Brough (), sometimes known as Brough under Stainmore, is a village and
civil parish in the
Eden
Eden may refer to:
* Garden of Eden, the "garden of God" described in the Book of Genesis
Places and jurisdictions
Canada
* Eden, Ontario
* Eden High School
Middle East
* Eden, Lebanon, a city and former bishopric
* Camp Eden, Iraq
O ...
district of
Cumbria, England, on the western fringe of the
Pennines
The Pennines (), also known as the Pennine Chain or Pennine Hills, are a range of uplands running between three regions of Northern England: North West England on the west, North East England and Yorkshire and the Humber on the east. Commo ...
near
Stainmore. The village is on the
A66 trans-Pennine road, and the Swindale Beck, and is about south east of
Appleby-in-Westmorland. Brough is situated north east of
Kirkby Stephen and north east of
Kendal
Kendal, once Kirkby in Kendal or Kirkby Kendal, is a market town and civil parish in the South Lakeland district of Cumbria, England, south-east of Windermere and north of Lancaster. Historically in Westmorland, it lies within the dale of th ...
on the
A685.
Brough lies within the
historic county of
Westmorland
Westmorland (, formerly also spelt ''Westmoreland'';R. Wilkinson The British Isles, Sheet The British IslesVision of Britain/ref> is a historic county in North West England spanning the southern Lake District and the northern Dales. It had an ...
. At the 2001 census it had a population of 680, increasing to 751 at the 2011 Census.
History
The village is on the site of the
Roman fort of
Verterae
Verterae was a Roman fort in the modern-day village of Brough, Cumbria, England. Occupied between the 1st and 5th centuries AD, it protected a key Roman road in the north of England. In the 11th century, Brough Castle was built on part of the si ...
("The Forts"), on the northern leg of the Roman-era
Watling Street, linking
Luguvalium (
Carlisle
Carlisle ( , ; from xcb, Caer Luel) is a city that lies within the Northern England, Northern English county of Cumbria, south of the Anglo-Scottish border, Scottish border at the confluence of the rivers River Eden, Cumbria, Eden, River C ...
) with
Eboracum (
York) and points south. The area of the rectangular fort, which once occupied the land to the south of the
Swindale Beck
Swindale Beck is a stream in Cumbria, England. It is formed at Swindale Head where Mosedale Beck, from the slopes of Tarn Crag, joins Hobgrumble Beck from Selside Pike. The stream flows north-east along Swindale and joins the River Lowther ne ...
, is now a
Scheduled Ancient Monument.
Brough Castle was built in the 11th century within the northern part of the former fort. Like many other castles in the area, Brough was restored in the 17th century by
Lady Anne Clifford. The Castle is now in the care of English Heritage and its ruins can be visited.
Brough has historically been divided into Market Brough, to the north, and Church Brough, to the south and centred on the castle and St Michael's Church. In 1977 this division was made physical by the construction of the Brough bypass dual carriageway, taking the A66 away from the village main street.
Up to some time before 1777, opposite the market cross going up towards Stainmore, there was a
holy well dedicated to
Saint Winifred (Gwenfrewi), which before the Reformation was a place of pilgrimage.
Nearby is
Augill Castle
Stainmore, for administrative purposes, is a civil parish in the Eden District, Cumbria, England. The parish contains ten listed buildings that are recorded in the National Heritage List for England. All the listed buildings are designated at G ...
, built in 1841 by John Bagot Pearson from
Kirkby Lonsdale as a weekend retreat, a grade II
listed building and now a hotel.
Governance
Brough is in the
parliamentary constituency of
Penrith and the Border
Penrith and The Border is a constituency in Cumbria represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2019 by Neil Hudson, a Conservative.
History
Penrith and The Border was first contested in 1950 since which it has to date been g ...
.
Neil Hudson was elected its Conservative
Member of Parliament at the
2019 General Election, replacing
Rory Stewart.
The holly tree tradition
Traditionally, on
Twelfth Night, a burning
holly tree (subsequently,
ash tree
''Fraxinus'' (), commonly called ash, is a genus of flowering plants in the olive and lilac family, Oleaceae. It contains 45–65 species of usually medium to large trees, mostly deciduous, though a number of subtropical species are evergree ...
s were used) would be carried through the village, followed by a brass band. When the flames had partially gone out, the villagers would try to bring the tree to a pub, where the party would continue until the early hours of the morning. The village was also the venue for a popular fair on the second Thursday of March.
St Michael's church
St Michael's Church is a large building with an impressive tower. The oldest parts date from the
Norman
Norman or Normans may refer to:
Ethnic and cultural identity
* The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 10th and 11th centuries
** People or things connected with the Norm ...
period, and may have suffered during
William I of Scotland's attack on the castle in 1174. The church was enlarged in the 14th century, to add the north aisle, and in the early 16th century when most of the existing structure was built. The tower was constructed by Thomas Blenkinsop of
Helbeck
Helbeck is a settlement and civil parish near the village of Brough, in the Eden district, in the county of Cumbria, England. There is a wood called Helbeck Wood nearby. In 2001 the parish had a population of 19, the population taken at the 20 ...
in 1513.
There is a large war memorial within the nave. There are four bells.
Repairs and improvements continue to this day.
Events
Brough Agricultural Show, held every year in August.
Cumbria Easter Rally, held yearly on Easter weekend.
A monthly Farmers' Market held on the third Saturday of every month, in the Memorial Hall in Brough.
Brough Football Club
Brough Football Club is the local football team for the village. After being re-founded in 2020, Brough FC can be dated back to 1900, possibly even earlier. The club's home pitch is Coltsford Common in Church Brough.
Brough FC has a men's team in the Westmorland Football League, and an Under 16's team in the Kent Valley Football League.
The team plays in the club's traditional colours of blue and white stripes, with a red away kit, both sponsored by
Kendal Calling.
Gallery
File:Brough, Cumbria, The Coronation clock tower - geograph.org.uk - 247717.jpg, The Coronation clock tower
File:Brough under stainmore st michael.jpg, St Michael's Church.
File:St Michael's Church interior Brough cumbria..jpg, Interior of St Michael's church
File:Church Brough - geograph.org.uk - 17752.jpg, Church Brough - The Green
File:Augill Castle, Brough, Cumbria (geograph 1649274).jpg, Augill Castle
File:Hollytree brough.JPG, Parading the holly tree
File:Brough Castle - geograph.org.uk - 3131306.jpg, View of the castle from Coltsford Common
Governance
An
electoral ward
A ward is a local authority area, typically used for electoral purposes. In some countries, wards are usually named after neighbourhoods, thoroughfares, parishes, landmarks, geographical features and in some cases historical figures connected to t ...
in the name of Brough exists. This ward stretches from Musgrave to
Stainmore with a total population of 1,317.
See also
*
Listed buildings in Brough, Cumbria
References
External links
Cumbria County History Trust: Brough under Stainmore(nb: provisional research only - see Talk page)
{{authority control
Villages in Cumbria
Civil parishes in Cumbria
Roman sites in Cumbria
Eden District