In 1998 a group of people living in and around Eskdale in Cumbria, who all had interest in discovering the history of their area, decided to form a society which might bring together the varied interests and skills of themselves and of others in the district. From the beginning it was hoped that there would be people who wanted to carry out individual research and perhaps to publish it. There would be regular winter meetings – some with speakers from outside who had knowledge of specific aspects of local history and some in which members shared their own researches with others. During the summer, evening or weekend walks were to be arranged with leaders who could describe features in the surroundings.

 

 

Over the years the winter meetings have included talks on swill making, old Lakeland buildings, iron ore mining, local corn and water mills and a talk on maps and their uses in local history. Walks have taken us on to the top of Birker Moor to look at cairns, bronze age dwellings and to attempt to discover boundary stones. There have also been walks within the valley looking at old iron ore and copper mines and visits to various old farms in the district which are now either being restored or conserved by their owners.

 

Another project we undertook was to help in the oral history project organised by Cumbria Oral History Project. Several local people with varying backgrounds and histories were recorded on tape by members.

Our hope that individual members would do their own research has proved realistic and about ten of our members are currently doing ‘their own thing’.