Calder Bridge Cumbria the Lake District.

Calder Bridge village north of Gosforth Cumbria

Calder Bridge

Calder Bridge is on the Calder river and serves as a bedroom community for the Sellafield nuclear power station employees. Agriculture was once a mainstay of the western Cumbria village.

Back in the 1100s the Lord of Copeland founded Calder abbey, now an overgrown ruin to the east of the village. It was begun as part of the order of Savigny, which amalgamated with the Cistercians.

In 1128 the abbey was burned down, and the monks left. There were attempts to build a new abbey in 1180 and 1220. The Scottish border raiders again burned the building. In 1322 it was rebuilt once more but met its final demise under Henry VIII. Beside the abbey is a privately owned Georgian house.

At Calder Bridge is a red sandstone parish church, St Bridget (not to be confused with the nearby one of the same name at Beckermet), built in 1842. Another church lies between Calder Bridge and Ponsonby. It was re-constructed in 1840. Remains of the original 13^th century structure from which the church was built are scarce. It contains a stained glass window dated 1877, designed by Sir Edward Burne-Jones for the William Morris company.

The oldest packhorse bridge in Cumbria (Monks bridge) spans the river Calder and was built for the Calder abbey monks. A footpath leads from the village to the abbey.

Location Map of Calder Bridge
Calder Bridge is on the A595 north of Gosforth on Cumbrias western coast.
Calder abbey is on private land and not accessible to the public.

Photos courtesy Barbara Ballard and Andy Wallace

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