Hilton, Cumbria

History

Hilton was the birthplace of Christopher Bainbridge (c.1464–1514), Cardinal and Archbishop of York (where he was the direct predecessor of Thomas Wolsey). Bainbridge was closely related to the local families of Langton, Machell and Blenkinsop.

By the end 19th century, Hilton had a population of around 300 in an area of 4,984 acres there were many lead mines nearby and a smelt mill was situated in the village. In 1856 the St. John the Baptist Church was constructed in the area between Hilton and Murton which features a three-tier pulpit. Since the 1980s much of the previously common land of the village has been owned by the Ministry of Defence as part of the Warcop Training Area which has been expanded extensively over the years.

Watercourses

Hilton Beck flows through the village. It combines water from Scordale, with its head at Hilton Fell, and Swindale, with its head at Burton Fell. Although the water quality is good on several measures, it is polluted with lead from former mining activities. Water from the beck powered a smelt mill at and a corn mill at . The mill bridge across the beck is Grade II listed.

Hilton Mine

Some 2 + 1/4 miles to the northeast of Hilton, between Hilton Fell and Murton Fell in Scordale, is the Hilton Mine . Initially it worked for galena (lead ore) in the nineteenth century by the London Lead Company, it was later worked under different owners for barium minerals, barytes and witherite in the early twentieth century. It also was a rare source of yellow coloured fluorite in the UK.

References

References

1. "Hilton".
2. "History of Hilton, in Eden and Westmorland". [[A Vision of Britain through Time]].
3. "Murton".
4. "Murton St John the Baptist".
5. (13 September 2018). "MoD accused of 'land grab' for attempting to turn common land into Army firing range". The Telegraph.
6. "Hilton Beck". [[Environment Agency]].
7. "Lead and Its Compounds RNAG [Reasons for Not Achieving Good] in Hilton Beck". [[Environment Agency]].
8. "North Pennines Smelting Mills".
9. "Bridge to south of Hilton Mill".
10. "Gazetteer Name: Hilton Fell".
11. [http://www.mindat.org/loc-1477.html Hilton Mine, Scordale, Hilton, Escarpment District, North Pennines, South Eastern Region (Westmorland), Cumbria, England, UK] ''www.mindat.org''
12. [http://www.ukminingventures.com/WeardaleMines2.htm Important Specimen Producing Mines in and Around Weardale - Page 2] {{webarchive. link. (2010-07-25 , section: Hilton Mine, Scordale, Cumbria, ''www.ukminingventures.com'')
13. [https://archive.today/20120908092048/http://www.rock-site.co.uk/EZ/rs/rs/page157.php?PHPSESSID=29fprcu48ibllktj7bgrop6m32&outframe=1&PHPSESSID=29fprcu48ibllktj7bgrop6m32 The Pennines and Shap], section "Hilton Mine", ''www.rock-site.co.uk''