Miterdale

Miterdale is a little known corner of the Lake District tucked away between Eskdale and Wasdale. It runs down from Burnmoor Tarn on the shoulder of Scafell, England's highest mountain, into the coastal plain in the parish of Irton. The River Mite reaches the sea at Ravenglass. The lower reaches of the Mite, in the parish of Irton, are separated from the lower reaches of Eskdale and Muncaster by Muncaster fell.

There were seven farms in Miterdale at the end of the sixteenth century - or eight if Low Holme is included. These farms, and their tenants, are known from the Percy Survey of 1578 and the Eskdale 24 Book of 1587.

At the bottom of the valley, where the Mite flows into the more open land of the parish of Irton, is Langrigg Green. Low Holm is on the end of the ridge between Miterdale and Eskdale. Two and a half km up the valley from Langrigg Green is Low Place and then another kilometre further up is the grouping of Bakerstead, Browyeat, Sword House and Miterdale Head (split into two farms).

Miterdale Head, Browyeat and Sword House are now ruins. Bakerstead is a barn now converted into an outdoor pursuit centre.

By the second half of the eighteenth century the valley (excluding Low Holme and Langrigg Green) was consolidated into two properties -

Miterdale Head (1750) and Sword House (1750) under William Coupland
Bakerstead (1771) Browyeat (1750) and Low Place (1750) under Stephen Nicholson

By 1821¹ all these upper valley properties were 'owned' by (Thomas) Nicholson and were inherited by his son John Nicholson.

See separate pages for

Miterdale Head
Swordhouse
Browyeat
Bakerstead
Low Place
Low Holme
Langrigg Green

Eskdale Bobbin Mill remains a subject for further research.

There were two further properties in the area - Bang-Garth NY15200070, described as a tenementum prostratum (destroyed holding) in 1570, and Porterthwaite NY14081204 which lies in the parish of Irton⁴

(Note Holegill common is at the end of the ridge between Wasdale and Miterdale, between Eusthwaite in Wasdale and Low Place in Miterdale. The stream running off to the north is now known as Greathallgill)

1    Deserted Farmstead Sites at Miterdale Head, Eskdale, by Angus J.L. Winchester
        (CWAAS 1979 pp150-155)

2    Transcription of the Percy Survey, from "Past Presented" - with acknowledgements to David Bradbury.

3    CWAAS .ART. III. – A Pedigree of the Family of Porter of Bolton, Cumberland. By C. A. PARKER, M.D., F.R.C.S.E. Communicated at Carlisle, April 27^th, 1911.

4    Miterdale and Giggle Alley Forests, Cumbria - Archeological Survey Report - Report No 1999-2000/087/AUA 8991 by the Lancaster University Archeological Unit.