31 FIRBANK (E.f.)
(O.S. 6 in. (a)XXXIV, S.E., (b)XXXIX, N.E.,
(c)XL, N.W.)
Firbank is a parish on the river Lune 7 m. E. of
Kendal. The church, formerly a chapel of Kirkby
Lonsdale, was made parochial in 1585. It was moved
to its present site in 1742 and has no ancient fittings.
Secular
c(1). Bridge over the river Lune in the S.E. corner
of the parish is a structure of rubble of two unequal
spans with a cutwater pier. The arches are segmental
and of two plain orders and the width of the roadway
is about 10 ft. The bridge is probably of the 17th
century, but the N. cutwater and the parapets are of
later or modern date.
Condition—Good.
Monuments (2–13)
The following monuments, unless otherwise described, are of the 17th century and of two storeys;
the walls are of rubble and the roofs are slate-covered.
Some of the buildings have exposed ceiling-beams.
Condition—Good or fairly good.
c(2). Bridge End, cottage, 50 yards W. of (1), was
built late in the 17th or early in the 18th century.
c(3). Whinny How, house, 590 yards S.S.W. of the
church, was built late in the 17th or early in the 18th
century.
b(4). New Field, house, 670 yards W.S.W. of (3).
b(5). House, 20 yards N. of (4), has a later addition
on the N.
b(6). Ghyll, house, 1,600 yards W.N.W. of (1),
retains two original stone windows, one of three
lights. The late 17th-century staircase has turned
balusters and square panelled newels.
b(7). Shackla Bank, cottage, 670 yards S.S.E. of (6).
a(8). Green Dykes, house, 1¾ m. N.W. of the church,
was built probably early in the 18th century but has
been much altered. It contains an original fireplace
with a corbelled head of the local type.
a(9). Firbank Fellside, cottage over ½ m. N.E. of
(8), was built probably early in the 18th century.
a(10). Birchfield, house, 380 yards N.N.E. of (9), has
a later extension on the S.W. Inside the building is
a three-stage cupboard (Plate 34) of the local type with
enriched panels, pendants and a fascia carved with the
initials and date E. and M.S. 1682. The early 18th-century fireplace in the same room has a corbelled
head.
a(11). Lakethwaite, cottage, nearly ¼ m. N.W. of (10).
a(12). High House (Plate 22), 1¾ m. N.N.W. of the
church, has a slightly later addition at the N.W. end.
There are some original windows with solid wood
frames and mullions, and two chimney-stacks have
round or rounded shafts. The two-storeyed porch retains the original inner door-frame and nail-studded
door with strap-hinges. Inside the building the
addition retains the wooden framing of the upper part
of a chimney or fireplace-hood. The main building
retains an early 18th-century fireplace of the local type.
a(13). Cowperthwaite, house, 770 yards N.N.W. of
(12), has later additions at both ends.