Lanercost Priory Extract from Mercator's map of Cumberland, Westmorland and Lancashire 1595 Lowther Castle ruins, now undergoing stabilisation and restoration by the Lowther Castle and Gardens Trust Burne-Jones window, Irton Church Kentmere Hall Oversands routes, from West's Antiquities 1774 Lime Kiln, Old Park Wood Nether Wasdale chapel Fish traps near Canon Winder, Morecambe Bay Wane family tombstone, Bassenthwaite church Date stone, Troutbeck Hutton in the Forest Monument to Richard Hudleston, Millom Holy Trinity church Cockermouth Castle gatehouse, heraldic shields Heraldic tombstones, Bewcastle churchyard Monument of Margaret, Countess of Cumberland, in Appleby Church, from Thomas Pennant's Tour to Alston Moor, 1801 Piel Castle, Piel Island Extract from Cary's Atlas 1816

About us & what we do

The Cumbria County History Trust was launched in May 2010 to coordinate and gather resources for the Victoria County History of Cumbria project, a collaborative community project created to research and write the histories of all parts of Cumbria, and to make historical information generally available, within the framework and standards of the Victoria County History of England.

Our aim is to initiate a step-change in the awareness and understanding of Cumbria’s local historical heritage, by harnessing the enthusiasm for local history which exists widely across Cumbria, and pooling expertise with a view to eventually producing a series of ‘big red books’, covering every parish and township in Cumbria.

In the meantime, as work progresses, this website will become a major online resource for the history of Cumbria, and completed articles and township histories will be published here.

For more information click here

Latest News

Kendal's Real Queen: A Lecture by David Starkey

Catherine Parr's link with Kendal is well known - but is there another link between Kendal and the Tudors?  Dr Starkey's lecture will explore the life of a different lady,

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Palaeography Training Session

We are pleased to announce that a palaeography training session will be held for VCH volunteers at Whitehaven Archive Centre on Tuesday 1st May. 

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IHR Summer School

A 3-day summer school in local history is being held by the Institute of Historical Research in London this summer (25-27 June), aimed specifically at VCH volunteers across the country

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How to get involved

The Cumbria County History Trust is a charity which any interested individual, history and heritage society, museum, or commercial organisation can join. The Trust is headed by a Board of Trustees who are elected at the Annual General Meeting. Therefore joining the charity allows you to have a say in how the project is managed.

You can also support the VCH Cumbria project by becoming a volunteer.  There are roles for people of all stages of qualification and experience, including absolute newcomers. Training is provided so that everyone can play a part, while ensuring that the published histories will be of the highest standards.

For more information please Contact us, or get involved with us online: