England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Gosforth St Mary

The Parish

The parish of Gosforth lies in southern Cumberland, sitting on and forming part of Cumberland's Irish Sea coast. Gosforth is located about 12 miles southeast of the port of Whitehaven and sits on the A595 road which connects Whitehaven with Barrow in Furness. Gosforth is a mid-sized village with most properties to the east of the A595 and mostly gathered along the narrow lane that leads to Wasdale and the heart of the Lake District. The parish extended the 3 miles down to the sea at Seascale where modern developments have impacted on the parish, the rail line from Barrow in Furness through Whitehaven to Carlisle passes through the parish, whilst dominating most views of this area lies the Sellafield Nuclear Power Station (formerly known as Windscale). Prior to these modern day developments Gosforth would have had an economy dominated by pastoral farming together with mineral extraction from further up the valleys, lead and copper were mined on the slopes of Lakeland Fells and transported down valley to the coast through Gosforth. Today Gosforth, apart from the employment in the nuclear industry, is dominated by tourism, the Lakeland Fells so close it acts as a local centre for accommodation. Gosforth s drained, strangely, eastwards by the River Breng, the short distance to the Irt. The Irt emerges into the Irish Sea, together with the Esk, through the port of Ravenglass. Gosforth sits n a sloping site, the higher parts of the village being 80 metres above the sea, whilst the eastern end is 30 metres lower; land rises steeply to the north onto the outer Fells reaching 345 metres on Stone Pike and then rising to Seatallan's impressive 692 metre height, a landmark along this stretch of coastline. The parishes of Cumberland's coastal strip are much smaller than those encompassing the fells, Gosforth parish covered almost 8,200 acres of which almost 3,000 acres were described as rough moorland. The parish would have supported a population of around 1,100 parishioners. Coverage of Domesday Book this far north in England was sparse and Gosforth like many in this area is not mentioned in the book.

The Church

St Mary's church sits at the eastern end of the main village of Gosforth and on the northern side of the lane leading to Wasdale (Wasdale Road). The church's history is somewhat masked by a major rebuilding in the 1890s which almost built the church back from its foundations. Luckily sufficient was reused to determine the origins of the church. The foundations are 12th century and Norman in style, as is the reused but blocked Norman doorway on the southern side. The church was rebuilt in the 14th century as evidenced by the reused chancel arch and it was in this Decorated style that the church was rebuilt again in the 1890s following an interim effort in 1789 characterised by rougher stonework. One interesting novelty is the bellcote which contains a bell captured from the Chinese during the Boxer Rebellion and donated in 1844. Wasdale Road is narrow but parking can be found alongside the church at the entrance to Gosforth Hall Inn. The churchyard is surrounded by a neat local stone wall with a lychgate to grant entry. A few trees stand close to the western end and limiting the views of that bellcote slightly.