ColtonColton The results of a community consultation 2003 Parish Plan •Lakeside •Finsthwaite •Bouth •Oxen Park •Rusland •Nibthwaite ContentsContents 1. Foreword . .2 5. Summary of Survey Results . .28 - 30 by the Chairman of the Parish Council Analysis of the AHA report on the Questionnaire 2. Introduction and Policy . .3 6. Residents comments from questionnaire . .31 - 33 3. The Parish of Colton . .4 7. The Open Meetings Brief . .34 report on the three open meetings held and comments and points 4. Response from Organisations and Individuals . .5 raised at the meetings Information provided by various organisations Rusland & District W.I. .5 8. Action Plan . .35 - 37 Bouth W.I. .6 Young Farmers . .7-8 9. Vision for the Future . .38 Holy Trinity Parish Church Colton . .9 Saint Paul’s Parish Church, Rusland . .10 10. Colton Parish Councillors . .39 Tottlebank Baptist Church . .11 Rookhow Friends Meeting house in the Rusland Valley . .12 11. Appendix . .40 Finsthwaite Church . .13 Copy of the Parish Plan Questionnaire Response from Schools . .14 - 15 A Few of the Changes in Fifty Years of Farming . .16 - 17 National Park Authority owned properties in Colton Parish . .18 Response from the Lake District National Park Authority . .19 Response from Cumbria County Council . .19 South Lakeland District Council . .20 Rusland Valley Community Trust . .21 Forest Enterprise . .22 Hay Bridge Nature Reserve . .23 Lakeside & Finsthwaite Village Hall . .24 Rusland Reading Rooms . .25 Bouth Reading Rooms . .25 Oxen Park Reading Room . .25 Rusland Valley Horticultural Society . .26 - 27 Colton Parish Plan 2003 Page 1 1.1. ForewordForeword Colton Parish is one of the larger rural generally. It has also had the effect of parishes within the Lake District National diluting what was a very close-knit society Park. It covers some 20 square miles, years ago. bounded on the west by the shore of Lake Windermere, and on the east by the shore Over recent years the rate of change has of Coniston water.The topography of the accelerated, speeded along recently by the Parish divides it into three valleys running tragedy of the foot & mouth epidemic, and roughly north/south, one being the indications are this rate of change is Windermere, one Coniston, and the third likely to continue.The purpose of this the Rusland valley in between the other Parish Plan is to enable the Parish Council two. to try meet this challenge, and to specifically address the problems which Each valley has its own particular you, the people of the Parish, have character, and interests, and as a result is a highlighted. challenging Parish to administer as a whole. In recent years the Parish has The Council were delighted with the changed from a predominately farming response to the survey, with some 66% community to one where farming is now a replies.This has enabled us to obtain a less dominant activity, and there is much clearer profile of the Parish which more reliance on tourism and other hopefully will help us to be more effective activities for income (in particular as a Council in both understanding Lakeside, which is now very orientated to concerns and decision making. tourism).The population has changed too, with more retired and elderly people Please do take time out to read this, and coming into the area, which has the effect we would welcome comments: the Parish of inflating house prices to the point Council is, and must always be, a two way where it is almost impossible for young affair, we need input from you to help us couples to get on the housing ladder.This to work for you. is leading to a scarcity of young families with the consequent adverse effect on Bobbie Dobson local schools, and the local community Chairman of the Parish Council Colton Parish Plan 2003 Page 2 2.2. IntroductionIntroduction THE POLICY OF THE Colton Parish is situated in the southern Action Cumbria, Colton Parish Council set appropriate. Presentations of the proposed PARISH COUNCIL area of the Lake District National Park, up a steering group to examine the future plan would be made at the Rusland Show and lies within South Lakeland District of the Parish.The steering group consisting in the summer of 2002 and another in the The Policy of the Parish Council is to Council’s area of responsibility. Its of eight people was set up with two Parish spring show 2003. promote the well being of the boundaries, shown on the map, are the Councillors, Parish Clerk, and five community as a whole, with A590 to the south, the shores of Lake members of the public. One of the The Steering Group would design and Windermere to the east for a distance of steering group became a Parish Councillor produce a SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE, particular regard to where there three miles and a northern boundary during the preparation of the plan. which would and circulated and collected