Penrith

Robinson's School Middlegate - a museum

Penrith is a small market town of 15,000 people (2011) in Cumbria, to the north-east of the Lake District.

Get in

By train

• Penrith is located on the West Coast Mainline rail link. There are direct connections to London (3 hr), Edinburgh (1½ hr) and Glasgow (2 hr).

By bus

• There are direct bus services from Penrith to London and Scotland, operated by National Express.
• There are local buses, operated by Stagecoach, from Cockermouth via Keswick and Threlkeld in the northern Lake District every hour or two.

By car

• Penrith is on the M6 (junction 40) towards Birmingham, A66 from Workington to Grangetown and on the A6 from Luton to Carlisle.

Get around

The town can easily be explored on foot.

See

Penrith Castle

The town's appeal to visitors is somewhat limited to the many fine pubs, the supermarkets and the railway station. Penrith does however have some hidden historic gems, most imposingly, Penrith Castle.

• 1 Penrith Castle. Building of the castle' began in 1399, when William Strickland (later Bishop of Carlisle and Archbishop of Canterbury) added a stone wall to an earlier pele tower, primarily as a defence against the then frequent raids from the Scottish borders. The castle was improved over the next 70 years, becoming a royal fortress for Richard, Duke of Gloucester before he became King Richard III in 1483. The ruins that can be seen today date from about that time. The striking sandstone remains are situated in Castle Park, opposite Penrith railway station. free. (updated Sep 2016)
• 2 St. Andrew's Church. church often open during the day. The churchyard in the town contains the 'Giant's Thumb', a Norse cross dating from 920 AD erected as a memorial to his father by Owen Caesarius, King of Cumbria from 920 to 937 AD. There is a tradition that the 'Giant's Grave' is the grave of Owen himself. The four hogback stones surrounding the grave are said to represent wild boar he killed in nearby Inglewood Forest. The two Norse crosses are some 11 feet high. The tower dates from 1397, but the church was built in 1722 and has an interesting interior. The church cafe is open M-F 9:30AM - 2PM. (updated Oct 2017)
• 3 Penrith and Eden Museum. Open all year: M-Sa 10AM-5PM; Apr-Oct: Su 11AM-4PM. In Robinson's School in Middlegate. The school closed in 1971 after a long history dating back to 1670 and is now a combined tourist information centre and museum. free. (updated Sep 2016)
• 4 Brougham Castle, Moor Lane, CA10 2AA, ☏ +44 1768 862488. Adults £4.00, children £2.40, concessions £3.60.  
• 5 Acorn Bank, Temple Sowerby, CA10 1SP (8 miles east of Penrith), ☏ +44 17683 61893, acornbank@nationaltrust.org.uk.  

Buy

Sandgate

• James & John Graham Grocers, 6 - 7 Market Square, CA11 7BS. Independent grocer established in 1793, with an excellent selection of cheeses and home baking. 
• There are three supermarkets near the station - Morrisons and Booths in Brunswick Road and Aldi in Ullswater Road. Sainsbury's is on the opposite side of the town centre.

Eat

• 1 Agricultural Hotel. The Castlegate, CA11 7JE. Bar meals and Jennings real ales in this hotel near the station. 

Sleep

• The George, Devonshire St. In the town centre. 
• North Lakes Hotel and Spa. A four-star hotel at M6 / A66 junction. 
• 1 Howtown Hotel, Ullswater CA10 2ND, ☏ +44 17684 86514. Charming hotel in old-fashioned style in converted farmhouse near the lake. Open Apr-Oct. B&B double £100. (updated Jun 2020)
• 2 The House at Temple Sowerby, Chapel St, Temple Sowerby CA10 1RZ (off A66), ☏ +44 1768 361 578. Charming little hotel in 18th-century house, great dining. B&B double from £140. (updated Jun 2020)
• 3 Askham Hall, Askham CA10 2PF, ☏ +44 1931 712350. Glorious upscale pile, the 14th-century pele tower has been added to for 700 years so what you get now is the Countess of Lonsdale's 2012 makeover. Great comfort, service, ambience and dining. It's open mid-Feb to Dec and often booked for weddings. B&B double from £150. (updated Jun 2020)
• 4 Tebay Services Hotel, Orton, Penrith CA10 3SB (M6 between jcn 38 & 39), ☏ +44 15396 24351. Tebay services on M6 have always bucked the norm of bland functionality, and now this welcoming hotel takes the standard higher. Splendid restful place accessible both north- and southbound, once checked in you'll be blissfully unaware of the traffic hissing past. Open all year, child- and dog-friendly. B&B double £85. (updated Jun 2020)
• 5 Gill Head Farm, Troutbeck CA11 0ST, ☏ +44 17687 79953. Quiet camping and caravan site open Apr-Nov. Tent £25. (updated Apr 2021)
• 6 George and Dragon, Clifton CA10 2ER, ☏ +44 1768 865381. Atmospheric 18th-century coaching inn, dog-friendly, with good restaurant. B&B double £100. (updated Dec 2021)
• 7 The Quiet Site, Watermillock, Ullswater CA11 0LS, ☏ +44 1768 486337. This charming spot up a back lane has "hobbit burrows" set into the hillside, glamping pods and "gingerbread house" cabins. Dog-friendly. Pod £80. (updated May 2022)
• Cove Caravan & Camping Park is next to the Quiet Site.
• 8 Brackenrigg Inn, Watermillock, Ullswater CA11 0LP, ☏ +44 1768 486442. Dog-friendly pub with rooms and good meals. B&B double £120. (updated Oct 2024)

Connect

Penrith has 4G from all UK carriers, though coverage varies on the outlying roads. As of April 2021, 5G has not reached this area.

Go next

Just outside the town is Brougham Castle, which is much better preserved than Penrith Castle and is situated alongside the earth-works of a Roman Fort. The site was later taken by the Norman family of Vieuxpont to build their castle. The ruins, the stone keep, and service buildings can still be seen.

Ullswater, the Eden Valley and the Rheged Centre are all very nearby. The neighbouring towns are Keswick to the west, Appleby-in-Westmorland to the south east, and the city of Carlisle to the north.

Routes through Penrith

Glasgow ← Carlisle ←	N  S	→ Kendal → Manchester
Carlisle ←	N  S	→ Kendal