Pennrith Museum's new temporary exhibition by
Bampton and District Local History Society details the creation of
the Burnbanks Model Settlement and the stories of many individuals
who lived there as they worked on Haweswater Dam. Haweswater and
the Bampton Fells are often seen as some of the remotest and
quietest parts of the Lake District. Between 1919 and 1980,
however, the area was busy with construction work on Britain's
highest dam and its associated tunnels and pipelines. This was
Manchester securing water supplies for its own private and
industrial use, and for many towns and villages across the north
west of England. Many of those who came to construct the Haweswater
Dam came from areas of high unemployment across northern Britain. A
model village was erected to house them at Burnbanks close to the
dam and reservoir. Built of cast-iron panels and erected quickly on
site, the houses at first saw a rapid turnover of residents. The 66
dwellings had some 350 residents in one year in the mid 1930s.
Burnbanks settled down once the dam was finished in 1940 and after
the war the emphasis was on maintenance and stability. More
recently, houses have become empty though several long-established
residents remain. After considerable debate, the remaining 18
houses have been redeveloped and a new community is coming into
being. The Bampton and District Local History Society, with a Local
Heritage Initiative grant, has traced the rise and rise of
Burnbanks. A most important source has been interviews with past
and present residents of Burnbanks one from as far away as
Australia. Over an 18 month period 17 people with connections to
Burnbanks were interviewed, resulting in 15 transcriptions covering
most of the decades from the 1920s to the present. All the
interviews, both transcripts and audio, appear on the Burnbanks
Project website and form a fascinating public archive. Fourteen
people were involved as interviewers and transcribers. Six of the
interviewees were born at Burnbanks or went there as babies between
1926 and 1936 when their fathers found work on the dam or
associated works. Several of their mothers ran hostels for the
workers. People moved to Burnbanks from West Cumberland, Sheffield
and other cities. Most jobs ended with the completion of the dam
and many families moved away. The people who were interviewed now
live as far afield as Northampton but many are still in Cumbria.
Some former residents return regularly. The final interview was
with the developer of the new Burnbanks village.
The exhibition presents the results of the
research is on display at Penrith Museum between 5 December and 18
January. Admission is free.
For further details:
- Contact: Dr Sydney T Chapman or
Mrs Judith Clarke, MA AMA, Joint Curators, Penrith Museum, Robinson
School, Penrith CA11 7PT
- Telephone: (01768) 212228
- Email:
museum@eden.gov.uk
