Cumbrian Postal Routes

[Paul_B]

Just seen a local news piece about old cumbria postal routes. These were the routes postal workers walked to deliver post and newspapers. They linked often remote parts of Cumbria often by 15 mile routes every day.

The news was about a guy who wrote a book about them after hearing about l'al someone or other (sorry missed her actually name other than the local dialect for little). She walked the Eskdale route from 1911 to the 1970s. They were used until vans took over.

The writer is trying to get these routes recognised and perhaps used like some of the Scottish postal walking routes that have effectively become tourist walking routes in some places.

Are there any on here who know some of these Cumbrian routes? Have you walked any that you know of? Anyone interested in them? I think I'd love to link them up into a tour of the Lakes. I've walked another lakeland round and it was fun. Two of us did it but we were joined by two others for part of the route. These postal routes I think are part of our history and should not be forgotten, completely. Some no longer exist apparently.

What do you think?

 

[bearbait]

Interesting.

You may find some old routes via the National Library of Scotland's collection of old maps:

Map images - National Library of Scotland

maps.nls.uk

You may also find some routes on the Ramblers' site:

Home - Ramblers

The Ramblers - Britain’s walking charity working to protect and expand the places people love to walk and promote walking for health and pleasure. Walking information, advice and campaigns, walking news and events, group led walks and an online library of walking routes.

www.ramblers.org.uk

Some of the Cumbrian postal routes may share their purpose with the old Drove Roads?

 

[nigelp]

You could try an email to a heritage centre or history society in the Lake District? I’m sure there will be one - someone at those centres or societies may know some sources of information or where to get it.

 

[Stew]

Drop Al Humphries a note. It sounds like the sort of thing he would either know about or know someone to talk to get info on it.

 

[Tengu]

Local Archive?

 

[plastic-ninja]

Westmorland Agricultural Society might be a good place to start. There is also a dedicated local historian called Roger Bingham who might be useful to point you in the right direction.
Good luck.
S

 

[Paul_B]

I heard there's the odd Scottish postal walking route that has been turned into an unofficial backpacking trail. I think I might have walked part of one too. Cumbria doesn't have the money or inclination to advertise such routes. Can't remember the author who's book was being presented in the news piece.

 

[Toddy]

Contact the News site and ask them for details. They're usually pretty happy to get follow up like that.

There is also the Postal Museum.

Maps - The Postal Museum

The Royal Mail Archive here at The Postal Museum holds over 700 maps, dating from 1757 to the 1990s.

www.postalmuseum.org

They have maps showing all of the old postal routes. You might enquire ?

The old drove, postal and tackmen's routes are goldmines of the past
Their constant use changed the landscape, and the lives of the people on the routes.
From hollow ways to overnighting fields, to inns and storage warehouses, collection points and meeting places, and it all ties in with old systems of rents, due dates for payments, etc., Candlemas, Whitsunday.....
The Postal service came lately to all this, but it really became a vital link in the social system of the county and country.

You'd never guess I had a thing about maps, would you ?

 

[Paul_B]

In Cumbria there's a big tradition for fell running with many legendary names. One guy is Joss Naylor who is a real, local legend. I know a guy who won a prize of a fell run or walk with him. I've heard of others too who have experience of meeting him in the fells. By all accounts he knows the lakes better than anyone else. His fell running performance was in part based on his knowledge of all the local and historical trods in the fells. The paths of smugglers, of shepherds, of locals and of sheep. These ways worked out faster and more direct than his competitors took I heard.

Anyway the guy who won the day with him spent it walking because he was almost JS's age but couldn't keep up with him on a run. He said he really learnt a lot about that area in wasdale.

I must admit I first visited lakes as a young kid in summer but as an adult I went up there more often. It got to the stage I didn't need a map. I could navigate out of the clouds despite poor visibility in most areas. I could shut my eyes and see the route I planned to do just from having the route pointed out to me on a map. Despite that I don't think I know much about the actual routes I walked and their origins. Apart from a few routes that's obvious. There's a lot of secrets to the lakes such at the secret cave in langstrathdale or the remains of a smuggler's hut halfway up a crag. I know of a few but not where. Like who was mose's from mose's trod?