•  Lorton, Cumberland

          Click on the map for other historical maps of this place

In 1870-72, John Marius Wilson's Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales described Lorton like this:

LORTON, a village, a township, and a parish in Cockermouth district, Cumberland. The village stands on the Cocker river, in Lorton vale, 4 miles SSE of Cockermouth r. station; and has a post office under Cockermouth. The township comprises 5,264 acres. Real property, £3,288. Pop., 456. Houses, 90. ...

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The parish contains also the townships of Brackeuthwaite and Wythop; and comprises 10,755 acres. Real property, £5,728. Pop., 658. Houses, 131. The property is much subdivided. Lorton Hall, Lorton House, Fairfield, Oakhill, and Kirkfell House are chief residences. Lorton vale extends from Crummock-water to the N boundary of the parish; is flanked on the W by Low fell and Whin fell,-on the E, by Whiteside, Whinlatter, and Wythop fells; is well-wooded and beautifully picturesque; and contained, till recently, a famous old yewtree, sung as follows by Wordsworth:-

There is a yew-tree, pride of Lorton vale,
Which to this day stands single, in the midst
Of its own darkness, as it stood of yore.
Of vast circumference and gloom profound
This solitary tree ! a living thing,
Produced too slowly ever to decay;
Of form and aspect too magnificent
To be destroyed.

The living is a p. curacy in the diocese of Carlisle. Value, £100. Patron, the Earl of Lonsdale. The church was, in 1867, about to be restored and beautified. There is a parochial school.

Lorton through time

Lorton is now part of Allerdale district. Click here for graphs and data of how Allerdale has changed over two centuries. For statistics about Lorton itself, go to Units and Statistics.

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