Cartmel, Holker Hall, Cark and Gothershead Gate

LRO ref. DDX 194/35

These two sheets of information are, at first, difficult to comprehend due to the fact that so much information is included on one of the sheets. This is regardless of orientation in the vicinity of Holker Hall and Cark. It is likely that much of the surveying work in the area around Cark was done on the same day.

Part I - Cartmel to Holker Hall - Distance 1.5 miles

This survey commenced from the Cartmel market cross through the “park gate” in a westerly direction. Over the river Eea was the lane to the forge, which stood one furlong down stream. Next was “a great Barn”, by the river, at almost half a mile. This entire journey was along an unfenced lane across open ground.

Just before the mile reading was “a house well beget round with green trees”. This had two chimneys and was set back 150 yards from the road. This location is now called High Bank Side. Passing the lane from Cark came Sales Brook and the lane to Hill and Walton Hall and from there down the hill, past the lane to Holker town. Then on the main road to the Hall lived in by the Preston family.

At this stage the surveyors chose an arbitrary zero place in the grounds of the Hall and on a path 165 yards to the west of it. From this place they measured several radial routes. The longer ones were to Cark and Gothershead Gate and the shorter ones were in the Hall grounds and in Holker town.

Part II - Holker Hall to Cark and beyond - Distance 0.5 miles

From the starting point in the grounds a winding path two furlongs long led out of on to the main road to Cark a quarter of a mile away. On the west side of Cark lived Thomas Bush.

Leaving Cark on the Cartmel road detailed in Route No 5 they came to Justice Rawlinson’s Cark Hall at reading 0 : 6 : 0 on the dimesurator. On Route Nos 5 and 7 he was designated Justice Alleyson. This gives a clue to the dialect of the local guide used by the surveyors. A little further along they turned left into a walled lane which led up to Walton House one and a quarter miles from the starting point in the grounds of Holker Hall. From the rear of Justice Rawlinson’s Cark Hall was “a little blind way to Holker”.

Part III - Holker to Gothershead Gate - Distance 0.9 miles

To the west of the starting point was a stream at 100 yards followed immediately by a Y-junction. The right hand path led to the moss half a mile away. On the left hand way 100 yards past the stream was Gothershead Barn. Finally the note on the path says “Gothershead gate 7 furlongs 8 poles but is very near a mile from Holker Hall the hall being just 30 poles from ye place where we began our measure.