Old Church in Hensingham, Whitehaven

[Jackie M]

Hello again.

If the weather is Ok at the weekend I will have a trip over to the graveyard and photograph some of the remaining headstones to see how far back they date if you are interested.

I'm not exactly sure of the date of the pic but I know that my last known relative buried in the graveyard was in 1919 which I find a little strange as I think the new St Johns was built in 1913.  Unfortunately there is no headstone for my relative but the extremely helpful people at the Whitehaven cemetry had a record for the original St Johns burials and knew exactly where to find it. 

It's strange I've lived here all my life and until this year I didn't even know it existed.  I guess that fact (as Geoff spotted) that the lane next to it was called Church Lane should have give me a clue!

[Subaru]

'The old church was built in 1791 and enlarged in 1843.  By 1913 the fabric had deteriorated badly and a new church, St John's was built on another site given by the Earl of Lonsdale.'

Taken from the description with the photo, that I photocopied from a book a long time ago (can't remember its title)  A branch of my family (Lawson) lived in Hensingham Square in 1851, all from the Isle of Man.

The building next to the pub became a little newsagents, lots of schoolchildren using it on the way home from school.  It's now a house.  There's now one of those silly little roundabouts there, where everybody sits and waits, not sure whose turn it is to go.

Rosemary

[Geoff-E]

Out of sight to the left, where the road dips down towards Whitehaven was the Beehive Inn at 14 Main Street, which my grandparents kept for a while, leaving in 1953. 

A few years ago, I spoke to the old lass next door (who had been born there and remembered it being a pub) but she didn't remember them.

[emmsthheight]

Hi

Yes, I remember there being a so called "Tuck Shop" there, and I know there was a great chip shop on the hill, on the left going up hill towards the Methodist Chapel.

As for the new traffic system, the odd time I go near, I' m wondering where I am, never name what to do!

Best wishes

Emms

[Subaru]

Taken from the same book:

'The village of Hensingham has altered little in shape since 1905 when this photo was taken.  The occupants around the Square area would be greatly pleased if the volume of traffic was as light today as it appears here.'

The chip shop is still there, although it isn't 'Bobs' anymore.  We don't go there as much now, and the kids find it harder to get out at dinner times from school.  I hope your Beehive Inn is on here Geoff.  It's not a brilliant picture, it's a copy of a copy.  But as it says in the description, it's hardly changed, apart from the roundabout.

Emms if our roads confuse you, you should see it at the moment.  The council have decided in their wisdom to close one of the main roads into Whitehaven, for five weeks (Inkerman Terrace).  As you can imagine it is absolute chaos.  Every route you take is the same, there is a backlog of traffic, diverted and confused.

Rosemary

[Subaru]

Is that any better?  I don't post many photos or pictures, so I'm a bit rusty

[emmsthheight]

Thank you Rosemary - another great view! 

Like you say, building by building, it hasn't changed much apart from the roundabout, but there's a huge change in the traffic and all that goes with it.

Yes, I remember now it being called Bob's.  It was a good one because it wasn't on our door step but it was the one we used.

Emms

[Geoff-E]

I hope your Beehive Inn is on here Geoff.

No, it's out of sight on the other side of the road.  I did take a couple of snaps of it a few years ago.

Looking at the aerial picture again, the more distant buildings on the left no longer stand but he closer ones remain http://tinyurl.com/ljohd7

I see there's a family history fair at the Beacon at the weekend.

[Subaru]

I see there's a family history fair at the Beacon at the weekend.

And it's free entry

Do you mean what's now the Sun Inn Geoff?