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In 1870-72, John Marius Wilson's Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales described Muncaster like this:
MUNCASTER, a township, a parish, and a sub-district, in Bootle district, Cumberland. The township lies on the river Esk, 1½ mile E of Ravenglass r. station; was anciently called Meolceastre; includes the site of a Roman station; and gives the title of Baron to the family of Pennington. The parish contains also the township of Birkby and the village of Ravenglass; the latter of which has a post-office under Whitehaven. ...
Acres, 5, 166; of which 115 are water. Real property, £3, 220; of which £30 are in fisheries. Pop., 580. Houses, 1 06. The property is much subdivided. The manor belongs to Lord Muncaster. Muncaster Castle is Lord M.'s seat; takes its name from an ancient castle, the original seat of the Penningtons, now reduced to a state of ruin; is a handsome edifice, in the castellated style; contains a glass cup, called the Luck of Muncaster, given by Henry VI. to Sir John Pennington after the battle of Hexham; and stands amid beautiful grounds, with a charming view. Muncaster fell is a range of mountain, extending north-eastward, between the rivers Esk and Mite. Barnscar is a quondam town on Birkby fell, with traces of streets and houses; but so obscure in record as to be a puzzle to antiquaries. The living is a p. curacy in the diocese of Carlisle. Value, £97. Patron, Lord Muncaster. The church is ancient and tolerable; and contains two piscinas, four brasses, and numerous monumental tablets of the Penningtons. There are an endowed school with £12 a year, and charities £5.—The sub-district contains also three other parishes, and parts of two others. Acres, 37, 684. Pop., 2, 282. Houses, 413.
Muncaster is now part of CUMBERLAND Unitary Authority. Click here for graphs and data of how CUMBERLAND has changed over two centuries. For statistics about Muncaster itself, go to Statistics.
How to reference this page:
GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth, History of Muncaster in Cumberland | Map and description, A Vision of Britain through Time.
URL: https://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/place/5074
Date accessed: 09th April 2026
Click here for more detailed advice on finding places within A Vision of Britain through Time, and maybe some references to other places called "Muncaster".
