Frost, Firelight, and Festive Cheer: Christmas Morning In Moor Row

There is a particular kind of magic in our village on a morning like this. Looking across the fields, towards our neighbours at Bigrigg, the sun is peeking over the horizon, while the fields are transformed into a sea of sparkling ice crystals.

It’s quiet, still, and truly glorious - the perfect start to Christmas Day. Inside the houses lining our streets, the peace is likely being replaced by the joyful chaos of Christmas morning.

Children are waking up with wide eyes and racing to see what awaits them, their faces beaming with that unmistakable "best day of the year" glow.

A Time for Community and Reflection

While we celebrate the excitement of the day, Christmas is also a time for quiet reflection. As we gather with friends and neighbours, let’s take a moment to hold a thought for absent friends and family members.

Though they may no longer be sitting at the table with us, their memory is woven into the fabric of our village and our lives. We remember them with love and gratitude today. 

Wishing You a Wonderful Day

Whether you are heading out for a brisk walk along the cycle path to take in the frost, or staying tucked up warm by the fire, I hope your day is filled with warmth and laughter.

To all the residents of Moor Row and our neighbours nearby - may your day be bright, your hearts be full, and your Christmas be truly very happy.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Christmas Morning In Moor Row
Christmas Morning In Moor Row
Location: Moor Row CA24, UK

Comments

April said…
What a lovely image! Thank you for sharing, and your sentiment is just perfect. Happy Christmas x
26 December 2025 at 16:10

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ARCHIVE HIGHLIGHTS

About Moor Row

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Hello, and welcome. This Internet site is about the village of Moor Row in West Cumbria. The history of Moor Row is one intrinsically linked to the industrial boom that transformed West Cumbria. While the area's roots stretch back to before 1762, when the homesteads of Low Moor Row and High Moor Row dotted the landscape between Summerhill Mansion and Woodend with Cleator, the true genesis of the modern village lies in iron ore and the mighty railway.  From Homestead to Hub The early landscape was characterised by family landholdings, such as the estate of the Wildridge family at Low Moor Row, located on what would become Church Street. The marriage of Elizabeth Wildridge to the local gardener, Dalzell, and his subsequent inheritance of the estates, is a pivotal local event. This link is preserved today, not just through family lore but in the village's street names, a testament to the enduring influence of the early landowners. The Railway Catalyst The mid-19th century witnes...
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The 100-Fathom Descent: Dual Extraction at Moor Row’s Premier Pit

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The story of Summerhill Mansion in Moor Row begins long before the deafening roar of the Whitehaven Cleator and Egremont Railway and the deep excavations of the iron mines. Archival research confirms the property's existence prior to 1762, placing it firmly in the agrarian era of West Cumberland. ​The Mansion was not merely a large house; it was the original, definitive geographical boundary and an anchor for the earliest settlement, which included the Low Moor Row homestead. It was the ancestral seat of the Wildridge family and represented the fixed, respectable wealth of the rural landscape. It is the story of how a single country estate, located on what became Church Street , became the essential financial and geographical launchpad for the entire industrial expansion of this West Cumbrian village. Once established at Summerhill Mansion, the Dalzell family leveraged their land to become industrial pioneers. As the 19th-century iron ore boom exploded, Moor Row rapidly expan...
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Deep History: 6000 Years Of Moor Row

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​The Final Departure: Documenting the Demolition of Moor Row Railway

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The industrial landscape of West Cumbria underwent a radical metamorphosis during the nineteenth century, driven primarily by the extraction of high-grade haematite, colloquially known as "Red Gold." At the epicentre of this transformation was the village of Moor Row, which evolved from a collection of scattered eighteenth-century homesteads into one of the most significant railway junctions in Northern England. The development of the Moor Row railway station was not merely a matter of regional transport logistics but was a physical manifestation of the Victorian industrial empire's reach. The station’s buildings, added and modified across different eras, reflected the fluctuating fortunes of the iron ore industry, eventually meeting their demise as the mineral reserves and the accompanying rail traffic vanished in the late twentieth century. The Genesis of the Whitehaven, Cleator and Egremont Railway The origins of the station at Moor Row are inextricably linked to...
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