Kirkby Thore

infobox UK place
country = England
official_name= Kirkby Thore
latitude= 54.625483
longitude= -2.558426
population =
shire_district= Westmorland
shire_district= Eden
shire_county = Cumbria
region= North West England
constituency_westminster= Penrith and The Border
post_town= PENRITH
postcode_district = CA10
postcode_area= CA
dial_code= 017683
os_grid_reference= NY639257

Kirkby Thore is a small village and hill in Cumbria, England at gbmapping|NY639257.

It is close to the Lake District national park and the Cumbrian Pennines. The market town of Appleby-in-Westmorland is about 5 miles away, and the larger town of Penrith is about 8 miles away.

It is in the ancient county of Westmorland.

The village is on the site of a Roman cavalry camp called Bravoniacumcite web|url=http://www.thecumbriadirectory.com/Town_or_Village/Kirkby_Thore/Kirkby_Thore.php|accessdate=2006-10-26|title=Kirkby Thore|work=The Cumbria Directory|year=2006] and Roman coins, tombstones, sandals, urns, earthen vessels and the cusp of a spear have been found in the locality. The Maiden Way Roman road leads from Kirkby Thore to Magnis (Carvoran) on Hadrian's Wall.

The Anglican Church of St. Michael in the village is built of red sandstone and dates from Norman times. The village also has a Methodist Chapel. There is also a village shop with Post Office, BP filling station (and shop) and a pub serving bar meals.

Gypsum has been quarried or mined in the area for over 200 years. The local "British Gypsum Ltd"cite web|url=http://www.british-gypsum.bpb.com/contact_us/locations/kirkby_thore.aspx|title=Kirkby Thore|work=British Gypsum|year=2006|accessdate=2006-10-26] plant has produced plaster since 1910 and plasterboard since the 1960s. Currently it is more economic to transport gypsum by rail from Drax Power Station than to mine it locally. British Gypsum has a private siding on the Settle-Carlisle Railway which passes to the north of the village.

The busy A66 road runs through the western edge of the village. This will be one of the last sections of the A66 to be upgraded to dual carriageway; as of 2006 the Highways Agency is conducting public consultation on the route of the proposed bypass (which will connect the existing Appleby bypass to the east and the Temple Sowerby bypass (opened in part October 2007, ahead of schedule) to the west.

ee also

* Kirkby Thore railway station

References

External links

* [http://www.highways.gov.uk/roads/projects/5104.aspx Highways Agency page] on the possible Kirkby Thore bypasses.