Penrith, Cumbria: Difference between revisions

|official_name = Penrith

|population = 16,984

|unitary_england= [[Westmorland and Furness]]

|lieutenancy_england= [[Cumbria]]

|region = North West England

|post_town = PENRITH

|postcode_district = CA10, CA11

|static_image_name = Market Square, Penrith.jpg

|static_image_caption = The Market Square

|static_image_2_caption = Flag

}}

 

From 1974 to 2015, it was an [[unparished area]] with no local council. A [[civil parish]] was reintroduced on 1 April 2015 with the first election for Penrith Town Council on 7 May 2015. The town was previously part of the 1974-created [[Eden District]] until 2023.

==Prehistory==

The origins of Penrith go far back in time. There is archaeological evidence of "early, concentrated and continuous settlement" in the

 

For the [[Celts|Celtic]] ([[British Iron Age|Iron Age]]) era (c. 800 BCE – 100 CE), nearby [[Clifton, Cumbria|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.<ref>Higham and Jones (1985), p. 10.</ref>

===Roman period===

[[File:Roman road 428.jpg|thumb|General view of Roman road looking south]]

 

[[File:Brocavum.jpg|thumb|right|alt=Brocavum|Banks of Brocavum Roman fort in foreground, [[Brougham Castle]] behind, and 18th-century [[Carleton, Eden#History|Carleton Hall]] to the left]]

 

The [[Roman roads in Britain|Roman road]] from Manchester to Carlisle ran through the area.<ref>Cumbria SMR no. 11055: Site of Roman road.</ref> 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.<ref>R. G. Collingwood and I. Richmond, ''The Archaeology of Roman Britain'' London, Methuen, 1969.</ref> 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, [[Cant (road/rail)|canted]] at the centre of the road.

 

 

==History==

After the departure of the Romans (c. 450 CE), 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. The Rheged Centre, just outside Penrith, commemorates the name.

 

 

 

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.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.archaeology.eu.com/vikings/weblog/2007/09/treasure-found-in-cumbria.html |title=Viking Archaeology: Treasure found in Cumbria |date=13 September 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080602141603/http://www.archaeology.eu.com/vikings/weblog/2007/09/treasure-found-in-cumbria.html |archive-date=2 June 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

[[File:Giants Grave. - geograph.org.uk - 243538.jpg|thumb|left|'Giant's Grave', St. Andrew's churchyard, Penrith, an unusual arrangement of two Viking-age cross-shafts with four hogbacks (in the foreground). In addition, there is a smaller, Viking-age, wheel-headed cross just visible in the background (the "Giant's Thumb"). The group might commemorate the gathering of kings in 927 or Owain of Strathclyde.]]

 

 

On 12 July 927, [[Eamont Bridge]] (or possibly the monastery at [[Dacre, Cumbria]], or the site of the old Roman fort at [[Brocavum|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, [[Eógan I of Strathclyde|Owain of Strathclyde]], King of the Cumbrians, [[Hywel Dda]], King of Wales, and [[Ealdred I of Bernicia|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.<ref>Newman (2014), p. 47.</ref> This is generally taken as the date of foundation of the [[Kingdom of England]], whose northern boundary was the Eamont river, with Westmorland outside the control of Strathclyde. Penrith was effectively held by the Scottish king as overlord of the Strathclyde Cumbrians, until the [[Normans|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.

 

 

===Later medieval period: Normans and Plantagenets===

 

 

 

[[File:Penrith_Castle_-_geograph.org.uk_-_19095.jpg|thumb|left|Penrith Castle]]

[[File:Penrith castle 18th-century.jpg|thumb|right|250px|[[Penrith Castle]] in 1772, built 1399–1470.<ref name="Gilpin">Gilpin, William (1786), ''Observations relative chiefly to Picturesque Beauty, Made in the year 1772.... Cumberland & Westmoreland.'' R. Blamire, London. Facing p. 85.</ref>]]

 

 

===Early modern period (1485–1714)===

====Tudor period====

 

[[File: Two Lions, Penrith - geograph.org.uk - 911055.jpg|thumb|The former Two Lions, Penrith - previously the townhouse of Gerard Lowther called Newhall]]

 

 

The reformation went on apace afterwards – the Augustinian Priory was dissolved and the two chantry bequests closed later. The Strickland bequest partly funded the [[Penrith Grammar School]], founded 1564, in the reign of [[Elizabeth I]]. Many governors of the new foundation in St Andrew's churchyard were rising [[Protestant]] gentry, who moved into various houses in Penrith: the families of Whelpdale (whose coat of arms adorns Dockray Hall), Carleton, Bost and Hutton (who had taken over the pele tower in Benson Row), and Richard Dudley of [[Yanwath|Yanwath Hall]]. The foundation was overseen by [[Thomas Smith (diplomat)|Sir Thomas Smith]], one of Elizabeth's trusted Protestant counsellors.

