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St Bees Head, St Bees
St Bees Head
Bega's Head
civil parish:-   St Bees (formerly Cumberland)
county:-   Cumbria
locality type:-   locality
locality type:-   headland
locality type:-   geological site
locality type:-   bird
coordinates:-   NX95211337 (etc) 
1Km square:-   NX9513
10Km square:-   NX91

photograph
BXQ39.jpg  South Head, St Bees.
(taken 16.11.2012)  
photograph
BPQ69.jpg  Sea and rocks; bedding and jointing.
(taken 29.8.2008)  
evidence:-   old map:- OS County Series (Cmd 67 13) 
placename:-  St Bees Head
source data:-   Maps, County Series maps of Great Britain, scales 6 and 25 inches to 1 mile, published by the Ordnance Survey, Southampton, Hampshire, from about 1863 to 1948.
evidence:-   old map:- Saxton 1579
placename:-  St Bees Head
source data:-   Map, hand coloured engraving, Westmorlandiae et Cumberlandiae Comitatus ie Westmorland and Cumberland, scale about 5 miles to 1 inch, by Christopher Saxton, London, engraved by Augustinus Ryther, 1576, published 1579-1645.
image
Sax9NX91.jpg
"Sct: bees head"
Headland. 
item:-  private collection : 2
Image © see bottom of page
evidence:-   old map:- Speed 1611 (Cmd) 
placename:-  St Bees Head
source data:-   Map, hand coloured engraving, Cumberland and the Ancient Citie Carlile Described, scale about 4 miles to 1 inch, by John Speed, 1610, published by J Sudbury and George Humble, Popes Head Alley, London, 1611-12.
image
SP11NX91.jpg
"St. Bees head"
headland 
item:-  private collection : 16
Image © see bottom of page
evidence:-   old map:- Jansson 1646
placename:-  St Bees Head
source data:-   Map, hand coloured engraving, Cumbria and Westmoria, ie Cumberland and Westmorland, scale about 3.5 miles to 1 inch, by John Jansson, Amsterdam, Netherlands, 1646.
image
JAN3NX91.jpg
"S. Bees head"
Labelling the headland. 
item:-  JandMN : 88
Image © see bottom of page
evidence:-   old map:- Seller 1694 (Cmd) 
placename:-  St Bees Head
source data:-   Map, uncoloured engraving, Cumberland, scale about 12 miles to 1 inch, by John Seller, 1694.
image  click to enlarge
SEL9.jpg
"St. Bees head"
headland 
item:-  Dove Cottage : 2007.38.89
Image © see bottom of page
evidence:-   old map:- Morden 1695 (EW) 
placename:-  St Bees Head
source data:-   Map, hand coloured engraving, England, including Wales, scale about 27 miles to 1 inch, by Robert Morden, published by Abel Swale Awnsham and John Churchil, London, about 1695.
image  click to enlarge
MRD3Cm.jpg
"St. Bees head"
headland 
item:-  JandMN : 339
Image © see bottom of page
evidence:-   old map:- Morden 1695 (Cmd) 
placename:-  St Bees Head
source data:-   Map, uncoloured engraving, Cumberland, scale about 4 miles to 1 inch, by Robert Morden, 1695, published by Abel Swale, the Unicorn, St Paul's Churchyard, Awnsham, and John Churchill, the Black Swan, Paternoster Row, London, 1695-1715.
image
MD12NX91.jpg
"St. Bees Head"
Headland. 
item:-  JandMN : 90
Image © see bottom of page
evidence:-   descriptive text:- Defoe 1724-26
placename:-  
item:-  snow; weather; bull
source data:-   Tour through England and Wales, by Daniel Defoe, published in parts, London, 1724-26.
