Penrith (, ) is a market town and civil parish in the Westmorland and Furness unitary authority area of Cumbria, England. It is less than outside the Lake District National Park and about south of Carlisle. It is between the Rivers Petteril and Eamont and just north of the River Lowther. It was historically part of Cumberland. The parish had a population of 16,987 at the 2021 census.
Penrith's history has been defined primarily by its strategic position on vital north–south and east–west communications routes. This was especially important in its early history, when the Romans established two forts nearby at Brocavum and at Voreda (Plumpton). It was also vital later on when Anglo-Scottish relations were fraught. Furthermore, Penrith was a Crown possession in its early phase, though often granted to favoured noble families. It did not become a chartered borough or a municipal corporation and had no representation in Parliament in any modern democratic sense until the 19th century. Other factors in its growth were from its proximity to the Inglewood Forest and to the fertile Eden valley. The town depended mostly upon agriculture, especially cattle rearing and droving. It lacked the resources to become an industrial hub, despite its road and rail infrastructure. Its proximity to the Lake District, the Eden valley, the North Pennines and to centres such as Carlisle encouraged tourism and commuting. As a result, the hospitality and retailing sectors became important.
The town is noted for its rich history and its connectivity. Also noteworthy are its sandstone buildings, its range of outlets catering to leisure and tourism interests, its independent shops as well as its numerous, larger, food stores.
History Toponymy
The toponymy of "Penrith" has been debated. Several writers argue for the Cumbric or Welsh "head, chief, end" (both noun and adjective) with the Cumbric , Welsh "ford", to mean "chief ford", "hill ford", "ford end", or Whaley's suggestion: "the head of the ford" or "headland by the ford".
The centre of Penrith, however, lies about from the nearest crossing of the River Eamont at Eamont Bridge. An alternative has been suggested consisting of the same element meaning "head, end, top" + the equivalent of Welsh "crimson". Research on the medieval spelling variants of Penrith also suggests this alternative toponymy.Tino Oudesluijs (2020). in The name "red hill" may refer to Beacon Hill, to the north-east of today's town. There is also a place called Redhills to the south-west, near the M6 motorway, and a place called Penruddock, about west of Penrith. These names all reflect the local geology, as red sandstone is abundant in the area and was used for many buildings in Penrith.
Prehistory The origins of Penrith go far back in time. There is archaeological evidence of "early, concentrated and continuous settlement" in the area.Mullett (2017a), p. 5. The Neolithic () or early-Bronze Age () sites at nearby Mayburgh Henge, King Arthur's Round Table, Little Round Table, Long Meg and Her Daughters, and Little Meg, and the stone circles at Leacet Hill and, a little further away, at the Shap Stone Avenue and at Oddendale are some of the visible traces of "one of the most important groups of prehistoric ritual sites in the region." In addition there have been various finds (stone axes, hammers, knives) and carvings found in the Penrith area.Mullett (2017a), p. 5.
For the Celtic (Iron Age) era (), nearby Clifton Dykes has been proposed as the centre of the Carvetti tribe, due to the large enclosure discovered there and assumptions about the strategic position of the Penrith area in the communications systems running north–south through the Eden Valley and east–west across Stainmore.Higham and Jones (1985), p. 10.
Roman period
Penrith itself was not established by the Romans, but they recognised the strategic importance of the place, especially near the confluence of the rivers Eamont and Lowther, where the Roman road crossing the Pennines (the present A66) came through. In doing so, they built the fort at Brougham (Brocavum) along with another road (the present A6) going north over Beacon Hill to the large fort at Plumpton (Voreda) – and from there northwards to Carlisle (Luguvallium).Mullett (2017a), pp. 712. Brocavum may also have been built in order to have a military presence close to the centre of the Carvetti.Higham and Jones (1985), p. 66.
The Roman fort of Voreda occupied the site now known as Old Penrith, five miles north of the town.Roman Britain. "Voreda". The 18th-century antiquarian and vicar of Penrith, Dr.Hugh Todd, speculated that the Ala I Petriana may have been stationed there, giving its name to the subsequent town,Mullett (2017a), p. 3. but see the "Toponymy" section above.
The Roman road from Manchester to Carlisle ran through the area.Cumbria SMR no. 11055: Site of Roman road. Excavations before an extension to Penrith Cemetery showed the road had survived better at the edges of the field. The cobble and gravel surfaces seemed to have been ploughed out at the centre. The road was constructed by excavating a wide, shallow trench below subsoil level.R. G. Collingwood and I. Richmond, The Archaeology of Roman Britain London, Methuen, 1969. Large cobbles were probably obtained nearby, as they did not appear frequently in the subsoil in the excavated area. They were added to the excavated subsoil dumped back into the cut to form a stable foundation, canted at the centre of the road.
The two forts close to where Penrith is today would have had a vicus, an ad-hoc civilian settlement nearby, where farmers supplying food to the forts, and traders and others supplying goods and services lived and died. There is evidence of continuous settlement throughout the Roman period and into the post-Roman era.Mullett (2017a), pp. 10–12.
Early medieval period Following the departure of the Romans (), the north became a patchwork of warring Celtic tribes (Hen Ogledd). One of these may have been Rheged, perhaps with a centre in the Eden valley and covering the area formerly held by the Carvetti. However, this has been disputed by historians.Higham and Jones (1985), pp.132-133 The Rheged Centre, just outside Penrith, commemorates the name.
