by Janis / 0 comments - Orginally published:20th October 2026
Deep in the rural heart of Cumbria
Our visit to the charming market town of Penrith in Cumbria was the first stop on our two-week EV road trip touring Scotland. We live in the southeast of England, so we thought we’d break up the long drive with a stop off in England on the journey there and a couple on the way back.
The scenery through Cumbria was beautiful; the open rolling countryside felt like a huge warm hug. I love seeing the old stone walls dividing the farmer’s fields rather than hedgerows; it feels like a slice of old England.
Penrith lies west of the North Pennines and east of the Lake District, so it's an ideal base for exploring the surrounding National Parks and countryside. We were only in Penrith for an afternoon and an evening, so we set about discovering the market town as soon as we arrived.
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Where is Penrith?
How to get to Penrith
- By Train
Penrith has a mainline train station located opposite Penrith Castle. The route is the Avanti West Coast line running from London Euston onto Edinburgh and Glasgow.
- By Car
Penrith is located on the M6 corridor through the northwest of England to Scotland. Jump off at Jct 40 onto the A66 and follow the signs into town.
A brief history of Penrith
Tracing historic footstepsPenrith is a delightful Cumbrian town whose history becomes much more apparent once you start wandering around its centre. Sitting on an important route between England and Scotland, and close to the eastern edge of the Lake District, it has been a meeting place and trading centre for centuries. The area was settled long before the town itself developed, with evidence of prehistoric activity nearby, including the remarkable stone circle of Long Meg and Her Daughters a few miles away.
Penrith Castle
By the medieval period, Penrith had become an important market town, but its proximity to the Scottish border also meant life wasn't always peaceful. Raids and conflict between England and Scotland were a recurring threat
James and John Graham Family Grocers
Penrith Castle was built in the late 14th century, probably as much for defence as for displaying the status of the powerful Neville family. In the 1470s it became associated with Richard, Duke of Gloucester, the future King Richard III, who spent time in the north overseeing royal interests. Today, its atmospheric red-sandstone ruins stand rather unexpectedly opposite the railway station.
The historic heart of Penrith grew around its market, with narrow streets and lanes leading away from Market Square. St Andrew's Church, Penrith is another important part of the town's story. Although much of the present church dates from the 18th century, the site is considerably older.
Penrith and Eden Museum
Penrith later prospered as an agricultural and commercial centre, particularly as road and rail connections improved during the 18th and 19th centuries. The arrival of the railway in the 1840s strengthened its position as a gateway to the Lake District and the Eden Valley. The town also has a connection with William Wordsworth, who was born in nearby Cockermouth but spent part of his childhood in Penrith and attended school here.
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Discovering the streets of Penrith
A charming town to explore on footPenrith’s historic centre is full of character, with a network of old streets, narrow lanes, passages and little courtyards that reflect its long history as a busy Cumbrian market town.
Bandstand in Penrith
Around Market Square and streets such as Devonshire Street, King Street, Angel Lane and Burrowgate, you’ll find an interesting mixture of traditional sandstone buildings, Georgian and Victorian architecture and independent shops. Some of the narrower passages are particularly atmospheric, giving you a sense of how compact and bustling the town centre would once have been.
Market Square at night
Penrith’s distinctive Clock Tower, in the town’s Market Square, was erected in 1861 as a memorial to Philip Musgrave of Edenhall, a prominent local landowner who died in 1859. Known as the Musgrave Monument, its tall Gothic-style design and four clock faces quickly made it one of Penrith’s most recognisable landmarks.
Musgrave Tower
Picturesque lanes
Today it remains a focal point of the town centre, surrounded by shops and historic buildings, and a useful reminder of Penrith’s Victorian past and the influence of the Musgrave family in the surrounding area.
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Strolling the lanes of Penrith
An amble through the centuriesMany of these lanes in Penrith originally provided access to inns, workshops, stables, merchants’ premises and yards hidden behind the main streets. Penrith developed around its markets and important north–south routes, so traders, farmers, and travellers would once have filled these streets.
Poets Walk
Today, wandering away from the main shopping areas and exploring the smaller lanes is one of the nicest ways to discover Penrith; you’ll often stumble across an old doorway, historic building or tucked-away courtyard that provides a glimpse of the town’s past.
‘Tudor House’, St Andrew’s Place
The Tudor House in St Andrew’s Place dates from around 1563 and is thought to have been built for Robert Bartram, a prosperous Penrith merchant, making it a fascinating survivor from the Elizabethan period and evidence of the town’s growing merchant class.
It also has an interesting literary connection: a neighbouring school associated with the house was traditionally identified as Dame Birkett’s School, which the young William Wordsworth, his sister Dorothy, and his future wife Mary Hutchinson attended in the 1770s.
Paddington Bear in Penrith
Penrith has its very own Paddington Bear, sitting on a bench in Little Dockray with his familiar red hat, blue duffle coat and, naturally, a marmalade sandwich. He arrived in October 2024 as part of the nationwide Paddington Visits trail celebrating the release of Paddington in Peru, and Penrith was the only location in Cumbria chosen for the trail.
You can also spot a similar Paddington Bear enjoying a marmalade sandwich in York.
Penrith Tourist Information
If you’re tempted to explore Penrith, head to the Discover Penrith website. The website is full of extremely useful information and includes handy pointers for around the town and local businesses.
Exploring Penrith Castle ruins
A historical public parkPenrith Castle was built towards the end of the 14th century, most likely by Ralph Neville, as both a defensive stronghold and a symbol of the powerful Neville family's influence in this turbulent border region.
Ruins of Penrith Castle
During the 1470s, it became associated with Richard, Duke of Gloucester, the future King Richard III, who used Penrith as a base while overseeing royal interests in northern England.
Penrith Castle, now a public park
After falling out of use, the castle gradually deteriorated and by the 16th century was already becoming ruinous. Today its striking red-sandstone walls, fragments of towers and defensive earthworks survive in a small public park opposite Penrith railway station, offering a fascinating reminder of the town's medieval past.
Penrith Castle is managed by English Heritage and is free to visit.
Visiting St Andrew’s Church
There’s even a Giant’s GraveSt Andrew's Church, Penrith, stands at the heart of the old town and occupies a site that has been used for Christian worship for many centuries. Although a medieval church stood here, much of the building you see today dates from the 1700s, when it was substantially rebuilt in the Georgian period.
St Andrew’s Church
Its imposing west tower is older, dating from the 12th and 13th centuries, surviving from the earlier church. There is a ring of eight bells. Six of these were cast in 1763 by Lester and Pack at the Whitechapel Bell Foundry in London, and the other two by John Taylor and Company of Loughborough. While inside you'll find an elegant Georgian interior with galleries, beautiful stained-glass windows, and a striking painted ceiling.
Inside St Andrew’s Church
The churchyard is just as interesting, particularly for the mysterious monument known as the Giant's Grave. It consists of two tall stone pillars with several smaller ‘hogback’ stones between them and is believed to incorporate Viking-age carved stones dating from around the 10th century.
Giant’s Grave
Local tradition claimed it marked the burial place of a giant called Owain Caesarius, although the real story is uncertain. Nearby is the Giant's Thumb, another ancient carved stone. Together they provide a fascinating reminder that the history surrounding St Andrew's stretches back long before the present church was built.
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