"The cape or head land of St. Bees, still preserves its name; as for the lady, like that of St. Tabbs beyond Berwick, the story is become fabulous, viz. about her procuring, by her prayers, a deep snow on Midsummer Day, her taming a wild bull that did great damage in the country; these, and the like tales, I leave where I found them, (viz.) among the rubbish of the old women and the Romish priests."
evidence:-   old map:- Badeslade 1742
placename:-  St Bees Head
source data:-   Map, uncoloured engraving, A Map of Cumberland North from London, scale about 11 miles to 1 inch, with descriptive text, by Thomas Badeslade, London, engraved and published by William Henry Toms, Union Court, Holborn, London, 1742.
image  click to enlarge
BD10.jpg
"St. Bees head"
headland 
item:-  JandMN : 115
Image © see bottom of page
evidence:-   old map:- Bowen and Kitchin 1760
placename:-  St Bees Head
source data:-   Map, hand coloured engraving, A New Map of the Counties of Cumberland and Westmoreland Divided into their Respective Wards, scale about 4 miles to 1 inch, by Emanuel Bowen and Thomas Kitchin et al, published by T Bowles, Robert Sayer, and John Bowles, London, 1760.
image
BO18NX90.jpg
"St. Bees Head"
headland 
item:-  Armitt Library : 2008.14.10
Image © see bottom of page
evidence:-   old map:- Donald 1774 (Cmd) 
placename:-  St Bees Heads
source data:-   Map, hand coloured engraving, 3x2 sheets, The County of Cumberland, scale about 1 inch to 1 mile, by Thomas Donald, engraved and published by Joseph Hodskinson, 29 Arundel Street, Strand, London, 1774.
image
D4NX91SW.jpg
"ST. BEES HEADS"
headland 
item:-  Carlisle Library : Map 2
Image © Carlisle Library
evidence:-   old text:- Mackenzie 1776
placename:-  St Bee's Head
source data:-   Charts, and sailing directions, Nautical Descriptions of the West Coast of Great Britain, Bristol Channel to Cape Wrath, by Murdoch Mackenzie, published London, 1776.
image MK10P18, button  goto source
Page 18:-  "... ..."
"A Description of the Tides, Rocks, Shoals, Channels, Anchoring-places, and Harbours, between PIEL-OF-FOUDRAY and St BEE's HEAD."
"CHART XI."
"TIDES / Tides between PIEL-OF-FOUDRAY and St. BEE's HEAD."
"Time of High-water. / Between Piel-of-Foudray, and St. Bee's Head in Cumberland, it is high-water on the shore at eleven, on full and change days."
"Rise of the Tides. / Spring-tide rises twenty feet perpendicular; neap-tide six or seven."
"..."
image MK10P23, button  goto source
Page 23:-  "... ..."
"... There is a light kept on St. Bee's Head to shew vessels into Solway Firth at night: ..."
evidence:-   old text:- Camden 1789
item:-  placename, St Bees
source data:-   Book, Britannia, or A Chorographical Description of the Flourishing Kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland, by William Camden, 1586, translated from the 1607 Latin edition by Richard Gough, published London, 1789.
image CAM2P169, button  goto source
Page 169:-  "..."
"The shore now advancing gradually to the west forms a little point, commonly called St. Bees for St. Bega's. This Bega was a devout and holy virgin of Ireland, who passed her life in solitude here, and to whose piety many miracles are ascribed, as taming a wild bull, and by her prayers covering with a great depth of snow the vallies and hill tops in the middle of summer. ..."
evidence:-   old text:- Camden 1789 (Gough Additions) 
placename:-  Bamhead
placename:-  Bees Head
source data:-   Book, Britannia, or A Chorographical Description of the Flourishing Kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland, by William Camden, 1586, translated from the 1607 Latin edition by Richard Gough, published London, 1789.
image CAM2P180, button  goto source
Page 180:-  "..."
