Castle in Westmorland and Furness

Brougham Castle stands at the confluence of the rivers Eamont and Lowther in Cumbria near the market town of Penrith, a substantial Norman and medieval fortress whose ruins retain considerable height and architectural detail and provide an important and atmospheric insight into the military history of the northern Marches and the route between England and Scotland that passed through this river crossing. The castle was first built by Robert de Vieuxpont in the early thirteenth century using the strategic position at the river confluence to control movement through the Eden valley, a function that had been performed by a Roman fort on the same site many centuries earlier. The castle passed through various hands before coming into the possession of the Clifford family, who became the most significant owners in its history. The Cliffords were one of the most powerful baronial families of the north of England during the medieval period, and their ownership of Brougham, Brough, Appleby and Skipton castles gave them control over the approaches to the Lake District and the Eden valley throughout the later Middle Ages. Lady Anne Clifford, who recovered her family's hereditary estates in the 1640s after a long legal battle and spent the remainder of her long life restoring and occupying the Clifford castles, made extensive repairs to Brougham in the 1660s. The Roman tower that survives within the castle enclosure is largely her work. Lady Anne Clifford is one of the most remarkable figures in seventeenth-century English history, a woman whose determination to recover and maintain her inheritance in the face of sustained legal opposition, and whose lifelong investment in restoring and inhabiting the ancient Clifford castles, represents an extraordinary assertion of identity and continuity. Her diary and her Great Picture recording her life and family history are among the most significant personal documents of the period. The castle is managed by English Heritage and the ruins of the great tower, the gatehouse and the inner ward are open to visitors throughout the year.

Piel Castle is a ruined medieval fortification standing on the southern tip of Piel Island, a small tidal island located in the mouth of the Walney Channel at the southern edge of Morecambe Bay, in Cumbria. It is one of the most dramatically situated castle ruins in the whole of England, rising directly from the flat, windswept grassland of the island with the vast grey-green waters of the bay stretching in every direction. The castle is managed by English Heritage and is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, making it a site of considerable national importance. What makes it particularly special is the combination of genuine historic weight, genuine remoteness, and the remarkable fact that it remains largely accessible and uncommercialized — visitors who make the short ferry crossing find themselves almost alone with centuries of history. The castle was built in the early fourteenth century, around 1327, by the Abbot of Furness Abbey, the powerful Cistercian monastery located a few miles to the north near Barrow-in-Furness. The abbey built the structure primarily as a fortified storehouse and place of refuge to protect its considerable wool trade, since Piel Island provided a natural harbour that was well used by merchant vessels. The castle consists of a substantial square keep surrounded by an inner and outer bailey, with curtain walls and towers that remain impressive despite centuries of weathering. The stonework is a warm reddish-brown sandstone that catches the light beautifully in the late afternoon, giving the ruins a almost romantic quality when seen from the water. The harbour beside the island was a significant point of entry for goods and people coming into the northwest of England throughout the medieval period. The single most remarkable historical event associated with Piel Castle took place in June 1487, when Lambert Simnel landed here at the head of a Yorkist invasion force. Simnel, a young pretender to the English throne who had been put forward as the supposed Earl of Warwick, arrived with around two thousand German mercenaries supplied by Margaret of Burgundy, along with Irish soldiers and English Yorkist supporters. He was briefly proclaimed King Edward VI on the island, making Piel Castle one of the very few places in England where a rival king was ever proclaimed on English soil. The invasion ended in disaster at the Battle of Stoke Field in Nottinghamshire, after which Simnel was captured by Henry VII. In a remarkable act of merciful pragmatism, the king chose not to execute the boy but instead put him to work in the royal kitchens, where he eventually rose to become a royal falconer — one of history's more extraordinary career trajectories for a failed usurper. Associated with this history is the curious tradition of the King of Piel, a title that has been bestowed on successive landlords of the Ship Inn, the only pub on the island. The tradition, which may have roots stretching back to the Lambert Simnel episode, involves a ceremony in which the new landlord is crowned while seated in an ancient chair and dubbed king, in exchange for the solemn obligation to offer free beer and a bed to any shipwrecked sailor who arrives at the island. The Ship Inn itself is a characterful and low-ceilinged old building that serves as the social and practical centre of island life. Though the island's permanent population is tiny — often just a handful of residents — the pub draws visitors across the summer months and gives the place a genuine sense of lived-in community that many heritage sites entirely lack. Physically, Piel Island is flat and grassy, shaped by the constant winds off the bay, and the castle dominates the skyline from every angle of approach. The keep stands roughly three storeys high in its most complete sections, with walls several feet thick that have survived remarkably well given the island's exposure. Climbing within and around the ruins you encounter gaping window openings framing views of the water, tumbled sections of masonry colonised by wildflowers, and a pervading smell of salt, seagrass and old stone. The sounds are almost entirely natural — the cries of gulls, the slap of water against the harbour walls, the wind moving through the grasses. On a clear day the views extend to the Lake District fells in the north, the Furness Peninsula to the east, and the long flat expanse of Walney Island to the west, the whole panorama giving a powerful sense of how strategically significant this small scrap of land once was. The surrounding waters of Morecambe Bay are among the most ecologically rich in Britain, supporting huge populations of wading birds and wildfowl, and the crossing to Piel Island gives birdwatchers excellent views across the tidal flats. The nearby town of Barrow-in-Furness, a few miles to the north, provides all visitor services, and Furness Abbey itself — the great ruined Cistercian monastery that originally built the castle — is well worth visiting in combination. Roa Island, connected to the mainland by a causeway, is the departure point for the small foot passenger ferry that runs to Piel Island during the spring and summer months, typically from around Easter through to September or October, though exact schedules vary and it is always worth checking in advance as the service depends on tides and weather. Visitors should be aware that Piel Island is genuinely remote and the experience is deliberately simple — there are no visitor centres, no audio guides and no gift shops. The ferry crossing takes only a few minutes but the island has a satisfying sense of separateness from the mainland that makes the visit feel like a modest adventure. Sensible footwear is strongly recommended as the ground around the ruins can be uneven and wet. Dogs are generally welcome. The best time to visit is a fine day in late spring or early summer, when the light on the sandstone is warm and golden, the wildflowers are at their peak and the birdlife is especially active, though even a blustery autumn crossing has its own austere appeal. The castle is freely accessible once on the island, and the Ship Inn offers food and drink to reward the journey.

