ORTON PARISH is a large district of fells and valleys, 10 miles in length and 8 in breadth, bounded by the parishes of Kendal, Shap, Crosby-Ravensworth, Asby, Crosby-Garret, and Ravenstonedale, and part of Yorkshire. It gives rise to the Lune, and many of that river’s tributary streams. It forms a tolerably fertile grazing district, and contains an abundance of limestone and fee-stone. Besides a portion of Fawcett Forest and Birkbeck Fells, it contains the five townships or constabularies of Orton, Bretherdale, Langdale, Raisbeck, and Tebay, all of which are united for the support of paupers, though they collect their assessments separately. The population of the whole parish in 1821 amounted only to 1,525 souls. The parish enjoys several CHARITIES, which yield about £136 yearly, of which £30 belongs to the poor, and £106 to the three schools at Orton, Tebay, and Greenholme.

ORTON is a small market town, consisting of about 100 houses, with 600 inhabitants, and pleasantly situated on the road between Appleby and Kendal, 9 ½ miles SSW. of the former, and 15 miles NNE. of the latter. Edward I. granted it a charter for a market on Wednesday. Oliver Cromwell, in 1658, at the request of the Countess of Pembroke, granted to the inhabitants of Orton, or Overton, a license to hold annually a Fair on the Friday in Whitsun week, and a fortnight fair, "to begin on Wednesday next after Whitsun week, and to continue till the day of Simon and Jude following; with a court of pie-powder, and power to take tolls. The seal on this document is about 6 inches in diameter. On one side are the arms of the Commonwealth, with this motto underneath: "Par querilur bello ; and circumscribed Magnum sigillum Reipublica Anglia, Scotias, et Hibernia, etc. On the reverse is Oliver in armour on horseback, and circumscribed thus: "Olivarius, Dei Gratia, Repulica, Anglia, Scotias, et Hibernia, Protector." The MARKET is now held on Friday, but is nearly obsolete. The FAIRS now held are on the 3d of May, Friday before Whitsuntide, and second Friday after Old Michaelmas day, for sheep, black cattle, etc. The CHURCH is a large ancient Gothic fabric, dedicated to All Saints, and having a tower, with four large bells, which were cast at Nottingham in 1529, but some of them have since been re-cast. All the seats, except the Vicar’s are repaired at the public expense; and no one of the parishioners hath a right to any particular seat. The living is a vicarage, in the gift of the landowners of the parish, who purchased "the rectory and advowson" in 1618 for £570, of Francis Morice and Francis Phelips, to whom they were sold by the Crown as a parcel of the property of Conishead Priory, to which the church had been appropriated by Gamel de Pennington. There being about 240 patrons, they keep the advowson in the hands of 12 trustees, who are bound to present according to a majority of votes upon an election day. The benefice is valued in the king’s books at £16 17s. 3 ½ d., but at the enclosure about fifty years ago, it was augmented with two allotments, called the Knott and Vicar’s Moss, consisting of about 200 acres, given in lieu of lamb and wool tithe. The Rev. Robert Milner is the present Vicar. There is no other place of worship in the parish, but about half a mile south of the church is a place, called the Chapel, where persons resorting to the neighbouring spring called Lady Well, are supposed to have tendered their obligations. Near to it is a farm called Friarbiggins – probably on account of the friars of the aforesaid Priory having built a house there for their tenant. Orton Grammar School was built in 1809 at the cost of £200, towards which Miss Margaret Holme gave £150, Joseph Burn, Esq. £50, and William Holme, Esq. £25. The old school-house, which was erected in 1730, was transferred to the churchwardens, on condition that they pay £3 yearly to the church singing-master. In 1781, Mrs. Frances Wandale left £400 to Orton school, which, with the following benefactions, viz. £5 given by R. Wilson, £5 by T. Addison, and £10 by H. Bland, was laid out in the purchase of land, now let for £22 a year; besides which the master (Rev. T. Moss) has a rent-charge of 10s., left by Agnes Holme. In 1828, the principal inhabitants of Orton formed themselves into a Book Club, and have for their librarian the Rev. Thomas Moss.

