Topics > Cumbria > Rivers in Cumbria > River Esk ('the Border Esk') > River Lyne (Cumbria) > White Lyne > Medieval Shielings by the White Lyne
Medieval Shielings by the White Lyne
The valley of the White Lyne, particularly around the Bewcastle Fells, was used Lords of Burgh on Solway for summer cattle grazing from the 13th to the 17th centuries. A network of shielings (stone or turf huts) were established along the riverbanks to house herdsmen during the warmer months. The remains of several of these shielings are Scheduled Monuments. They provide an insight into transhumance, a pastoral system where animals were moved from lowland farms in the spring to communal, higher grazing grounds during the warmer months.
Cumbria
Rivers in Cumbria
River Esk ('the Border Esk')
River Lyne (Cumbria)
White Lyne
Four medieval shielings on south bank of White Lyne overlooking confluence with Little Hare Grain
Ten medieval shielings on north bank of White Lyne overlooking confluence with Little Hare Grain
Two medieval shielings on south bank of White Lyne 230m north east of confluence with little Hare Grain