Thornthwaite Community Plan 2019 Table of Contents 1 The Thornthwaite survey 3 1.1 The team 3 1.2 Themes for the survey 3 1.3 Collection of responses 3 1.4 Methodology used to report the results 4 1.4.1 Analysis of responses by question 4 1.4.2 Action plan 4 1.4.3 The 2012 plan 4 2 Thornthwaite village 5 2.1 Thornthwaite’s history 5 2.2 Thornthwaite today 5 2.3 Getting about in the village 6 2.4 The environment 6 2.5 Impact of tourism 7 3 Household analysis 7 3.1 Action required 8 3.1.1 Community 8 3.1.2 Village facilities 9 3.1.3 Getting around 10 3.1.4 Impact of the Forestry England 13 3.2 Feedback for the Parish Council 14 3.2.1 Impact of LDNPA 14 3.2.2 Impact of tourism 16 3.2.3 Getting around 18 3.3 All other responses 19 3.3.1 Community 19 3.3.2 Village facilities 21 3.3.3 Getting around 26 4 Thornthwaite action plan 29 4.1 Ongoing reviews 33 5 Appendix A The survey 34 6 Appendix B Comments listed by question 37 2 1 The Thornthwaite survey Above Derwent Parish Council maintains a Parish Community Plan for each of Braithwaite, Portinscale, Thornthwaite and Newlands Valley. The plan for Thornthwaite was last compiled in 2012 and the Parish Council asked residents of Thornthwaite to review and update the Thornthwaite Village Community Plan and present it to the Parish Council. A small team of residents met to compile a set of questions for a new village survey and in early February the online survey was circulated to all Thornthwaite residents with an email address held by ADPC and residents emails already known to the team. A link to the survey and printable versions were also made available on the ADPC website. The survey was promoted to residents at village coffee mornings and informally as the opportunity arose. In early March there was a leaflet drop to homes who had yet to respond to the survey and a total of 6 printed copies were provided to residents. The survey closed on March 22.2019 having been extended from an initial deadline of February 28.2019. 1.1 The team Members of the 2019 Thornthwaite Community Plan Team (in alphabetic order): Mike Cave, Sue Grant, Pat Highton, Brenda Kealey, Kim Purvis, Keith Teall, Lynda Teall 1.2 Themes for the survey This survey included questions to residents on current issues for the village within the following themes: ➢ The community ➢ External organisations and influencers: LDNPA, Forestry England, National Trust and tourism ➢ Village facilities ➢ Getting around 1.3 Collection of responses The online survey was hosted through Survey Monkey, a company specialising in online surveys. Online responses were downloaded and paper copies transcribed and added to the online responses. Some initial hiccups in the online survey were quickly rectified and ultimately 79 surveys were submitted reflecting the opinions of 82 residents. (3 responses specifically identified that each was a joint response). A further 5 were received as paper copies. online surveys received numbers of count percentage residents total number 147 represented registered on 79 82 electoral role paper surveys 5 5 residents 87 59% represented in total 84 87 returned surveys Fig 1 table of surveys received and residents Fig 2 proportion of residents responding to survey engaging with survey A preamble was included to provide some context for each question. Some residents expressed their concern that this information was biased. We acknowledge this is potentially a valid criticism, however respondents were able to state their objections and their comments are included with all responses. 3 1.4 Methodology used to report the results 1.4.1 Analysis of responses by question All of the percentages shown reflect the total number of respondents to that question. 1.4.2 Action plan Each question has been ranked based on its importance to residents: HIGH action required the responses suggest residents expect action to be taken by the Parish Council HIGH action supported the responses suggest residents are looking for action by the Parish Council MEDIUM action desirable action to these responses will be at the discretion of the Parish Council LOW opinion divided No clear opinion between ‘yes’ and ‘no’ ADVISORY residents’ view to inform future positions taken by the Parish Council Fig 3 ranking of questions based on survey outcomes and comments Comments for each question have been consolidated into key messages. The full list of anonymised comments can be found in Appendix B Comments listed by question. 