Blackburn Shop (Ancient Sheiling)

Blackburn Shop (Ancient Sheiling)

A small vernacular dwelling now used as a walkers' hut, representing successive phases of renewal of a late medieval sheiling with mid-20th century repair and alteration. The building is constructed of drystone rubble with throughstones, featuring mortared walls and a corrugated metal sheet roof covering the main structure.

The original two-cell plan has been modified over time. The original small room is now roofless, while the larger room has been adapted to create two compartments: a storage antechamber and a larger living and sleeping room. The building has an eaves height of approximately 1.7 metres and gable apex height of 2.9 metres.

On the front elevation, the unroofed part occupies the left side, with an entrance opening at the junction between the unroofed and roofed sections. The roofed section features a central 8 over 8 pane 20th century window and a chimney on the right-hand gable. The left-hand gable has a doorway with a plank door.

The interior shows the original large single room subdivided by a mid-20th century wooden partition. Interior walls are lined with timber and the roof is underdrawn. A simple hearth sits against the gable wall with a plain stone lintel.

Blackburn Shop represents the best surviving example of a group of late medieval sheilings believed to be associated with transhumance—the seasonal movement of livestock from low-lying winter ground to upland summer grazing on the fells, accompanied by part of the settled population. This practice, known locally as 'shielding' or 'summering', involved the construction of temporary dwellings called 'shields' or 'scales'. The system flourished during the medieval period, reaching its peak in the Lake District in the 13th century, but persisting until the end of the 16th century. The historian Camden recorded the practice in 1599, referring to the structures as 'little cottages'. The Gentleman's Magazine of 1747 contains a reference to the group of sheilings which almost certainly includes Blackburn Shop. Many known sheilings followed a two-unit plan form, either two rooms or a single room with an annexe. Blackburn Shop conforms to this pattern but was probably modified or renewed in the late 18th century, possibly in association with the reopening of Bulman Hill lead mine around 1792. The term 'shop' is commonly associated with mine buildings in this locality.

In the mid-20th century the building served as a shepherds' hut, and has more recently been adapted for use by walkers. An RCHME survey published in 1970 concluded that repairs had been made to an earlier drystone wall reconstruction dating from around 1792.

Despite extensive renewal, this rare surviving sheiling represents both a distinctive and early vernacular building type and a significant aspect of early husbandry with origins in Norse and Norman settlement periods in Cumbria. Comparisons with other less complete survivals suggest its plan form remains little changed, and historical references from 1599 and 1747 appear to confirm continued usage for agricultural purposes until the mid-18th century.