THE MANOR OF ORTON, which includes both Orton and Raisbeck townships, has been long sold off to the numerous land owners, who have consigned it in trust to four nominal lords, for the purpose of keeping courts leet and baron for the convenience of the tenants. It has been successively held in moieties by the families of Penington, Dacre, Musgrave, Henecaster, Helbeck, Blenkinsop, Warcop, Dalston, and Bowes. Orton Hall, with the estate, belongs to Richard Burn, Esq. (a minor) but is now unoccupied. In the parish are several wet mosses in which large trees have frequently been found. Behind Orton Scar, nearly 2 miles NE. of the town, is Castle Folds, formerly circumscribed by a strong wall, with a small fort for the defence of the cattle, etc. during the incursions of the Scots. Near it upon the highest part of the Scar, there was formerly a beacon which communicated with those of Penrith, Stainmore, and Whinfell. At Gamelands, about a mile E. of Orton, is a tumulus or British Sepulchre, in a regular circle nearly 100 yards in circumference, rising gradually from the extremity to the height of three yards in the middle, and composed of loose stones thrown together promiscuously. At Tebay and Greenholme, about 2 ½ miles S. of Orton, are two placed called Castle How, where there were formerly batteries to oppose the inroads of the Scots. In the Galloper field, at Tebay, is the Brandory-stone, on which there was formerly an inscription; and near Low Borrow-bridge, are the remains of a Castle, which seems to have been a very strong fortress, which "commanded the whole passage through the mountains there." The moors here are well stocked with grouse, and the Orton Scar is famed for Dotterels.

BARUGH a hamlet in Raisbeck, 2 miles SSE. of Orton.

BIRKBECK FELLS is an extensive lordship in the West Ward, and partly in the parishes of Shap and Crosby-Ravensworth. It extends westward from GREENHOLME, a small hamlet 2 miles SSW. Of Orton, where there is a free school endowed in 1733 by George Gibson with £400, for the education of the poor children of Birbeck Fells, Bretherdale, Routhwaite, and Low Scales. The estate purchased with this bequest is situate in Dillicar, and is now let for £40 a year. This lordship forms part of the Earl of Lonsdale’s manor of Crosby Ravensworth.

BORROWDALE, 6 miles SSW. Of Orton, is a deep romantic dale, forming part of Fawcet Forest, which is described with Kendal parish, to which the greatest part of it belongs, but a small portion of it is within the parish of Shap. At LOW and HIGH BORROW-BRIDGE at the east and west ends of this dale are two good inns, one being on the Orton road and the other on the Shap road, distant about 9 miles N. by E. and NE. by N. of Kendal.

BOUSFIELD, a hamlet 1 mile W. of Orton, and in that township.

BRETHERDALE township contains a few dispersed dwellings and a hamlet, 3 miles SSW. Of Orton. The manor anciently belonged to Byland Abbey, in Yorkshire, but after the dissolution it was purchased by the Whartons, and now belongs to the Earl of Lonsdale.

COAT-FLATT a hamlet in Raisbeck, 1 ½ miles S. of Orton. Here is a flax mill, and Coat-flatt Hall the residence of Mr. John Milner.

COATGILL a hamlet in Langdale, 4 miles SE of Orton.

ELLERGILL a hamlet in Tebay, 2 ½ miles S. by E. of Orton.

GAISGILL a hamlet in Tebay, 2 miles S. by E. of Orton

KELLETH a village in Raisbeck, 3 miles SE. of Orton.

LANGDALE, or Longdale, is a large mountainous township lying between Ravenstonedale, Yorkshire, Tebay, and Raisbeck, and containing a number of dispersed dwellings and a hamlet of its own name, 3 miles SE. of Orton. Here was born Bishop Barlow. The manor was granted by Henry II. to Watton priory in Yorkshire, but after the dissolution was sold to the Whartons, and now belongs to the Earl of Lonsdale.

PARK a hamlet ¾ of a mile NW. of Orton.

RAISBECK is a pleasant village and fertile township, 1 ¾ mile E. of Orton. Here is plenty of good limestone; and on the south side of the township is Raisgill Hall, where the manor courts were formerly held.

RAYNE a hamlet in Raisbeck, 3 miles SSE. of Orton.

REDGILL a hamlet in Tebay, 2 ½ miles S. by E. of Orton, once noted as the residence of William Farrer, an eminent surgeon and astrologer, who died in 1756.

ROUNTHWAITE a hamlet in Tebay, 3 miles S. of Orton. A little to the south-west on a circular eminence called Jeffery’s Mount, is the Gondsike spring, which continually casts up "small silver-like pieces of spangles."

SCALES HIGH & LOW, two neighboring hamlets, within 2 miles SW. of Orton. The former is in Birbeck Fells, and the latter in Orton township.

SUNBIGGIN, a small but pleasant village in Raisbeck at the foot of a lofty Scar, 2 ¾ miles E. by N. of Orton. A little to the west of it, near Little Asby, is Sunbiggin Tarn, a small lake containing eels and red trout, and the frequent resort of wild ducks.

TEBAY is an ancient village 2 miles S. of Orton, near the junction of the Lune and Birbeck rivulet, and on the Kendal road. The township is large and rather mountainous, and consists of two divisions called High-End and Low-End both of which are very fertile. The Earl of Lonsdale is lord of the manor, which formerly belonged to the Whartons, Tibbays, and several other families. The FREE SCHOOL here was founded in 1672, by Robert Adamson, who endowed it with the estates called Ornandie-biggin, and Blacket-bottom, now let for £45 a year. At Woodend, 1 mile S. of the village is the only public house in the township