Appleby Castle is located in the town of Appleby-in-Westmorland in Cumbria, The castle overlooks the River Eden. The castle grounds has a 12th century square keep known as Caesar's tower, and a mansion house and ancillary buildings in a courtyard surrounded by curtain walls. Caesar's tower is about 80 feet high with four storeys. The mansion house is L-shaped with two wings at right angles to each other. There is a semi-circular tower on the north wall of the north wing and a large square tower is at the southern end of the east wing. The gateway to the castle courtyard and two adjoining cottages are listed Grade I. The gateway has battlements and dates from around the 17th century. Both Caesar's tower and the mansion are Grade I listed buildings. Appleby Castle is a private residence and is not open to the public. The keep known as Caesar's Tower was built about 1170. The castle was captured by the Scottish King, William the Lion, when his army invaded the Eden Valley in 1174. The English regained the castle and in 1203 it was granted to Richard de Vipont by King John. In 1269, ownership went to Roger de Clifford and it remained in the Clifford family for nearly 400 years. The eastern part of what is now the mansion house was built in 1454. In the 17th century, the castle passed to the Earls of Thanet. They converted the eastern block into a mansion house in 1686, and extended it by adding the north wing in 1695. The upper storeys of Caesar's tower were modified in the 17th and 18th centuries. A north lodge with battlements was added in the 19th century.

Wray Castle stands on the western shore of Lake Windermere in the Lake District National Park, its Gothic Revival towers and battlements rising from a wooded promontory above the lake to create one of the most picturesque and unexpected architectural features on England's largest lake. Built between 1840 and 1845 for retired surgeon James Dawson and his wife Margaret, the castle was designed in the medieval Gothic style that was fashionable among wealthy Victorians who wished to give their new country houses the romantic associations of genuine antiquity, even though the building was entirely domestic in purpose and never intended for any defensive function. The architectural result is a playful and thoroughly enjoyable Victorian fantasy of what a medieval castle might look like, with towers, turrets, arrow slits and battlements applied to a building whose internal arrangements reflected the practical requirements of a comfortable nineteenth-century country house. The expense involved in creating this elaborate Gothic confection was considerable, and Margaret Dawson is reported to have been horrified by the final cost when the bills arrived. Her husband's response, that he was glad she had not known the total in advance, has a quality of resigned domesticity that makes the story one of the more humanising footnotes in Victorian architectural history. The castle has a particular significance in the life of Beatrix Potter, whose family rented it for summer holidays in the 1880s. It was during these visits that the young Beatrix developed her love of the Lake District landscape, the natural history of the area and the character of its farming communities, all of which fed directly into the stories and illustrations she began creating and which eventually produced Peter Rabbit and the books that followed. The connection is celebrated in the visitor interpretation at the castle, now managed by the National Trust. The grounds around the castle slope down to the lake shore and include woodland walks and lakeside access that provide excellent views across Windermere to the eastern fells. Boat trips on the lake can be combined with a visit to the castle, and the nearby village of Hawkshead and Hill Top, Beatrix Potter's own farmhouse, are within easy reach.

