Old Cumbria Gazetteer
![]() |
![]() |
|
| placename:- | Orrest Head | |
| parish |
Windermere parish, once in
Westmorland
| |
| county:- | Cumbria | |
| hill; viewpoint | ||
| Altitude | 781 feet | |
| coordinates:- |
SD41429935 | |
| 10Km square:- |
SD49
| |
| 1Km square | SD4199 | |
![]() Orrest Head -- Windermere -- Cumbria / -- Panorama from Orrest Head. -- 5.8.2010 | ||
| source:- |
Martineau 1855
| |
| Guide book, A Complete Guide to the English Lakes, by Harriet Martineau, published by John Garnett, Windermere, Westmorland, and by Whittaker and Co, London, 1855; published 1855-71. | ||
| Page 5:- | ||
| ... When the traveller foot or horseback sees certain reaches of Lake Windermere from Orrest Head, lying deep down below him, he knows he is coming near the end of the railway, ... The old coach road over Orrest Head and the railway meet at the new village of Windermere, ... | ||
| ... Orrest Head, where | ||
| Page 6:- | ||
| he will see a lovely view,- a picturesque cottage roof, surrounded by trees, in the foreground; grey rocks cropping out of the sward on the other side of the hedges; and in front, overlapping hills, range behind range, with the grey waters of the lake lying below. Already, a traveller who should remain any time in the district would find himself introduced to the humours of a remote region. Odd sayings and doings remain, and traditions of old singularities are not lost. This place, Orrest Head, was the residence of the noted Josiah Brown, who amused himself, a century ago, with welcoming beggars, whom he supplied with meat and lodging, sometimes to the number of twenty in a night. He called them his 'jolly companions,' and no doubt he got a world of amusement out of them, in return for his hospitality. The local saying, 'that's too big a bo-o for a young horse,' was Josiah Brown's, and it was originated thus. He was breaking in a young horse, when one of his men took a liberty,- such as his servants were always taking with him,- but in this case to be repented of. The fellow hid himself behind a gate-post, and yelled so tremendously as his master passed through that Josiah was thrown, and broke his leg. His good-natured criticism was, 'that was too big a bo-o for a young horse,' and this is still the proverbial expression of extreme surprise. | ||
| person:- | beggar | |
| person:- | : Brown, Josiah | |
| date:- | 1855 | |
| period:- | 19th century, late; 1850s | |
| old map:- |
Ford 1839 map
| |
| Map of the Lake District, published in A Description of Scenery in the Lake District, by William Ford, published by Charles Thurnham, London, 1839. | ||
| ||
| Orrest Hd. | ||
| Hill hachuring. | ||
| placename:- | Orrest Head | |
| county:- | Westmoreland | |
| date:- | 1839 | |
| period:- | 19th century, early; 1830s | |
| descriptive text:- |
Ford 1839 (3rd edn 1843)
| |
| Description of Scenery in the Lake District, by William Ford, published by Charles Thurnham, London, et al, 1839; published 1839-52. | ||
| Page 160:- | ||
| ... | ||
| Orest Head is ornamented by several villas, and commands very noble views of Windermere. | ||
| placename:- | Orrest Head | |
| date:- | 1839 | |
| period:- | 19th century, early; 1830s | |
| old map:- |
West 1784 map
| |
| A Map of the Lakes in Cumberland, Westmorland and Lancashire, now Cumbria, scale about 3.5 miles to 1 inch, engraved by Paas, 53 Holborn, London, included in the Guide to the Lakes by Thomas West, published by William Pennington, Kendal, Westmorland, and in London, from the 3rd edition 1784, to 1821. | ||