During the 7th century, the region was invaded by the Angles, a Germanic tribe which moved west from Northumbria. The Celtic place-names in the region such as Penrith, Blencow, Culgaith, Penruddock, were now joined by settlements ending in "-ham" (estate) and "-ton" (farm), such as Askham, Barton, Clifton, Plumpton and Stainton.Mullett (2017a), pp. 14–15.
From about 870, the area became subject to Viking settlement by Norse from Dublin and the Hebrides, along with Danes from Yorkshire. Settlements with names ending in "-by" ("village") and "-thorpe" ("hamlet") were largely on higher ground – the Vikings were pastoralists, the Angles arable farmers. Examples are Melkinthorpe, Langwathby, Lazonby, and Ousby. Little and Great Dockray (not to be confused with the nearby village Dockray) in Penrith itself are Norse names.Mullett (2017a), pp. 16–17.
The Penrith Hoard of Viking silver brooches was found in the Eden valley at Flusco Pike, Penrith, as were 253 pieces of silver at Lupton.
Two cross-shafts and four hogbacks, along with a small cross found immediately to the west of St Andrew's Church, known as the "Giant's Grave" and "Giant's Thumb" (), have long prompted speculation. They may have been separate items brought together by an antiquary, or they may be a genuine group. They appear to be an Anglo-Norse fusion of Christian and Norse motifs, but it is still debated whether they are linked to the King of the Strathclyde Cumbrians, Owain ap Dyfnwal (fl. 934).Mullett (2017a), p. 32. It is thought that Strathclyde British had settled in parts of north Cumbria in the 10th century.Mullett (2017a), pp. 29–31.
On 12 July 927, Eamont Bridge (or possibly the monastery at Dacre, or the site of the old Roman fort at Brougham or even the church at Penrith, or a combination of these) was the scene of a gathering of kings from throughout Britain as recorded in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle and the histories of William of Malmesbury and John of Worcester. Present were: Athelstan, King of the Anglo-Saxons and then of the English; Constantín mac Áeda (Constantine II), King of Scots; Owain of Strathclyde, King of the Cumbrians; Hywel Dda, King of Wales; and Ealdred son of Eadulf, Lord of Bamburgh. Athelstan took the submission of some of these other kings, presumably to form some sort of coalition against the Vikings. The growing power of the Scots, and perhaps of the Strathclyders, may have persuaded Athelstan to move north and attempt to define the boundaries of the various kingdoms.Newman (2014), p. 47. This is generally taken as the date of foundation of the Kingdom of England, whose northern boundary was the Eamont river, with Westmorland being outside the control of Strathclyde. Penrith was effectively held by the Scottish king, as overlord of the Strathclyde Cumbrians, until the Norman takeover in 1092. Thereafter, Penrith's fortunes varied according to the state of play between England and Scotland over ownership of Cumberland, Westmorland and Northumbria.
Penrith itself may have been founded before the arrival of the Normans. A ditched oval enclosure, surrounding the area now occupied by St Andrew's Church (a burh hence "Burrowgate"), has been excavated. A church on the site may date back to the time of Bishop Wilfrid, () whose patron saint was Saint Andrew.Mullett (2017a), pp. 33–34.
Later medieval period: Normans and Plantagenets The Norman conquest of north Cumbria took place in 1092 under William Rufus, who retained Carlisle, Penrith and some other manors round Penrith as demesne.Mullett (2017a), p. 35. The Norman and Plantagenet rulers thereafter held Penrith as a crown estate ("Penred Regis"), along with a group of others locally, including Carlatton, Castle Sowerby, Gamblesby, Glassonby, Langwathby, Great Salkeld, Little Salkeld and Scotby. The group became known as the "Queen's Hames" ("Queen's Homes") from 1330 onwards.Mullett (2017a), pp. 37–39.
Membership of the group fluctuated over time. In 1187 a sub-set including Penrith, Langwathby, Great Salkeld, Gamblesby, Glassonby and Scotby was referred to as the Honour of Penrith.Mullett (2017a), p. 40. From 1242 to 1295, the Honour of Penrith (created "the liberty of Penrith" by the Treaty of York in 1237) was in the hands of the King of Scots, in return for renouncing his claims to Northumberland, Cumberland and Westmorland. King Henry III had been reluctant to cede Penrith to the Scots, as it was a good source of Crown income: the right to hold a market and fair was granted in 1223 by Henry, and arable farming produced good yields and taxes.Mullett (2017a), pp. 44–55. Tensions between the English Crown's agents in Cumberland and the Scottish agents, attempting to defend the rights of the Scottish king and his tenants in the liberty of Penrith, may have influenced the mindset of the Scots leading up to the outbreak of the Wars of Scottish Independence.Stringer (2019), pp. 73–84.
King Edward I took Penrith and the other manors back into Crown possession (having been taken from the Scots and given to Bishop Anthony Bek).Mullett (2017a), pp. 56–63. Perhaps to underline the authority of the Crown, Edward also established an Augustinian Friary in 1291. This succumbed to the Reformation in 1539. The Friarage house was built on the site in 1717.Mullett (2017a), pp. 64–65.