 

 

 

====Stuart period====

 

[[File:Carleton Hall. - geograph.org.uk - 146542.jpg|thumb|285px|Carleton Hall - now Cumbria Police HQ]]

[[File:Penrith Railway Station from the west.jpg|thumb|285px|Penrith Railway Station from the west]]

 

 

 

===Local government before 1974===

Penrith was an [[Urban district (Great Britain and Ireland)|urban district]] from 1894 to 1974, when it merged into [[Eden (district)|Eden District]]. It was coterminous with the civil parish of Penrith, although when the council was abolished, Penrith became an [[unparished area]]. The area had been an [[sanitary district|urban sanitary district]] presided over by a Local Board of Health. The district also contained the hamlets of Carleton (now a suburb of Penrith), Bowscar, Plumpton Head and some of the village of Eamont Bridge. It was split into four wards – North, South, East and West – which remained the basic local-government divisions in the town until the 1990s.

 

 

==Governance==

===UK Parliament===

 

===Local government===

 

Until 2023, for county purposes, it was governed by [[Cumbria County Council]], whose social services and education departments used to have area offices in the town. It was the seat of administration for [[Eden District|Eden District Council]], one of the largest districts by area in England and the most sparsely populated. It was based at offices in [[Penrith Town Hall]] and at the building now known as Mansion House, formerly Bishop Yards House.

 

 

===Former local government divisions===

 

===2023 changes to Local Government===

 

 

==Geography==

 

====Scaws====

 

Beaconside Primary School stands in the centre of the estate, where there were once three corner shops and a launderette. Adjoining Scaws are the private Barcohill and Meadow Croft housing estates.

 

==Transport==

 

 

 

 

 

 

==Public services==

*[[Richard III]] (1452–1485) lived at [[Penrith Castle]] for a time. The links to him in the town include two fragments of medieval glass. One in St Andrew's Church is taken to show the heads of [[Richard of York, 3rd Duke of York|Richard Plantagenet]] and [[Cecily Neville]] – Richard III's parents. The other, on display in the town, shows the [[Musgrave family|Musgrave]] coat of arms. Richard III is thought to have stayed at the ''Gloucester Arms'', then a large private house. The bar has panelling of various periods, behind which is an early screen carved with a design taken to be [[Genisteae|broom]] ''(Planta genista)'', an emblem of the [[Plantagenet]] kings.

*The [[Scotland|Scottish]] road-builder and engineer [[John Loudon Macadam]] (1756–1836), inventor of macadamized roads, lived for a while at Cockell House in Townhead. Close by are streets named Macadam Way and Macadam Gardens.

*Penrith was the home town of the mother of the poet [[William Wordsworth]] (1770–1850). He spent some of his childhood there, attending school with Mary Hutchinson, his later wife.

*The [[Victorian literature|Victorian writer]] [[Frances Trollope]] (1779–1863), [[Anthony Trollope]]'s mother, lived for a while at a house called Carleton Hill (not Carleton Hall) outside the town on the Alston road.

*[[Samuel Plimsoll]] (1824–1898), [[Member of Parliament|MP]] and social reformer, spent some of his childhood at Page Hall in Foster Street. The houses at Townhead called Plimsoll Close are named after him.

*[[Angela Lonsdale]] (born 1970 in Penrith), actress, is perhaps best known as policewoman Emma Taylor in [[Coronation Street]] and currently stars as DI Eva Moore in the BBC soap [[Doctors (2000 TV series)|Doctors]].

*[[Charlie Hunnam]] (born 1980), the actor, attended [[Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, Penrith]] (QEGS) and lived locally in his teenage years. He claimed it is "just about the worst place you could hope to live".<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.cwherald.com/a/archive/actor-claims-penrith-is-just-about-worst-place-you-could-hope-to-live.276685.html |title=Actor claims Penrith is "just about worst place you could hope to live" |website=cwherald.com |language=en |access-date=2017-03-17}}</ref>

*[[Danny Grainger]] (born 1986), footballer, scored [[Heart of Midlothian F.C.|Heart of Midlothian]]'s third goal in the [[2012 Scottish Cup Final|2012 Scottish Cup final]] against [[Hibernian F.C.|Hibernian]].

*[[Oliver Turvey]] (born 1987), racing driver, attended Queen Elizabeth Grammar School and lives locally.

The local newspaper, the ''[[Cumberland and Westmorland Herald]]'' appears on Saturdays. Sections are updated every following Tuesday on their website. It is independently owned, with offices on King Street, but printed at the [[Newsquest]]'s printing works in [[Glasgow]], along with the weekly ''[[Cumberland News]]'' and daily ''[[News and Star]]'' which also cover some news items from Penrith. A separate edition of the ''Herald'' is published for the [[Keswick, Cumbria|Keswick]] area, known as the ''Lake District Herald''.

 

 

 

 

==Education==

==Places of worship==

 

===Church of England ===

[[File:St Andrew's Church, Penrith.jpg|thumb|St Andrew's Church, Penrith]]

 

==Twin town==

 

==Regular events==

==References==

{{Reflist|30em}}

 

==Sources==