Penrith

Introducing Penrith

Nestled at the head of the lush Eden Valley, the sturdy red-brick market town of Penrith was once the capital of Cumbria, and it’s still an important commercial centre, with a bustling high street and a network of colonnaded arcades packed with outdoors shops, cafés, tearooms and traditional grocery stores. All roads in Penrith lead to the main market square, dominated by an ornate 19th-century clock tower built in memory of local notable Philip Musgrave; high above the town stands Beacon Fell, where beacons have been lit in times of emergency since the days of Henry VIII, and where sentries were once posted to warn of border raids.

Last updated: Sep 22, 2008