Brough Castle is located in the village of Brough, Cumbria, England. The motte and bailey castle was built on the site of a former Roman fort. The Castle is now in ruins. There is the remains of a gatehouse, once three storeys high. There is some sandstone paving in the courtyard, and the remains of stables. The ruined keep used to have four corner turrets, the basement was a storehouse and still has some plaster on the walls. The upper floors and stairs of the keep have gone. The remains of a brewhouse, bakehouse, and kitchen can be seen in a corner of the courtyard. There was an inner and outer range of buildings in the southeast corner. There is also a circular tower in the south east corner, known as Clifford's Tower that contained Lady Anne Clifford's chambers. The castle is open to the public, and there are information panels explaining the layout of the site. Brough Castle was built by William Rufus in the 1090s as a stone motte and bailey castle. It was one of the first stone castles to be built in Britain. The stonework of the walls show a herringbone pattern common in Norman architecture. Brough Castle was captured and burned down in 1174 by the Scottish king William the Lion during he Revolt of 1173-1174. All that was left was the base of the keep. The keep was rebuilt in the 1180s by Theobald de Valoignes. King John gave the castle to Robert of Vieuxpont in 1203. In the 1268 the castle passed to the Clifford family, the barons de Clifford, who also owned Brougham Castle. Robert Clifford extended the castle building a circular tower at the south east corner, known as Clifford's Tower, around 1300. The Cliffords also added a new upper hall and associated chambers around 1350. The Cliffords lived at Brough Castle until 1521, when fire destroyed the castle. After lying abandoned for about 140 years, Lady Anne Clifford began to restore the castle in 1659. After her death in 1676 the castle was left uninhabited, and passed to the Earls of Thanet, who lived at Appleby Castle in Appleby-in-Westmorland. Brough castle began to decline and the roof and fittings was removed in 1715. Much of the stone was taken for building Brough mill in 1763. The castle came under the protection of the Ministry of Works in 1920. It is now cared for by English Heritage.

Penrith Castle is a ruined fourteenth and fifteenth-century castle in Penrith in Cumbria, built to defend the town against Scottish raids in the period of persistent Border warfare following the Wars of Independence. The castle was developed over several phases from 1399 onward and was associated with Richard, Duke of Gloucester, later King Richard III, who held the castle as Warden of the Western Marches. The substantial ruins include the remains of the main tower and curtain walls and are set within a public park in the centre of Penrith, providing a freely accessible heritage site within the town. Penrith is an attractive market town on the eastern edge of the Lake District and the M6 motorway corridor, serving as a gateway to the northern Lakes for visitors travelling from the north and east.

Pendragon Castle is reputed to have been founded by Uther Pendragon, the father of King Arthur. According to legend, Uther Pendragon and a hundred of his men were killed here when the Saxon invaders poisoned the well. There are also claims that the Romans built at least a temporary fort here, along the road between their forts at Brough and Bainbridge. But (apart from legend and supposition), there is no real evidence that there was any building here before the Normans built their castle in the 12th Century. The castle was built next to the River Eden in the Vale of Mallerstang in the late 12th century, probably by Hugh de Morville. Like the nearby castles of Appleby and Brough, Pendragon came into the possession of the Clifford family. It was abandoned after a raiding Scottish army set fire to the castle in 1341, but was rebuilt in 1360. It was left in ruins by another fire in 1541, but was restored in the mid 17th century by Lady Anne Clifford. The castle gradually fell back into ruin after her death – and now remains a romantic ruin, set in glorious scenery. NOTE: Pendragon castle is on private land. Access is permitted, but care must be taken – it is in a potentially dangerous condition despite some recent restoration.