Penrith
 Castles |
The capital of the Kingdom of Cumbria in the 9th & 10th centuries, Penrith was incorporated into England in 1070, and was one of many border towns that suffered repeated Scottish raids throughout the 14th century. Evidence of the town's former vulnerability, is witnessed by the mixture of narrow streets and wide-open spaces. The old streets on its perimeter are narrow, because that made them easy to defend against raiders from over the border. The open spaces of Dockray and Sandgate, in the town centre, were where the cattle were herded during raids; in later centuries, these became market places. Towering above the town is 937ft high Penrith Beacon. Located on nearby Beacon Hill it was lit to warn the townsfolk of impending raids, and today offers an excellent vantagepoint for views of the Lakeland fells. At only 5 miles from Ullswater, Penrith is in fact the northern gateway to the Lake District. Here on Beacon Hill, in 1767, the notorious murderer, Thomas Nicholson, was left hanging from the gibbet arm to rot - his unhappy spirit is said to haunt the hill!
The ancient Church of St.Andrew's, in part, dates from Norman times, while the more recently built naïve is of the Georgian period. Of especial interest in the church is the three-sided gallery, and the brass candelabra hanging from the roof; the latter being a gift from the Duke of Cumberland, in 1745, for the town's loyalty during the Jacobite Rising. The church graveyard contains the reputed grave of a 10th century king of Cumbria, the giant Owen Caesarius. Near the church stands a splendid Tudor house, now a restaurant, but at one time Dame Birkett's School, attended by William Wordsworth, his sister Dorothy and future wife, Mary Hutchinson.
Penrith Castle, now alas only an impressive ruin, gives an indication of the town's importance in earlier times, as defender of the surrounding lands against marauding Scottish invaders. Built in 1399, the castle was enlarged for the Duke of Gloucester (later King Richard III), in his role as Lord Warden of the Western Marches.
One mile south of Penrith, at Eamont Bridge, stands the circular and mysterious Mayburgh Earthwork. Originating in prehistoric times, its 15ft banks surround an area of approximately 1.5 acres, within which circle stands a huge and solitary stone. Five miles north of Penrith is an even more impressive prehistoric site. This is Long Meg and her Daughters, one of the largest Neolithic stone circles in the country, reputedly protected by Druidic magic. Four miles west of Penrith is the pleasant village of Greystoke, wherein stands the Plague Stone. Here, during medieval times, plague victims left coins in a basin of vinegar, to pay for their food - the vinegar disinfected the coins. In the nearby church grounds, an ancient Sanctuary Stone marks out the point beyond which fugitives could claim sanctuary.