may a conflict of interests. stretching across to Coniston Water to by the committee to all the homes in the the West.This western boundary runs in a The Objectives of the report Parish.The results of the Survey would be It is also the policy of the council to southerly direction back to the A590. were to professionally analysed by a Marketing strongly represent the interests of Company. the parish in areas where they have The Parish embraces the settlements of • Set out an achievable and long-term no direct control of the decision LAKESIDE, FINSTHWAITE, BOUTH, vision for the future. Three meetings would be organised to making. OXEN PARK, RUSLAND, NIBTHWAITE discuss the results of the Survey and COLTON. • Identify local problems and Questionnaire and other relevant matters. opportunities. The population consists of a mixture of These public meetings would be organised farmers, a large proportion of retired • Prepare a plan of action to achieve to discuss the results of the Survey people families and residents who mainly this vision. Questionnaire.These would be held at The work outside the Parish and a sizeable Boathouse Hotel, Lakeside,The Manor number of holiday homes. Background House, Oxen Park, and The Red Lion, Lowick Bridge adjacent to Nibthwaite. The nature of the Parish is very diverse, The Steering Group set up a series of Refreshments would be provided. split into three valleys, with the eastern meetings to formulate the Plan. It was side having a high proportion of tourist decide to produce a document listing the Steering Group meetings would be held at activities and the rest devoted more to HISTORY - PRESENT - FUTURE of the regular interval throughout the farming. Parish. formulation of the Plan to monitor the progress and decide the final structure of Objectives A map of the Parish of Colton would be the Colton Parish Plan. produced highlighting the nature of the Acting on a government initiative, with Parish. Local organisations would be Detailed reports on all the actions financial help from the Country Side contacted and asked to contribute to the mentioned in the Introduction will be Agency and assistance from Voluntary plan, complimented with photographs if found elsewhere in this document. Colton Parish Plan 2003 Page 3 3.3. TheThe ParishParish ofof ColtonColton History and characteristics of the Haverthwaite, Finsthwaite and Rusland, charcoal which was made in the woods the Parish Haverthwaite is now an independent length and breadth of the parish. parish. Colton parish has a parish council There are four village schools serving the of nine members. Colton parish was a very busy and quite area, but they are located in adjacent industrial parish in the 1700s the woods parishes, six places of worship, three In 1613 James 1 granted to William and were used for charcoal burning, bark was Church of England, one Baptist Church and George Whitmore the manor or bailiwick collected for tanning, Basket making, hoop one Quaker Meeting House, five public of Nibthwaite with lands, the manor or making, bobbin turning, iron smelting, and houses/hotels, four village halls and two bailiwick of Colton with mansion house potash making which was for the woollen church halls, two outdoor centres, one and demesne land, lands in Sales, Crake, industry.All over the woods today can be residential home, one garage (repairs only) Bouth, Haybridge, Kirkthwaite, Oxenpark, found evidence of charcoal burner's huts, two nature reserves, there are no shops, Bandrake Head,Abbot Park and potash pits and of course coppiced but the area is served by mobile traders, Ickenthwaite and all perquisites of the woodland. one village playground, run and maintained court and manor of Colton, except 56s 8d by a Sub-Committee of the parish council. bloom smithy rent payable to the bailiff of The Manor House, Oxen Park Hawkshead, lands in Finsthwaite, Stott Park Colton is first mentioned in old Lancashire and Rusland.The Whitmores at once records in 1202 when King John was on proceeded to sell in parcels and so Colton the throne. Hawkshead and Colton were has come into the hands of a number of formerly a chapelry under Dalton, and was land owners. one parish, but did not become an independent parish until 1587; a century What is the origin of the name Colton? Is later in 1676 Colton became independent it from the Saxon personal name of Cola from Hawkshead. Coleton was the first or from Kolt or Koir which is old norse, spelling of the name in 1202 and Coulton or does it relate to Colton beck in flood was the usual spelling until about 1850. Kola - the coal black one - being a reasonably common Norwegian (and Lakeside There are seven customary divisions or Viking) name for such streams, or can it be hamlets, the parish consisted of Colton from the same word but meaning coals or East,Colton West, Nibthwaite, Colton Parish Plan 2003 Page 4 4.4.