"The great cliff called Bamhead or Bees head abounds with plenty of sea fowl."
evidence:-   old map:- Cooke 1802
placename:-  St Bees Heads
source data:-   Map, The Lakes, Westmorland and Cumberland, scale about 8.5 miles to 1 inch, engravedby Neele and Son, published by Sherwood, Jones and Co, Paternoster Road, London, 1824.
image  click to enlarge
GRA1Lk.jpg
"St. Bees Heads"
headland 
item:-  Hampshire Museums : FA2000.62.5
Image © see bottom of page
evidence:-   old map:- Cooper 1808
placename:-  St Bees Head
source data:-   Map, uncoloured engraving, Cumberland, scale about 10.5 miles to 1 inch, drawn and engraved by Cooper, published by R Phillips, Bridge Street, Blackfriars, London, 1808.
image  click to enlarge
COP3.jpg
"St. Bees Head"
headland 
item:-  JandMN : 86
Image © see bottom of page
evidence:-   old map:- Otley 1818
source data:-   Map, uncoloured engraving, The District of the Lakes, Cumberland, Westmorland, and Lancashire, scale about 4 miles to 1 inch, by Jonathan Otley, 1818, engraved by J and G Menzies, Edinburgh, Scotland, published by Jonathan Otley, Keswick, Cumberland, et al, 1833.
image
OT02NX91.jpg
item:-  JandMN : 48.1
Image © see bottom of page
evidence:-   old text:- Gents Mag
placename:-  Preston Isle
source data:-   Magazine, The Gentleman's Magazine or Monthly Intelligencer or Historical Chronicle, published by Edward Cave under the pseudonym Sylvanus Urban, and by other publishers, London, monthly from 1731 to 1922.
image G831A300, button  goto source
Gentleman's Magazine 1831 part 1 p.300  "Mr. URBAN,"
"... From Saint Bees to Whitehaven, a distance of about four miles, there is a narrow vale entirely separating the high lands on the coast from the interior. From the general appearance of the soil, and the discovery of an anchor some years since, about the centre of this vale, it is probable that it was formerly an arm of the sea. ... In fact, the hilly ground supposed to be thus formerly isolated, is distinguished in ancient deeds by the appelation of Preston Isle. ..."
evidence:-   old map:- Ford 1839 map
placename:-  St Bees Head
source data:-   Map, uncoloured engraving, Map of the Lake District of Cumberland, Westmoreland and Lancashire, scale about 3.5 miles to 1 inch, published by Charles Thurnam, Carlisle, and by R Groombridge, 5 Paternoster Row, London, 3rd edn 1843.
image
FD02NX91.jpg
"St. Bees Head"
Headland. 
item:-  JandMN : 100.1
Image © see bottom of page
evidence:-   probably old drawing:- Aspland 1840s-60s
source data:-   Drawing, ink, coast at St Bees, Cumberland, by Theophilus Lindsey Aspland, 1868-69.
image  click to enlarge
AS0627.jpg
"[ ] / St Bees"
item:-  Armitt Library : 2008.61.27
Image © see bottom of page
evidence:-   old map:- Hydrographic Office 1850s onwards
placename:-  St Bees Head
source data:-   Chart, uncoloured engraving, England West Coast sheet XI, Fleetwood to the Firth of Solway, scale about 2.5 miles to 1 inch, by H Denham and G Williams, 1846, engraved by J and C Walker, published by the Hydrographic Office, 1850 corrected to 1863
coast view on Admiralty chart 
image  click to enlarge
HY01P5.jpg
"St. Bees Head from the Southward (Red Sand-stone)"
item:-  Carlisle Library : Map 93
Image © Carlisle Library
evidence:-   old map:- Garnett 1850s-60s H
placename:-  St Bees Head
source data:-   Map of the English Lakes, in Cumberland, Westmorland and Lancashire, scale about 3.5 miles to 1 inch, published by John Garnett, Windermere, Westmorland, 1850s-60s.
image
GAR2NX91.jpg
"St. Bees Head"
headland 
item:-  JandMN : 82.1
Image © see bottom of page
evidence:-   text:- Mason 1907 (edn 1930) 
source data:-   Text book, The Ambleside Geography Books bk.III, The Counties of England, by Charlotte M Mason, published by Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner and Co, Broadway House, 68-74 Carter Lane, and the Parents' Educational Union Office, 26 Victoria Street, London, edn 1930.
