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Farlam Parish
Farlam is a fell side parish, set at the foot of the North Pennine Fells, some 400 feet above Brampton. It falls to a large extent within the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
It was the sight of these fells that prompted Francis Jollie, the early 19th century writer to say:-We now approach the mountains on the borders of Northumberland, which are heavy and disagreeable; but to atone for their bare surface and unpleasant appearance, they produce great quantities of coal and limestone (Jollie's Cumberland Guide and Directory,I8II Chap 9 route from Carlisle by the east).
It was this coal and stone that helped to provide income for the Earls of Carlisle and also led to the area being involved with the early rail development.
These disagreeable hills have a far more agreeable use today, because they are largely used for recreation with a large area under the management of the RSPB as the Geltsdale Bird Sanctuary. It is ideal for walkers and bird watchers.
OPEN ACCESS AREAS
A large portion of the surrounding area is OPEN ACCESS and Cumbria County Council have a very good website with a number of guided walk sheets.
You can also obtain a map of the Public Rights of Way by following the link to Cumbria County Council
The Parish of Farlam originally consisted of East Farlam and West
Farlam.
There are five main Villages within the parish, Forest Head, Kirkhouse, Farlam, Tindale and Hallbankgate, plus a number of Hamlets
and even more smaller groups of houses that were built for workers and each house would have been one room up and one down, have now two been made into one. The Parish Church, St Thomas a’Becket is in
Kirkhouse and the present church built in 1860 sits on a hill above
the site where there has been a church since 1169, possibly even earlier and opposite is Kirkhouse Farm that was the heart of the Earl of Carlisle's mining and quarrying operations
Joseph Bell Snr. who’s son Joseph Bell Jr was the Chief Engineer
on the Titanic and went down with the ship, lived in Farlam Village and his name has recently been added to the headstone of the family grave in the old graveyard at Kirkhouse.
Hallbankgate is the
largest village in the Parish and now has the only remaining Public
House, “The Belted Will”, The School, “Hallbankgate Village
School”, shop, “The Hub” and Village Hall, “The Lacy Thompson
Memorial Hall”