Parish History
Beaumont is set in the beautiful rural landscape of Hadrian's Wall Country and the Solway Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, yet within easy reach of the Cumbrian Lakes , Northumberland National Park , the Scottish Borders and the bustling, historic city of Carlisle in North Cumbria.
Beaumont (pronounced locally as bee-mont) is a village and civil parish lying four miles north-west of Carlisle on the banks of the River Eden. Beaumont's name, as suggested by the French translation 'beautiful mount', comes from its high setting. The Parish includes the villages of Beaumont, Grinsdale and Kirkandrews on Eden, together with the hamlets of Monkhill and Hosket Hill and scattered neighbouring properties.
Hadrian’s Wall Path National Trail (World Heritage Site) follows the 2000 year old route of Hadrian’s Wall built in AD211 by the Roman Emperor Hadrian as a defensive fortification against the Scots. It passes through the Parish from Grinsdale into Kirkandrews on Eden and on to Beaumont. Over 12000 walkers travel the whole 84 miles but others just stroll either shorter sections or circular walks which take in part of the Path. Behind the Wall there are remnants of an earthwork, known as the Vallum, which consisted of a central ditch with a mound set back on each side. It formed a formidable obstacle and protected the rear of the frontier zone.
The 2010 parish Census reveals a population of 460 residents, including 70 children under 16 and 80 people over 65, living in 180 households.
Beaumont Parish Hall is situated in Kirkandrews on Eden, and there is also a Village Hall at Grinsdale. There is one public house, ‘The Drovers Rest’, in the Parish at Monkhill.
The Church of St. Mary at Beaumont (C of E) is a Grade 2* Listed Building, sited on a Norman ‘Motte’, which itself sits over the site of a Turret of Hadrian’s Wall (World Heritage Site).
There is an active Methodist Chapel at Monkhill, with an attached social space known as the “School room”.
The Church of St. Kentigern at Grinsdale was closed for worship in 2001, as a result of the countrywide outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease.
St. Kentigern, Grinsdale
There are two graveyards in the Parish, at Grinsdale and Beaumont , and a closed graveyard (which is now maintained as a wildlife area) in Kirkandrews on Eden adjacent to the site of the former St Andrews Church (closed in 1750’s and with no visible evidence remaining) There is also a natural spring, known as St Andrew’s Well, there.
In Kirkandrews on Eden is a small enclosed triangle of grass, called the Pound. Stray animals would be put into this enclosure and released to their rightful owners on payment of a fine.
In Beaumont there is an attractive Village Green which was part of the former Norman “Bailey”.
The River Eden with the Cumbria Coastal Way passes the villages of Grinsdale, Kirkandrews on Eden and Beaumont, before exiting into the Solway Firth at Sandsfield, on the Western boundary of the Parish. The River Eden along this stretch is tidal. The river and its banks are classified as a Site of Special Scientific Interest, and the Parish is within the Solway Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
River Eden as seen from Beaumont Parish Hall
The Carlisle Canal (1823-1863) ran through the parish, allowing sixty tonne vessels to carry cargo from Port Carlisle on the Solway to the outskirts of the city. Little can be seen of the canal today but some buildings remain. The canal was replaced by a railway line run by the Port Carlisle Railway Company (1854-1932). Evidence of the railway can be seen at Grinsdale Bridge and the Station Buildings in Kirkandrews on Eden.
The principal occupation of the residents of the Parish, until relatively recent years, was mixed agriculture and, although now offering significantly less employment, this still shapes the area’s character.
More detailed information about our local history, people, buildings and traditions can be found on our Local History page.
If you have information or photographs relevant to Beaumont Parish that you wish to be included on the pages of the website, contact us.