Descriptive Gazetteer Entry for AMBLESIDE

AMBLESIDE, a small town, a township, a chapelry, and a subdistrict, in Westmoreland. The town stands on a central spot of the Lake country, at the mouths of Stockgill glen and Rothay vale, under Wansfell and Fairfield mountain, 1 mile above the head of Windermere lake, and 4½ NNW of Windermere r. station. It is a great resort of tourists for visiting the Lakes; and it commands a very noble circle of views and drives. It presents an irregular appearance; but it has, of late years, been much extended and improved; and it contains three large hotels, some comfortable lodging-houses, and many good shops. It has a post office‡ under Windermere, a banking office, a library, a national school, and a free grammar school; and is a polling-place, and a seat of petty sessions. Coaches run from it daily to Windermere, Grasmere, Keswick, and Cockermouth. A market is held on Wednesday; and fairs on Whit-Wednesday, and on 13 and 29 Oct. An ancient cross stood in the market-place. A church, built in 1812, stands within the town, continues to be in use; and a new church, built in 1854, in the mediæval style, with a memorial window to Wordsworth, and a disproportionately large steeple, stands in the vale to the west. There are a chapel for Methodists, a town hall built in 1858, and a mechanics' institute. A bobbin mill, of picturesque appearance, is in the mouth of Stockgill glen. The Roman station Dictis w as in the neighbourhood, near the head of Windermere, and can still be faintly traced. Many Roman coins and other Roman relics have been found there; and some of them are preserved at Oxford. Ambleside dates from remote times; and was called first Amelsate, and afterwards Hamelside. A peculiar ceremony, which originated in the time of Pope Gregory IV., and includes a procession of school children bearing flower-garlands to the church, is observed annually on the eve of the last Sunday in July. Hence the lines of Wordsworth,-

Forth by rustic music led,
The village children, while the sky is red
With evening light, advance in long array
Through the still churchyard, each with garland gay,
That, carried sceptre-like, o'ertops the head
Of the proud wearer.

The township of Ambleside is partly in the parish of Windermere, partly in that of Grasmere. Acres, 3,244,-of which 454 are water. Real property, £7,482. Pop., 1,603. Houses, 306. The property is much subdivided. Many parts are adorned with fine residences, and with gardens, lawns, or woods. One part in the west contains a large slate quarry; and the mountains contain lead and copper ore. The chapelry is co-extensive with the township; and is a vicarage in the diocese of Carlisle. Value, £80. Patron, General Le Fleming. Charities, £144.-The subdistrict comprises twelve townships in the parishes of Windermere,. Grasmere, and Kendal. Acres, together with Grayrigg subdistrict, 110,616. Pop., exclusive of Grayrigg, 8,404. Houses, 1,527.


(John Marius Wilson, Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales (1870-72))

Linked entities:
Feature Description: "a small town, a township, a chapelry, and a subdistrict"   (ADL Feature Type: "cities")
Administrative units: Westmorland AncC
Place: Ambleside

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