The remote valley of Swindale, near Haweswater, has welcomed a special new arrival — the valley’s first new baby for more than 40 years.
William Robert McIntosh, the first child of Laura and Magnus McIntosh, was born at Carlisle’s Cumberland Infirmary in February, weighing a healthy 7lb 6oz.
It is believed he is the first newborn to live in the valley since the 1980s.
Laura and Magnus have been renovating their house at Swindale Head since 2018, and moved in in October 2020, from Cockermouth.
“We had been looking for a property around Orton as we liked the area and wanted to be closer to Magnus’ work and the M6, as he’s an authorising engineer on wind farms near Kendal and Barrow,” Laura told the Herald.
“Swindale Head popped up for sale and we fell in love the first time we drove through the valley to view the house. The scenery is stunning and the remote location appealed to both of us. We felt equally strongly about the house itself. Despite it needing extensive renovation, we could see its potential.”
Swindale is a remote valley between Haweswater and Shap with only three houses remaining. The valley was bought by the Manchester Corporation, with the intention of turning it into a reservoir along with Haweswater back in 1938.
“At one time the valley housed a thriving farming community and included a chapel and school house. The school closed in 1914 due to there being only six pupils registered with an average attendance of two. Shap Primary is now our local school. There is also a playgroup in Shap which we are looking forward to going to when William is a bit older.”
Laura added: “There has been a really lovely welcome for William from both our neighbours and friends and community in Bampton. William being the first baby born in Swindale Valley since the 1980s makes it extra special. We feel very lucky to be able to bring him up in such a beautiful place.
“He will have a couple of friends to grow up with in the valley, as a family with two young children moved into the farm just over a year ago, the largest number of children to live in the valley for some time.”
