In 1870-72, John Marius Wilson's Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales described Orton like this:
ORTON, a village, a township, a parish, and a sub-district, in East Ward district, Westmoreland. The village stands near a small tributary of the river Lune, 3 miles N by E of Tebay r. station, and 8¼ S W by S of Appleby; is supposed to be a place of great antiquity; consists chiefly of one long irregular street; and has a post-office† under Shap, Westmoreland, a weekly marketon Wednesday, a cattle market once a-month, and four annual fairs in the months of May, June, September, and October. ...
The township includes the village, and extendsinto the country. Real property, £2, 702. The parish contains also the townships of Ruisbeck, Langdale, Bretherdale, Tebay, and Fawcet-Forest, and part of the township of Birbeck-Fells. Acres, 24, 430. Real property, with the rest of Birbeck-Fells, £9, 566. Pop. in 1851, 1, 456; in 1861, 1, 615. Houses, 331. The increase of pop. was caused by the temporary presence of labourers employed on railway works. The property is much sub-divided. Orton Hall is the seat of the Burnfamily; and the old hall is now a farm-house ' The general surface is very hilly. Orton Scar, in the N vicinity of the village, is a picturesque height, and was formerlycrowned with a beacon, in a chain of beacon-communication along a great extent of country. The rocks include limestone, white sandstone, and traces of lead and copper ores. There are an ancient British cairn, a Druidical circle, and remains of several ancient camps and earthworks; and Roman coins have been found. The living is a vicarage in the diocese of Carlisle. Value, £280.* Patrons, the Landowners. The church belonged formerly to Conishead priory; is ancient but pretty good; and has an embattled tower. There are a Wesleyan chapel, three endowed schools, and charities £112. Richard Burn, author of the " Justice of Peace", was vicar; and Bishop Barlow was a native.—The sub-district contains also two other parishes. Acres, 51, 275. Pop., 3, 31 9. Houses, 667.
Orton through time
Orton is now part of Eden district. Click here for graphs and data of how Eden has changed over two centuries. For statistics about Orton itself, go to Units and Statistics.
GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth, History of Orton, in Eden and Westmorland | Map and description, A Vision of Britain through Time.
URL: https://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/place/4938
Date accessed: 06th November 2024
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