NIBTHWAITE GRANGE

FARM - NEAR ULVERSTON

THE FARM

ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURES

VISITORS

ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURES

The farm is a mixture of small fields and meadowland next to the River Crake and Coniston lake, native woodland on the lower valley slopes and upland heath on the intake and fell.

GEOLOGY

Most of the land lies on Coniston slate. The land at Park-a-Moor lies on the Ashgill Formation which is a fault formed out of mud lain down in deep water and runs through Tarn Hows and Torver.

SOIL TYPE(S)

The land is very acid with alluvial soils on gravel in the valley. On the intake and fell land there are peat and thin mineral soils with rock out crops.

FAUNA

The farm is home to Barn and Tawny Owls, Buzzards, Kestrals, Sparrowhawks and Peregrine Falcons. In the lowland areas Partridge have recently been spotted and Yellowhammers and Gold Finches have increased in numbers.

In the woods there are green and spotted Woodpeckers, Jays, Treekreepers, Red Squirrels and Pine Martins.

There are Sand Pipers on the lakeshore which are sadly reducing to an increased feral geese problem.

On the uplands there are Wheatears, Meadow Pipits, Curlew, Snipe and Woodcock, Weasels, Roe and Red deer.

HEDGEROWS

The land at Nibthwaite has a long length of hedges which are of diverse species being originally formed from the woodland edge as the fields were cleared. These are laid on a rotation every 7 to 12 years to form a stronger hedge and provide firewood for the farm.

FLORA

The farm has several nationally important species including some of the most northern examples of Small leaved Lime, several stands of Juniper, Atlantic Oak Woodland and Touch-me-not-Balsam the food plant of the red data species Netted Carpet Moth.

Lillies

ARCHAEOLOGY

The name Nibthwaite is of Norse origin and means small hut or "bothy" in a clearing. Both the original old farmhouse at Nibthwaite Grange and the original walls at Park-a-Moor were built as part of the land holdings of the monks based at Furness Abbey in the Thirteenth century. The land was emparked in 1339 to form a Herdwyck or sheep pasture.

During the dissolution of the monastaries, Nibthwaite was kept on by the church as a Grange for the monastery and was eventually sold by James 1st.

The area was heavily used for smelting ore from the Coniston fells from as early as the bronze age using charcoal made from the local woods. Several very early bloomeries and charcoal pitsteads can be found in the fields. This practice flourished right through the middle ages and was at its height in the eighteenth century.

DRY STONE WALLS

The farm also has several km of stone walls which are all in good condition with over 500m rebuilt in the last few years with help from the Lake District Environmentally Sensitive Area scheme.

VERNACULAR BUILDINGS & FEATURES

The old farm houses at Nibthwaite and Park-a-Moor date from the 14th century. The have had several additions over the centuries, but both include inglenook fires with smoking hooks in the chimney, spice cuboards and cast iron fire grates. There is also a ruined farm at High Park-a-Moor, a field barn with a Wrostlers style slate ridge and a peat house. The Atkinsons now live in a converted Georgian barn.