1.4.3 The 2012 plan Historical commentary and other background detail is carried forward into this plan. With thanks to the compilers of the 2012 plan. Achievements as a direct result of the 2012 survey included: ➢ car park at St Marys church ➢ purple refuse bags to collect recycling ➢ additional gritting bins ➢ wider publicity of the voluntary car service ➢ monthly village coffee mornings 4 2 Thornthwaite village 2.1 Thornthwaite’s history The Bronze Age has left some traces of human endeavour in this area, and it is possible that a Romano-British road must have come through the parish of Thornthwaite – the clearing with the thorn bushes from the 'old' Norse ‘thorn thveit’. The village itself is probably well over 1000 years old, and was settled by families of Norwegians, whose kinsmen colonised Iceland in 874 A.D and probably arrived in our area about 900 A.D. The Norsemen were mixed farmers and the land around the settlement would probably have supported about 100 inhabitants and 10 farms. In 1240 a small chapel of ease was provided for the settlers by Patrick de Workingham who owned the surrounding lands. There are some records of farming in the area, for example in 1578 there were four farms at Powter Howe alone. The settlement slowly extended upwards and deeper into the woods leaving the chapel alone amid the fields, but in 1652 a preacher was ordained to serve the parish and by 1746 money was found for a ‘perpetual curate’ for the village. At one time Thornthwaite was a township in the Manor of Braithwaite and Coledale held by the Earl of Egremont and later by Lord Leconfield of Cockermouth Castle. Lord Derwentwater took part in the Rebellion of 1715 and was captured and beheaded as a traitor. His estates, including Thornthwaite, were given to Greenwich Hospital. By the eighteenth century the village population was growing fast, and there was a profitable lead mine, a bobbin mill, two woollen factories, and a saw-mill in Thornthwaite. The Governors of Greenwich Hospital began a planting programme, and in 1814 when Thornthwaite Common was enclosed the whole of the area was designated for forestry. By 1840 the church was accommodating 180 people and had acquired a burial ground, and in 1853 the church we see today was built. A pointer to the size of the population can be seen in the churchyard where in the nineteenth century extra land was acquired and consecrated three times. The extensions can be mapped by the dates on the gravestones. The first vicarage was at Hallgarth, but in 1845 Ladstock was purchased, and became the vicarage. The forest areas around Thornthwaite Common were the first to be planted by the Forestry England in 1919. The growth of the estate involved the displacement of four flocks of Herdwick sheep (about 1,600) and caused a certain amount of controversy in the local area. In the 1940’s and 50’s there was even a hostel for the 100 or so workers. Although the village did not have its own railway, Braithwaite Station was a useful means of transportation both for passengers and freight, and was in use for over 100 years. Pure lead from the Thornthwaite mines was loaded at Braithwaite for conveyance to all parts of the country. Until the last century there was a village hall (opposite the old garage), and also a shop (closed in the 1960’s) in the same area. There was a Post Office (again closed in the 1960’s), and other services including blacksmiths when the mines were in operation. There was also a thriving timber yard and sawmill. There were nine farms in the village – two at Lanefoot, one at Hallgarth, Croftlands, Beckstones, The Faulds, Thornthwaite Hall, Jenkin Hill, and Woodend. 2.2 Thornthwaite today The village has a central cluster of homes with outlying dwellings including Lanefoot Farm, Hallgarth and Ladstock towards Braithwaite and Powter How, Wood End and Beck Wythop towards Cockermouth. There are known to be 44 second homes or holiday lets, representing a significant proportion of houses in the village. 5 Today Thornthwaite village is seen as an active community, with social gatherings including coffee mornings, village events including meals, entertainment and quizzes. The community supports organised village activities including charity events at various venues including the Thornthwaite Galleries, St Mary’s Church, Hallgarth Barn and, beyond the village, the Thornthwaite-Cum-Braithwaite Memorial Hall. Communication within the village is largely informal. Sources of information available to most people includes the Parish News, the weekly edition of the Keswick Reminder and other regional papers. Minutes of parish council meeting are published on the ADPC website and the clerk to the parish council maintains an email list to circulate notices such as local road closures. 2.3 Getting about in the village On a typical day residents and visitors use the roads in the village to get to the Galleries, St Mary’s Church, Powter How, the bus stop, post-box and bottle bank.