Newsletters
CVBG produce a quarterly newsletter, containing reports from our visits, study days and recording sessions, contributions from our members, book reviews and news of other vernacular building and local history related events in the region. Below the link is a brief (and not exhaustive) precis of the contents of the newsletters. We’ve been surprisingly busy over the last few years!
2025
2025 Newsletters
Newsletters No 47 & 48, Summer 2025
Dendrotechnology at Ona Ash; Thatched houses of Tiree; History and vernacular buildings of Troutbeck, Windermere; Historic Yards of Penrith; Shepherd’s Hill Malthouse; VAG Spring Conference.
2024
2024 Newsletters
Newsletter No 46, December 2024
Christmas lunch at The Farmers Arms; Presidents Day in Alston; Fire Hood on Helton Fell; Book review – Language of Buildings by M Rice; A rare find at Eastward, Bampton
Newsletter No 45, September 2024
Askham Study Day (Pt II); Beckbank Farmhouse, Gt Salkeld; The Luham, Edenhall; Bankfoot House, Lanercost; Vernacular Farm Buildings of England and Cumbria
Heron Corn Mill; Medieval settlement and landscapes; Ona Ash; Moot Hall, Keswick.
A History of the Lyvennet Valley and its vernacular buildings; Crabtree Beck, Loweswater; Maulds Meaburn House; Former bastle near Garrigill; Traditional Paints; Recording at High Stott Park.
2023
2023 Newsletters
Report on visit to Harby Brow tower and Old Allhallows Church, by Paul Lewis; Report on visit to the ruined Pele Tower and hall at Crake Trees and Church of St. Lawrence, Crosby Ravensworth, by John McDowell; Report on a recording day at Low House, Newlands, Keswick; Report on Christmas Lunch at Dalemain medieval hall, near Penrith, by Stephanie Hewison; Report on visit to Craggs Barn conservation project, Dent, by John McDowell; Damp in historic buildings by Paul Lewis
Report on Great Asby visit in June (Part 2), by Stephanie Hewison; The repair and finishes of external walls with traditional building materials, by Paul Lewis; Report on visit to The Ashes, Castle Sowerby, in July, by Stephanie Hewison; Report on the CVBG AGM at Dacre Hall, Lanercost, by John McDowell, which included a talk on windows by Adam Menuge
Notes on history of the Hole in t’ Wall, Bowness, by David Shore; Report on Great Asby visit in June (Part 1), by June Hill; Note on the cruck-framed Moirlanich longhouse, Stirling, by June Hill
Report on historic farmsteads survey in Bretherdale, by Helen Evans; Report on Countryside Podcast on Askham by Alexandra Fairclough (listen at Askham- A vernacular celebration); The repair of roofs and chimneys by Paul Lewis; Report on Paul Lewis’ Zoom talk on Craggs Farm, Eskdale, by John McDowell; Report on June Hall’s Zoom talk recounting the VAG conference in 2015, organised by CVBG (see also Newsletter 8 in 2015)
2022
2022 Newsletters
Report on Christmas dinner at Broad Leys; note on roofing slates at Naddle by Alan Smith; note on Clay Dabbins by Peter Messenger.
Report on a talk and walkabout of the village of Newbiggin and a visit to Chapel Farm; note on Cruck Frames at Blackwell House, Carlisle, exposed by redevelopment; a walkabout and visit to Winton Hall and Manor House, with reports by Paul Lewis; report on visits to water mills at Warwick Bridge and Milton, near Brampton.
Report on a visit to Fallen Yew, Underbarrow, with Dan Elsworth of Greenlane Archaeology; report on an exhibition of art pertaining to vernacular buildings of the Lakes, Dales and Pennines at the Ruskin Art Gallery; report on a visit to Scales Hall, Skelton, with Paul Lewis; reports on Zoom talks ; report on CVBG AGM in Appleby.
Newsletter No 38, Winter 2022
Paul Lewis introduces ‘The Historic Building Doctor’, Part 1 he discusses ‘The Philosophy of Repair’, Report of the Christmas Lunch held at The Greenhill, Wigton and a report of a group visit to Milnthorpe in November.
2021
2021 Newsletters
Coronavirus news (descriptions of events cancelled or postponed); Richard Wilson on wrestler slates in SW Cumbria; Graham Brooks on slate drying floors in corn drying kilns; report by Claire Jeffrey on VAG (online) Winter Conference; Allan Steward reporting on an unusual structure in Over Staveley.
Coronavirus news (descriptions of events cancelled or postponed- and some that took place); Special report on towers in Cumbria by Niall Logan; Observations on wrestler slates by Alan Smith; members photos of fire windows.
Newsletter No 33, September 2021
Coronavirus news (descriptions of events cancelled or postponed- and some that took place); Report on the in-person AGM at Finsthwaite and visit to Stott Park Bobbin Mill; more on wrestler slates by Rose Lord; Stephe Cove on an interesting lintel at Whetstone Croft, Broughton; report on Paul Lewis’ Zoom talk on Gaythorne Hall; June Hill on the evolution of house plans.
Newsletter No 34, December 2021
Reports from guided walk of Ravenstonedale and visit to Hills Tower, Dumfries; notes for building recording by June Hill; Graffiti in barns by Rose Lord
2020
2020 Newsletters
Coronavirus news (descriptions of events cancelled or postponed until further notice); report on ‘Marks on Buildings’ VAG Winter Conference in Leicester; report on ‘Along the Lines’, two events in January and February, where members recorded vernacular buildings of differing geologies across the county.
