Blennerhasset is a small, attractive village in north-west Cumbria, situated between the Lake District National Park and the Solway Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It lies on the River Ellen between Carlisle and Cockermouth. It has about 100 houses centred around a village green, some dating back to the seventeenth century.
There is a small but thriving primary school with around 50 pupils from the village and surrounding area. Few villages can still boast the glorious sound of leather on willow, but you may catch the sound of a cricket match from the playing field and pavilion by the river. You can stand on the red sandstone arched bridge over the River Ellen and watch the geese and ducks – or if they’re hungry the geese are known to knock on someone’s door!
Blennerhasset has a fascinating history. It was the centre of a unique farm co-operative experiment in the nineteenth century by William Lawson.