| goto source. | |
| ||
| placename:- | Orresthead | |
| building/s | ||
| county:- | Westmorland | |
| descriptive text:- |
West 1778 (11th edn 1821)
| |
| Guide book, A Guide to the Lakes, by Thomas West, published by William Pennington, Kendal, Cumbria once Westmorland, and in London, 1778 to 1821. | ||
|
goto source. | |
| Addendum; Mr Gray's Journal, 1769 | ||
| Page 213:- | ||
| ... The way [road south from Ambleside] rises continually, till a place called Orrest-head where it turns south-east, losing sight of the water [Windermere]. ... | ||
| placename:- | Orrest Head | |
| date:- | 1769 | |
| period:- | 18th century, late; 1760s | |
| old print:- |
Black 1856 (23rd edn 1900)
| |
| Guide book, Black's Guide to the English Lakes, published by Adam and Charles Black, North Bridge, Edinburgh, Lothian, Scotland, or Soho Square, London, 1856 to 1900s onwards. | ||
| ||
| Print, lithograph, Outline Views, Windermere - Mountains as seen from the North End of Belle Isle, Windermere, and Mountains as seen from Biscay How, Bowness, by J Flintoft, Keswick, Cumberland, engraved by R Mason, Edinburgh, Lothian, about 1900. | ||
| ... 16 Orrest Head ... | ||
| placename:- | Orrest Head | |
| date:- | 1900 | |
| period:- | 1900s | |
| old print:- |
Baddeley 1930s
| |
| ||
| Print, lithograph, Panorama of Fells, etc, from Orrest Head, engraved by John Bartholomew and Co, Edinburgh, published by Ward, Lock and Co, Warwick House, Salisbury Square, London, 1930s. | ||
| date:- | 1937=1940 | |
| period:- | 1930s | |
| old print:- |
Black 1841 (3rd edn 1846)
| |
| Guide book, Black's Picturesque Guide to the English Lakes, published by Adam and Charles Blck, North Bridge, Edinburgh, Lothian, Scotland, 1841 to 1888. | ||
| ||
| Print, engraving, outline view, Mountains as seen from the North End of Belle Isle, Windermere, and Mountains as seen from Bisket How, Bowness, by J Flintoft, Keswick, Cumberland, engraved by R Mason, Edinburgh, about 1844. | ||
| ... 16 Orrest Head ... | ||
| placename:- | Orrest Head | |
| date:- | 1844 | |
| period:- | 19th century, early | |
| photographs | ||
| Orrest Head -- Windermere -- Cumbria / -- Outline view on Orrest Head. -- 5.8.2010 | |
| Orrest Head -- Windermere -- Cumbria / -- Outline view on Orrest Head. -- 5.8.2010 | |
| Orrest Head -- Windermere -- Cumbria / -- Outline view on Orrest Head, detail of the Langdale PIkes. BUT ... -- The summit labelled Pike of Stickle is Harrison Stickle with Dungeon Ghyll to its left, the slightly drawn summit to the left of that is Loft Crag. The Harrison Stickle label is a nothing. This removes our confidence in the other labels on this peely-waly watercolour sketch. -- 5.8.2010 | |
| Orrest Head -- Windermere -- Cumbria / -- View of Langdale Pikes as on the outline view. -- The right half has Loft Crag, then Dungeon Ghyll, and Harrison Stickel and its ridge towards Pavey Ark. -- 5.8.2010 | |
| Orrest Head -- Windermere -- Cumbria / -- Bench mark, rivet? vandalised? -- 5.8.2010 | |
| Orrest Head -- Windermere -- Cumbria / -- Seat. -- 5.8.2010 | |
| Orrest Head -- Windermere -- Cumbria / -- Seat, inscription:- -- 'THOU WHO HAST GIVEN ME EYES TO SEE / AND LOVE THIS SIGHT SO FAIR / GIVE ME A HEART TO FIND OUT THEE / AND READ THEE EVERYWHERE' -- 5.8.2010 | |
| Old Cumbria Gazetteer - JandMN: 2008 | ||
Lakes Guides
menu.
email:- JandMN@norgate.freeserve.co.uk
Other projects
Geography Department, Portsmouth University