MSN1P025.txt
Page 25:-  "..."
"A little south of Whitehaven is the red headland of St. Bees, the finest on the coast, where the cliffs are washed by the stormy sea, which has strewn the beach with huge rock boulders. ..."
evidence:-   old map:- Postlethwaite 1877 (3rd edn 1913) 
placename:-  St Bees Head
source data:-   Map, uncoloured engraving, Map of the Lake District Mining Field, Westmorland, Cumberland, Lancashire, scale about 5 miles to 1 inch, by John Postlethwaite, published by W H Moss and Sons, 13 Lowther Street, Whitehaven, Cumberland, 1877 edn 1913.
image
PST2NX91.jpg
"St. Bees Head."
headland 
item:-  JandMN : 162.2
Image © see bottom of page
evidence:-   old text:- Admiralty 1933
placename:-  St Bees Head
source data:-   image AY01p385, button  goto source
Page 385:-  "..."
"Coast. - St. Bees head (see view on chart 1346 or chart 1826), remarked on at page 389, is a perpendicular cliff, 310 feet (94m5) high, situated about 12 3/4 miles north-westward of Drigg point; the background of the intervening coast is mountainous. ..."
image AY01p389, button  goto source
Page 389:-  "... St. Bees head (Lat. 54~ 31' N., Long. 3~ 38' W.), the southern point of the entrance to the Firth of Solway, is a perpendicular cliff of red sandstone, about 310 feet (102m4) high, with a flat summit within."
"..."
"A look-out for life-saving purposes is kept from St. Bees head."
evidence:-   old print:- Robertson 1911
placename:-  St Bees Head
source data:-   Print, lithograph? Whitehaven Pier and St Bees Head, from Moresby, from a watercolour by Arthur Tucker, published by Chatto and Windus, London, 1911.
image  click to enlarge
RSN111.jpg
Tipped in opposite p.36 of Wordsworthshire by Eric Robertson. 
printed at bottom:-  "WHITEHAVEN PIER AND ST. BEE'S HEAD, FROM MORESBY"
signed at painting lower left:-  "Arthur Tucker"
item:-  JandMN : 197.11
Image © see bottom of page
evidence:-   old print:- 
placename:-  St Bees Head
source data:-   Print, uncoloured engraving, Whitehaven, Cumberland, drawn by W H Bartlett, engraved by J C Redaway, published 1840s.
image  click to enlarge
PR0077.jpg
Probably from Findens Views of the Ports, Harbours, Coast Scenery, and Watering Places of Great Britain, as continued by W H Bartlett. 
printed at bottom left, right, centre:-  "W. H. Bartlett. / J. C. Redaway. / WHITEHAVEN, / (with St. Bees-head.)"
item:-  Dove Cottage : 2008.107.77
Image © see bottom of page
evidence:-   old drawing:- Smith 1746 B
placename:-  Bees Head
source data:-   Drawing, pencil and ink, A View of Bees Head, in a Survey of the Coast of Cumberland, by George Smith, 1746.
image  click to enlarge
SM2102.jpg
ms at bottom:-  "A View of Bees-head, from the rocks above White-haven."
item:-  Carlisle Library : 5.2
Image © Carlisle Library
 flowers

photograph
BPQ61.jpg  Sea and rocks.
(taken 29.8.2008)  
photograph
BPQ62.jpg  Cormorant and young, Phalacrocorax carbo.
(taken 29.8.2008)  
photograph
CDL31.jpg  Guillemots,
(taken 23.6.2015)  
photograph
CDL19.jpg (taken 23.6.2015)  
hearsay:-  
 The beacons of west Cumberland were on: Black Combe, Boothill, Moota Hill, Muncaster Fell, Skiddaw, St Bees Head, and Workington Hill. (Questionable information.)
notes:-  
 From a distance the whole mass of hill, from St Bees to south of Kells, is St Bees Head - sensibly labelled 'St Bees Heads' on some maps. For convenience of plotting this record is located at the trig point inland and about the middle of the hill.
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