Thank you for supporting flood victims

Thank you very much to everyone who bought tickets, gave such generous donations and came along and supported the WI’s Coffee Morning for Flood Relief on 30 January. Also a special thank you to all who helped and participated in making this a very successful event.

We raised over £500 in aid of the Kendal Flood Relief.

Natland and Oxenholme WI (Marley Hunter, Secretary)

Cumbria Police Alert

Please be aware that we are currently experiencing an increased number of rural business and opportunistic house burglaries. Please ensure that you are constantly aware of your surroundings especially when arriving or leaving. Please keep all doors and windows closed even whilst at home.
Gareth Cairns (Police, PCSO, Kendal)

Minutes of January Parish Council meeting

Click here to read or download.

Heartfelt thanks to helpful neighbours

I would like to take this opportunity of thanking a number of folk living in the Natland and Sedgwick area for the help they so readily gave me a week last Saturday evening (16 Jan) between 7.40 and 8.30pm.  I was on my way from Natland to Heversham via Sedgwick when approaching the sharp left-hand bend near the river my car started to slide out of control on the ice. Knowing a car was approaching the bend from the left I averted a collision and slid across the bend over onto the land opposite and ended up in a wire fence and unable to back out. A young Scottish gentleman (the car owner) with 2 children came to my aid, followed after a time by another gentleman but they were unable to move the car. After a time another man in a truck came along and kindly roped me up then pulled me back onto the road. I delayed a further couple who arrived on the scene. We very quickly dispersed due to the cold and snow. All were concerned and gave their help willingly.

Although I did thank everyone at the time I thought I would place a message on the village site to acknowledge their kindness. No names were exchanged but they will know who they are! It so happened that it was my birthday and I was off to a dance to celebrate! Needless to say I did not go but went home, changed into warm clothing and had a cup of tea and reflected on the evening's happenings. I do believe their kindness was the best birthday present I received. My thanks again to everyone.

Margaret Lister

Long Meadow Lane

Agenda for Natland Parish Council Meeting

There’s a lot coming up on next Monday’s Parish Council Meeting (7.30pm on Monday 25 January at the Village Hall). Click on this link to read the agenda and papers and find out what's going to be discussed.

The W.I. find out What's What

‘What is That?’ was the title of the talk given by Jeff Wood to a very well attended meeting of Natland and Oxenholme W.I. on Wednesday 20 January. Jeff looks for the unusual in the everyday landscape of this region and then goes on to investigate their history. The result was a fascinating talk illustrated with slides which left his audience wanting more and resolving to go and seek out some of these 'unusual in the everyday’.  Do you know where the Spite Wall is and the story of why it was built? Ask a W.I. member! Jeff also judged the competition ‘A Lakeland Souvenir’ which was won by Dorothy Goddard. Members were also treated to their first glimpse of our Centenary Scrapbook with special thanks going to Joan Airey, Jean Dobson, Stella Howse, Margaret Lancaster and Marion Want for their involvement in the project. The scrapbook will be displayed with others in Kendal Town Hall on 26 February. Our next meeting is on Wednesday 17 February at 7.30pm.

Flying Scotsman not coming through

On Saturday 23rd Jan 60103 The Flying Scotsman will be southbound through Oxenholme at 15.43.             
Wed. 20th. The Flying Scotsman has failed. 2 Black Fives will be doing the excursion in its place. Timings the same.                    Pat Williams.

History of Natland

A draft of a new 41 A4 page long well-referenced history of Natland has been produced by Dr. Sarah Rose of Lancaster University, under the Victoria County History of Cumbria Project. Click here to find out about our links to the Iron Age, to the Romans, and whether Natland Abbey was really an abbey (p.13). Does the Parish Council know that in 1919 it failed to comply with the Rats Order of 1918 by failing to appoint someone to receive rats tails?

Monday Club Meeting

The next meeting of the Monday Club, held in the Village Hall at 2pm, will be on the 15th February 2016 when John Bateson will speak on "Railways in and around Oxenholme". New members are welcome to join us.

Coffee Morning in aid of Flood Relief

This will take place on Saturday 30th January 2016 

10am -12noon

Natland Village Hall

 Admission £1.50

 Cake Stall and Raffle

 All proceeds will go to this worthy cause.

Natland and Oxenholme W.I

Village Hall Quiz

Natland and Oxenholme Village Hall 2016 Annual Quiz (with Pie and Peas and Dessert) will be held in the Village Hall on 13 February 2016 at 7.30pm.

Question Master Ray Richardson. 
Teams of four (but we can help to make up a team if you are short). 

Entry forms are available from the Management Committee, the post office or from: 
Paul and Marion Want, 5 Rowan Gardens, Natland, LA9 7FJ  (pjwant@yahoo.co.uk) (tel:  015395 61983) or by downloading from this link.

Entries and cheques to be returned by 5 February 2016 at the latest. Entry fee £9 per head which includes the supper. Please bring your own glasses and drink. Please note that entries cancelled after the closing date will still be charged for.

Earring Found

The emerald earring has been found and re-united with its owner, thanks to this website! Now we only need to find the missing gate-post....

Hawes Bridge closed for another 3 weeks

Paul Bristow has been in touch with Nick Raymond at Highways who confirmed on 2 January that the emergency closure of Hawes Bridge to motorists had been extended by 21 days. The bridge is, however, open to pedestrians and cyclists, although they should beware barbed wire and the like left on the bridge to deter motorists from crossing, which could naturally be dangerous.

Stolen Gatepost in the passage between Abbey Drive and Wandales Lane

Within the last two weeks the old  farm stone gatepost in the passage on the corner of 2 Abbey Drive has been removed and its  location covered with stones. The lady at No.2 heard voices which in hindsight sounded like the men removing it but assumed at the time they were gas or phone engineers. Whoever removed it must  have used a van or truck and probably parked on Wandales Lane.

Does anyone recall seeing this happen or can remember the day or time?

John Fisher


That’s very odd. It would have taken 2 men to lift it. Being in the ginnel it wasn’t visible from the roadways so whoever has stolen it has been someone who has walked through there, noted it and arranged to come back for it at a later date. As its not a route that would be casually used it might suggest someone who was working in the area or had similar reason to walk through there.
We certainly haven’t noticed any likely vans/ trucks parked up opposite us so perhaps it was taken out towards the Wandales Lane end.

Guy Weller

Lost Earring

My friend lost a precious emerald one on a walk down Hawes Lane to the bridge and then along the river and back up through Larkrigg and Cracalt, then back to mine. We have looked but no joy so far.                                           Di Outhwaite.

A record-breaking December

2015		2014
Average temperatures
Temperature at 8am	6.8C		3.2C
Min temperature	4.9C		1.9C
Max temperature	8.9C		5.7C
Total rainfall	mm	in	mm	in
	554	22.2	124	5

December was very mild but, of course, the main features were rain and gales. Storm Desmond early in the month gave the rain figures a boost with 220mm over the weekend. The total for the month was an all-time high as was the annual figure of 76.4ins, way above the average of 56.4. We had far less rain than the central lake district if that is any consolation.

John Dobson