GREYSTOCK, a parish in LEATH ward, county of
CUMBERLAND, comprising the chapelries of Matterdale,
Mungris-dale, Threlkeld, and Water-Hillock, .and the
townships of Berrier with Murrah, Little Blencow,.
Greystock, Hutton-John, Hutton-Roof, Hutton-Soil,
Johnby, and Motherby with Gill, and containing 2419
inhabitants, of which number, 255 are in the township
of Greystock, 5 miles ("fr. by N.) from Penrith. The
living is a rectory, in the archdeaconry and diocese of
Carlisle, rated in the king's books at £40.7. 8., and in
the patronage of Adam Askew, Esq. The church, dedicated
to St. Andrew, is a spacious edifice in, the decorated
style of English architecture: it was made collegiate
by Neville, Archbishop of York, in 1382, for a
master and six canons, whose stalls still remain, but their
six chantries have been demolished. Thomas de Gray-,
stoke obtained a license from Henry III. for a weekly
market and an annual fair to be held here, but they have
been long discontinued. There are some collieries and
quarries of slate, and limestone is obtained in various
parts of the parish. The ancient castle, of which only a
few broken towers remain, was garrisoned for the king
in 1648, but surrendered shortly afterwards to a detachment
of the army under General Lambert, and was
burned down by order of the parliamentary leader; the
present castle was built about one hundred and sixty
years ago. A copyhold court for the barony of Greystock
is held at Easter and Michaelmas. There are vestiges
of a Roman intrenchment, called Redstone Camp,
near which have been found urns, stone coffins, and
human bones j leading from it, in a direction towards
Ambleside, are traces of an ancient road, and in the
same tract lie three large cairns. In the vicinity of Motherby
is a circle of stones,'seventeen yards in diameter,
within the area of which heaps of bones have
been discovered.