Ravenstonedale is fortunate to have an excellent Community website, as well as TWO local history organisations:

 

COMMUNITY WEBSITE The Ravenstonedale Community website (I seem to recall that when I first visited the website about a decade ago, it had the strapline 'probably the best parish') has recently been redesigned and is a treasure trove of information - take a look at the History section which includes interviews with long-standing parishioners, old photographs, articles about the Gilbertine ruins and much more of interest to anyone with Ravenstonedale ancestry (as well as details of places to stay if you should decide to make a personal visit!)

 

R'DALE PARISH HISTORY GROUP runs regular open afternoons at the High Chapel and holds a programme of talks at varous local venues.  The Summer 2018 Programme includes:

• 27 June 2018: An evening walk around the village of Ravenstonedale with Andy Lowe

• 22 July 2018: An evening walk around the village of Orton with Wendy Higgins

• 19th Sept 2018: Cattle Droving through Cumbria, by Peter Roebuck

• 9th Nov 2018: an event to commemorate the end of the Great War

Further details about the above and future events on the RPHG website

 

If you have queries about your family history in Ravenstonedale, you can leave a message in the Family History section of their blog, and someone will get back to you

 

R'DALE INDEPENDENT HISTORY ARCHIVE this resource is held by Frank Chalmers who holds a wide range of documents, copies of which are available to individuals who contact him.

 

 

 

There are also Surname Studies and/or DNA projects for several of the surnames which are frequently found in the parish:

 

The following websites are run as part of the Guild of One-name Studies:

Adamthwaite Archive

Cumston Family History

Duckett website  (this is a Rootsweb site and is currently unavailable, but should be back up soon)

 

Other websites:

Alderson Family History Society

Clan Bell International

Bland Heritage

Bousfield Family Tree

Close Ancestry

Dent Family Tree

Fawcett DNA Project

Fothergill DNA Project

Metcalfe Socety

Swinbank DNA Project

 

 

 

 

 

Old Cumbria Gazetteer: Ravenstonedale ... this website provides details, photos and location maps, about many of the farmhouses in Ravenstonedale

The Ravenstonedale Millennium Map ... you can view digital images of this brilliant map produced by David Morris, Caroline Metcalf- Gibson and Tom Oldham to celebrate the Millennium in 2001 on the Ravenstonedale Community website.  Copies can also be purchased from the Scar Art Gallery in Ravenstonedale, along with a booklet providing accounts by residents of many of the farms.

 

If you know of any other websites covering surnames from Ravenstonedale, please let me know.

 

 

 

 

 

EdenLinks Genealogy ... this site contains lots of really useful data relating to the Eden Valley, including Transcriptions of Hearth Tax, Window Tax and the Constables Census of 1787, a range of information about various Westmorland parishes, and lots of other information that may relate to YOUR ancestors.

 

Kirkby Stephen Nancy McLaughlin's excellent site holding data about Kirkby Stephen, and surrounding area, well worth taking a look to see if any of YOUR ancestors are featured.

 

 

 

 

We recently returned from a week staying in Ravenstonedale (June 2018) ... and if you want to begin to get a feel for where your ancestors lived I thoroughly recommend a visit.  You will find a wide variety of places to stay on the Ravenstonedale Community website - we chose Green Barn Cottages because it is the closest to Adamthwaite and Artlegarth and I thoroughly recommend the accommodation and location.  Here are some photos I took to give you an idea of how Ravenstonedale looks today ... bring your walking boots!