IN this edition of nostalgia, we are looking back at memories from the village of St Bees throughout the years.

The mention of St Bees can be traced back to ancient times when it was referred to as "Kil-Neachtain" or "Kil-Heanerne" in Irish chronicles.

The name changed over time to "Kirkeby Becok" (village by Bees) in the Doomsday Book and eventually to St Bees.

The origin of St Bees Priory is associated with Saint Bega who is said to have landed at St Bees in the 9th century with a holy relic of St Stephen and lived on the headland as a hermitess.

However, the priory wasn't established until the 12th century when the Archbishop of York authorised its foundation around 1120 by Abbot William from the Benedictine St Mary’s Abbey.

St Bees School, founded in 1583 by Archbishop Grindal of Canterbury (himself a local man from St Bees), was the first school in the world to play rugby football.

The school opened its doors to female students in the 1970s making it a fully co-educational institution.  In 2015, it announced its closure due to falling pupil numbers and a resulting financial crisis.

In a fortunate turn of events, a partnership between Full Circle Education Group, a South East Asia-based educational investment group, and the St Bees School Trustees saw the school re-open in September 2018.

St Bees School now operates as a co-educational day and boarding school for pupils from the ages of 4 to 18. The school is the oldest in Cumbria and has a long list of notable alumni.

The St Bees sandstone, which was quarried locally, was used broadly for decorative work.

The Whitehaven and Furness Junction Railway was constructed in 1849, benefiting the town significantly.