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Rockcliffe is a village and civil parish in the City of Carlisle district of Cumbria, England. Part of the parish is a marshy peninsula between the mouths of the rivers Esk and Eden. The parish includes the villages of Rockcliffe, Rockcliffe Cross, Floristonrigg, Todhills, Low Harker and Harker. Rockcliffe formerly had a railway station, on the Caledonian Railway Main Line, that closed in 1965.

Rockcliffe's Past
Rockcliffe's past has included warfare (Scottish raiders and a castle in 16th century), smuggling (salt and whisky from Scotland), commercial port (extensive wharfs and quays for timber and Welsh slates) and ship building (18th century), by nature of its position at the mouth of the Eden River on the edge of the Solway.

Place-name meaning
Rockcliffe does not mean 'cliff by rocks' as many might think. The name means 'red cliff', implying a sandstone cliff-face. The name is from Old Norse rauŏr meaning "red" and Old English clif for "cliff", similar to Radcliffe in Greater Manchester. Historical records show the spelling of the parish has changed over time. 'Rowcliffe' was the spelling in the seventeenth century, but changed to 'Rockcliff' in the 1870's. The 1880's saw another change of the spelling, this time it became 'Rockcliffe', which remains to date.

Rockcliffe CE Primary School
Rockcliffe Primary School is located 4 miles north of Carlisle. The School serves the villages of Cargo, Rockcliffe and Todhills along with the surrounding area. Ordinary parents and staff from the school have formed a group named 'The Friends of Rockliffe', who get together to do extraordinary things. The principle aim of the Friends of Rockcliffe is to raise money to buy the extras that the school budget does not support. Events such as race nights, bingo nights and raffles have all took place to raise money for the group.

Rockcliffe Castle
Rockcliffe castle used to guard the village against raids by the Scots, but it was demolished in 1730, and a new house was built on the location. The castle, thought to date from the beginning of the 1500s, was owned by the Dacres and later by Anne, Countess of Arundel. The castle foundations and a courtyard pavement were uncovered in 1901 during roadworks.

St Mary's Church
The church of St Mary was built during Queen Victorias reign in 1848. In 1881 a south porch-tower was added. The church has several stained glass windows. In the churchyard is a Saxon cross with a wheel-head, raised banks, and dragons. A medieval grave slab has also stood the test of time.

Rockcliffe Marsh
Rockcliffe Marsh is a Site of Special Scientific Interest under the care of the Cumbria Wildlife Trust. It is thought to be the largest saltmarsh in Cumbria.

Housing
The mid part of the twentieth century saw a significant rise in the number of housing in Rockcliffe. In 1920 there were approximately 145 houses in the parish compared to 220 in 1960. The occupancy of houses has increased in the parish from the nineteenth century. In 1831, out of a possible 183 houses, 13 were vacant, whereas in 1961 all 221 houses were occupied.

Population Characteristics
Throughout the late nineteenth century and first half of the twentieth the amount of females and males have remained relatively equal. In 1831 there were 36 more females than males, however that changed in 1841 where there were 12 more males. The 1920's, 30's and 50's saw more females in the parish however in 1961 there were 389 males compared to 358 females.

Industry
The 1831 census showed that the industry in Rockcliffe was dominated by agriculture, with 125 people out of 207 in the parish participating in that particular field. Retail/handicraft and manufacturing were the other industries that dominated Rockcliffe, with only 4 people categorised in the 'other' category.

Social Structure
The main social status in Rockcliffe in 1831 was 'middling sorts' with 101 people falling into this category. 87 were classed as 'Labourers and Servants', with only 19 categorised as 'employers and professionals'.