Circuit, Rowrah, between Cockermouth and Egremont Lakeland Circuit. The track is currently a venue for rounds of both major UK national karting championships About Cumbria Kart Racing Club. Formula One world champions Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button both raced karts at Rowrah many times in the formative stages of their motor sport careers, while other F1 drivers, past and present, to have competed there include Johnny Herbert, Anthony Davidson, Allan McNish, Ralph Firman, Paul di Resta and David Coulthard, who hailed from just over the nearby Anglo-Scottish border and regarded Rowrah as his home circuit, becoming Cumbria Kart Racing Club Champion in 1985 in succession to McNish (di Resta also taking the CKRC title subsequently). Workington Comets were a Workington-based professional speedway team, which competed in the British Speedway Championship. The World Rally Championship team Ford World Rally Team were based in Cumbria until their withdrawal after the 2012 season. A successful team, they won the Championship for manufacturers three times. The M-Sport Ford World Rally Team succeeded this team and have since won the Championship for manufacturers in 2017. ==Food==

Cumbria is the UK county with the highest number of Michelin-starred restaurants, with seven in this classification in the Great Britain and Ireland Michelin Guide of 2021. Traditional Cumbrian cuisine has been influenced by the spices and molasses that were imported into Whitehaven in the 18th century. The Cumberland sausage (which has a protected geographical status) is a well-recognised result of this. Other regional specialities include Herdwick mutton and the salt-marsh raised lamb of the Cartmel Peninsula. == Dialect influences ==

Celtic • Cumbria was mostly Celtic speaking until the Viking invasion, if not later (Cymry) • English spoken in parts of Cumbria; relatively sparsely populated until 12th/13th centuries • The invading Angles and Saxons forced the indigenous Celtic peoples back to the western highlands of Cumbria, Wales and Cornwall, with little linguistic consequence, apart from a residual scattering of place-names. • Northwest – possibility of direct influence from Irish Gaelic across Irish Sea via Whitehaven until 10th century • Celtic influence/kingdoms may have confirmed perception of difference between the north–south • Lexis – Celtic influence left specifically on the sound pattern of sheep-scoring numerals of Cumbrian and West Yorkshire • Morphology – Old Northumbrian (little evidence) signs of loss of inflexions long before southern dialects below the Humber, precede Viking settlements and dialect contact situation • Bilingualism was norm in areas under Danelaw (plausible) • Norse surviving longest in closed communities Normans • Jewell (1994: 20) – Northumbria retained relative independence until 13th century – effective government of North by Normans 'petered-out' at Lake District and North of Tees (not recorded in Domesday Book) • Carlisle retaken by Scots in 1136 which was held until Carlisle retaken by Scots in 1136 • Cumbric score – counting sheep – Welsh correspondence Welsh ("un, dau, tri") – Cumberland ("yan, tyan, tethera") – Westmorland ("yan, than, teddera") – Lancashire ("yan, taen, tedderte") – West Yorkshire ("yain, tain, eddero") – survived 7–8 centuries after the language itself had died – Brittonic origin • Not one single complete phrase in Cumbric survives, evidence to suggest strong literary tradition, probably oral, some of this early material is known in a Welsh version ==Media==

Two evening newspapers are published daily in Cumbria. The News and Star focuses largely on Carlisle and the surrounding areas of north and west Cumbria, and the North-West Evening Mail is based in Barrow-in-Furness and covers news from across Furness and the South Lakes. The Cumberland and Westmorland Herald and The Westmorland Gazette are weekly newspapers based in Penrith and Kendal respectively. The Egremont 2Day newspaper, formerly Egremont Today when affiliated with the Labour Party, was a prominent monthly publication – founded by Peter Watson (and edited by him until his death in 2014) in 1990 until July 2018. In February 2020 The Herdwick News, run by the last editor of The Egremont 2Day, was launched and is an independent online news publication covering the county of Cumbria and the North West. Due to the size of Cumbria the county spans two television zones: BBC North East and Cumbria and ITV Border in the north and centre, and BBC North West and ITV Granada in the south. Heart North West, Greatest Hits Radio Cumbria & South West Scotland and Smooth Lake District are the most popular local radio stations throughout the county, with BBC Radio Cumbria being the only station that is aimed at Cumbria as a whole. BBC Radio Lancashire can also be received in southern parts of the county. Cumbria is host to a number of festivals, including Kendal Calling (actually held in Penrith since 2009) and Kendal Mountain Festival. ==Places of interest==

File:Stan Laurel c1920.jpg| Stan Laurel File:Potter 1912.JPG| Beatrix Potter File:William Wordsworth at 28 by William Shuter2.jpg| William Wordsworth ==Symbols==

, adopted in 2025 The county is represented by the Flag of Cumbria, also known as the Cumbria Community Flag. The design features green and gold chevrons symbolising the county's hills, fells and farmland, a blue field for its lakes, rivers and coastline, and a golden crown representing unity, heritage and civic pride. ==See also==