| |
|
It was in the 9th and 10th centuries that the town became the capital of Cumberland - a semi-dependant state which, until 1070 AD formed part of the Kingdom of Scotland and Strathclyde.
The two oldest streets, Burrowgate and Sandgate, date from the thirteenth century.
The imposing ruins of Penrith Castle have an intriguing history. It was begun in 1399, when William Strickland, later to become Bishop of Carlisle and Archbishop of Canterbury, added a stone wall to an earlier pele tower, primarily as a defence against Scottish raids. The castle was improved and added to 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 castle is in the care of English Heritage
The Penrith Museum and Tourist Information Centre are housed in the former Robinson's School, an Elizabethan building which was altered in 1670 and used as a school until the early 1970's.
In the centre on the town is the Clock Tower, erected 1861 to commemorate Philip Musgrave of Edenhall
The local LAD/UA is Eden District Council. The resident population of Eden District, as measured in the 2001 Census, was 49,777, of which 49 per cent were male and 51 per cent were female.