With all events postponed, contributions from the Committee: Graffiti in 19th century houses, by Dan Elsworth; Blackhouses of the Outer Hebrides, by Mike Kingsbury; A week in Romania: the traditional farm buildings of Rimit, by Hannah Kingsbury; Seventeeth century carved decoration in the Ayle valley, by Richard Wilson; The only windmill in Westmorland? by Claire Jeffrey; Chapel Farm, Newbiggin, near Stainton, by June Hill
Newsletter No 29, September 2020
With all events postponed, contributions from the Committee and Members: The bank barn at Dunthwaite House, by Paul Lewis; Thatched properties in North Cumbria, but John McDowell; Abbeytown and Kingside Hill, by Barbara Grundy; Elements of landscape survival: fields, buildings and custom, by Peter Messenger; Mr Thomson’s Stonehouse, by Bruce Bennison
Newsletter No 30, December 2020
With all events postponed, contributions from the Committee and Members: Vacances en Provence, by Ian Andrew; The Cleits of St Kilda by June Hill; What was this building for? By Graham Brooks; Recent dendrochronological dates for the Sir John Barrow Cottage, Ulverston, by Dan Elsworth
2019
2019 Newsletters
Notes on architectural mouldings in and around Carlisle, the use of probate records for house histories, report on a heritage skills event on the conservation and maintenance of cast iron railings
Reports on the second iteration of the Appleby Heritage Action Zone Day, Flookburgh Village Walkabout with Helen Evans and Dan Elsworth, Rosgill Houses and Barns with Sue Bletcher and Lizzie Lindwall
Newsletter No 25, September 2019
Reports on visits to Mauds Meaburn, Barns and Farmhouses in the Swindale and Naddle valley and notes on finds at Townend, Troutbeck and a fireplece inscription St Andrews Square, Penrith
Newsletter No 26, December 2019
Report on the 2019 AGM at Newbiggin Hall, Temple Sowerby, and the Burgh by Sands study day on the Vernacular/Polite Interface in Cumbria (see 2020 publication). Report on the exploration of the Pennine-edge villages of Croglin, Newbiggin and Cumrew
2018
2018 Newsletters
Discussion of a possible warping frame used within the Post House in High Newton by David Shore, Troutbeck study day on doors and windows, with illustrations from A History of Architecture on the Comparative Method by Sir Banister Fletcher, from 1945
Report on Whitehaven walkabout, historic sites and buildings in and around the town, a note on door canopies in the Appleby/Shap area by June Hill, report on a visit to Rydale Folk Museum in Hutton-le-Hole, North Yorkshire, with its collection of re-erected buildings of various types and ages and a report on a walkabout in Askham near Penrith
Newsletter No 21, September 2018
Thatched roofs in Whitehaven; A walk around Hutton John and Dacre Castle; Hands-On day with clay; An archaeology field trip in Little Langdale; Farmhouse recording in Millom; Heritage skills day in Whitehaven.
Newsletter No 22, December 2018
Report on Appleby Heritage Action Zone study day, Report on plan form workshop in Ulverston, with talks on archaeological longhouses and double pile houses
2017
2017 Newsletters
‘Vernacular interiors’ study day at Swarthmoor Hall, Tirril house history, farm buildings of the Solway, CVBG Grants scheme, vegetable building materials
Yanwath Hall visit, Appleby Heritage Action Zone, Honister slate mine visit, Glenochar Bastle, Fermtoun and Biggar Museum visit with SVBWG
Newsletter No 17, September 2017
High Newton walkabout, farmbuildings of the Westmorland Dales, Dent visit, fifth AGM at Naworth Castle
Newsletter No 18, December 2017
Askham Hall Christmas lunch, report on demystifying roof structures study day and visits, Dendrochronology and Baltic timber marks by Dan Elsworth
2016
2016 Newsletters
Report from the VAG conference (Alston and the Borderlands tour), recording at Hackthorpe and a short paper on decorative rainwater goods
‘The Farmstead’ study day and visit to Schose Farm, Penrith urban vernacular visit, Cartmel village walkabout, Newby Hall visit
Newsletter No 13, September 2016
Townend conservation repairs visit, Duddon longhouses (and Duddon valley houses tour), vernacular revival visit, fourth AGM at Millbeck
Newsletter No 14, December 2016
‘Building materials-animal vegetable mineral’ joint event with the Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society (CWAAS) as part of their 150th birthday celebrations, documentary research workshop, Matthew Hyde Obituary
2015
2015 Newsletters
Mosedale building recording, ‘urban vernacular’ study day at Kirkby Londsdale
‘Grasmere in the time of Wordsworth’ study day, history of Newton Rigg college, Allonby walkabout
Newsletter No 9, September 2015
Report on CVBG organising the national VAG conference (central Lakes tour), visit to Drybeck Hall, third AGM and tour of Cartmel Fell halls, note on mullions and transoms
Newsletter No 10, December 2015
Report from the VAG conference (north Cumbria tour), Caldbeck ‘Industrial Vernacular’ study day, Ron Brunskill obituary
2014
2014 Newsletters
‘Out of the Ground’ building materials study day
Alston walkabout, Sedbergh recording weekend, Bastles and Peels tour, dating cruck buildings in Furness
Newsletter No 5, September 2014
Second AGM and walk around Hawkshead and Colthouse, Furness villages walkabout, Crosby Garrett and Musgrave tithe barns
Newsletter No 6, December 2014
‘The Great Re-build’ study day
2013
2013 Newsletters
CVGB launch and details of events
Newsletter No 2, December 2013
First AGM at Acorn Bank, and ‘The Hearth’ study day
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