Cumbrian Curiosities

“Cumbria Curiosities” brings together a series of unusual, intriguing and extraordinary buildings, structures, incidents and people from all parts of the county.

Included in these pages are the amazing achievements of ‘Iron-Mad John Wilkinson’, who was behind the construction of the world’s first iron bridge across the River Severn at Coalbrookdale, and who was buried in an iron coffin; the Rebel’s Tree at Clifton – setting for the last battle on English soil; Maryport’s church, where the pulpit is in the form of a ship’s prow; a hilltop tower at Hampsfell which has poetic advice for travellers; and, Millom’s Gallows Field, where felons were executed in the seventeenth century. As well as these fascinating relics from Cumbria’s industrial, ecclesiastical and military past are curious customs at locations ranging from the Irish Sea, to the dramatic peaks of the Lake District and the fertile lowland areas. Using a range of illustrations and photographs, Robert Woodhouse tells an alternative history of Cumbria that will fascinate residents and visitors alike.