Westmorland is one of the 39 traditional counties of England. Its main towns are Ambleside, Appleby-in-Westmorland (the County Town), Kendal, Kirkby Stephen, Milnthorpe and Windermere.
The county contains large parts of the Lake District National Park.
In 1974 it was combined with Cumberland and parts of Lancashire and Yorkshire to create Cumbria.
Rather than being divided into hundreds, Westmorland was subdivided into two baronies, of Westmorland (or sometimes Appleby) and Kendal. These were further subdivided into two wards each — Westmorland into the East ward and West ward , and Kendal into Kendal ward and Lonsdale ward .
Westmorland is still used as a placename. There is a Westmorland Gazette , a Westmorland County Agricultural Show , and a Westmorland Shopping Centre .
Many Westmerians (natives to the area) would like to see it returned to county status. There is even an organisation dedicated to this: the First Peoples of Westmorland Liberation Society.
Harvest Home
The farmers of Appleby, Kirby, Thore , and many of the neighbouring and low towns thereabout, devote the last day of the harvest to mirth and festivity. The men generally endeavour to get the corn all in pretty early in the day; and at the last cart-load the horses are decked by the men with ears of corn and flowers and ribands; and then the lasses' straw- bonnets, who, in return, perform the same compliments on them. Thus they move on through the lanes and roads, till they reach the farm-yard, shouting, "Harvest Home," and singing songs in their way. When they reach the farm-yard, they set up an exulting shout, and ale is distributed to them by their master. About nine o'clock, a supper is prepared for them in their master's house. A wheat-sheaf is brought, and placed in the middle of the room, decorated with ribands and flowers, and corn is hung in various parts of the room. The supper mostly consists of some good old English dish, (of which there is plenty,) and the jolly farmer presides at the head of the table. After the cloth is cleared, liquor in abundance is brought forward, and the "president" sings, (not a Non Nobis Domine,) but a good, true, mirth-stirring song, and then the fun commences; singing and dancing alternately occupy the evening, and the bottle circulates speedily, and the festival generally breaks up about midnight.
