Broughton Moor

infobox UK place
static_

static_image_caption= St. Columba's Church
country = England
official_name= Broughton Moor
latitude= 54.6872
longitude= -3.4696
population= 726 (2001)
shire_district= Allerdale
shire_county = Cumbria
region= North West England
constituency_westminster= Workington
post_town= Maryport
postcode_district = CA15
dial_code= 01900
os_grid_reference= NY061345

Broughton Moor is a village and civil parish in the Allerdale district of Cumbria, England. It is situated on an extensive moor about 2 miles north from Broughton and 5 north-west of Cockermouth. According to the 2001 census [ [http://www.cumbria.gov.uk/factsandfigures/census-2001/census.asp| 2001 census] ] it had a population of 726. The village is about 2½ miles south of Maryport. The village has a small Primary School with approximately 50 children on roll and a Preschool ( [http://www.cuddly-koalas.org.uk/ Cuddly Koalas] ) with approximately 24 children on roll. There is a Church (St. Columba's, C of E) and a Methodist Chapel. The village also has a Public House (The Miners Arms) and a village shop. They also have an excellent Fish and Chip shop.

As well as the village of Broughton Moor itself, the parish also includes Harker Marsh (gbmapping|NY061345).

History

The earliest record of Broughton Moor (then spelled Broghton more) appeared as early as 1187 in Holme Cultram Abbey [ [http://www.british-history.ac.uk/source.asp?pubid=399 The Register and Records of Holme Cultram] ] records. Broughton Moor was formed into a civil parish on October 1, 1898, by Local Government Board Order 38,315, from Great and Little Broughton townships [Kelly's Directory of Cumbria 1929] , and is in the Workington division of the county, ward of Allerdale-below-Derwent, Derwent petty sessional division, Cockermouth union, county court district of Cockermouth and Workington, rural deanery of Maryport and archdeaconry and Diocese of Carlisle.

The church of St. Columba, erected in 1904, is a building of stone, with chancel, nave, south porch and a tower containing one bell. The Church was consecrated on 3 May 1905. It was built by the villagers under the direction of Lloyd Wilson to the designs of the well-known church architect, W. D. Caroe, who gave his services gratuitously. It is said that Mr Caroe had recently returned from a visit to St Columba's on the Isle of Iona and that he was influenced by the ruined abbey church of Our Lady, hence the feeling of early Celtic influence. Until 1936, St. Columba's, Broughton Moor, was a chapelry in the Parish of Christ Church, Little Broughton. It is now a listed building. Although only a small church of approximately 100 seats, it has a lovely atmosphere which is often commented on by visitors. In the last 18 months it has undergone extensive restoration and is about to be internally redecorated. The register dates from the year 1905. There is a Wesleyan chapel, built in 1903, and there was a Primitive Methodist chapel, built 1864.

There were collieries here and opencast coal sites cleared many of the deep mines in April 1958 [West Cumberland Coal 1600-1982/3 by Oliver Wood] . Coaling ceased at Broughton Moor in June 1959 only to be started up again sometime after 1964 when the Blooming Heather opencast site extended towards the village from the nearby village of Dearham.

The soil is limey; subsoil, stone. The population in 1912 was 932. Between the 1930s and 1992cite journal |journal=Narrow Gauge News |month=March |year=1992 |number=189 |title=Industrial News] the area was home to "Royal Navy Armaments Depot Broughton Moor"

Broughton Moor today

Broughton Moor is a quiet village situated almost centrally in the triangle formed by Cockermouth, Maryport and Workington. With a current population of around 600 (adults) it was built originally to house the mining community. Only two miles from the coast, Broughton Moor is situated on a ridge overlooking the Solway Firth to the north with superb views and spectacular sunsets over the Galloway Hills, while to the south there is the incomparable vista of the Lakeland Fells. There is a mix of privately owned and local authority housing and a blend of social groups. Nowadays the local coal mines have closed, and after extensive opencast mining in recent years the land has reverted to its former agricultural state. The majority of the workforce are employed outside the village in surrounding towns and industries.

The area surrounding the village offers walks over fields and through woodland and there is a small tarn. There is diverse wildlife such as red squirrels, foxes, badgers, buzzards, sparrowhawks, pheasants, owls etc. as well as those species more frequently seen.

Part of the tarn field has been purchased by Persimmon Homes who are currently building over 40 new homes on the site.

External Links

* [http://www.visitcumbria.com/wc/broughtonmoor.htm Broughton Moor on Visitcumbria.com]
* [http://www.visitcumbria.com/churches/broughtonmoor.htm St. Columba's Church on Visitcumbria.com]

References