| Penrith | |
|
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|
  Penrith shown within Cumbria |
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| Population | 14,756 |
|---|---|
| OS grid reference | |
| District | Eden |
| Shire county | Cumbria |
| Region | North West |
| Constituent country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | PENRITH |
| Postcode district | CA11, CA10 |
| Dialling code | 01768 |
| Police | Cumbria |
| Fire | Cumbria |
| Ambulance | North West |
| European Parliament | North West England |
| UK Parliament | Penrith and The Border |
| List of places: UK • England • Cumbria | |
Penrith is a market town in the county of Cumbria, England. Boundaries and divisions Cumbria is neighboured by Northumberland, County Durham, North Yorkshire, Lancashire, and the Lieutenancy In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology The British national grid reference system is a system of geographic grid references commonly used in Great Britain, different from using Latitude and Longitude The districts of England are a level of subnational division of England used for the purposes of local government Eden is a local government district in Cumbria, England. Its council is based in Penrith. Metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties are one of the four levels of Subdivisions of England used for the purposes of Local government outside Greater London Boundaries and divisions Cumbria is neighboured by Northumberland, County Durham, North Yorkshire, Lancashire, and the Lieutenancy The region, also known as the government office region, is currently the highest tier of local government sub-national entity of England, with only one North West England is one of the nine official Regions of England. Constituent country is a phrase used often by official institutions in contexts in which a country makes up a part of a larger entity or grouping England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland This list of sovereign states, alphabetically arranged gives an overview of States around the world with information on the extent of their Sovereignty. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located A post town is a required part of all postal addresses in the United Kingdom, and a basic unit of the postal delivery system UK Postal codes are known as postcodes. UK postcodes are Alphanumeric. The, also known as the Carlisle postcode area, is a group of postal districts around Alston, Appleby-in-Westmorland, Beckermet, Brampton The UK Telephone numbering plan, also known as the National Telephone Numbering Plan, is the system used for assigning Telephone numbers in the United There are a number of law enforcement agencies in the United Kingdom. Cumbria Constabulary is the Home Office Police force in England covering Cumbria. The fire service in the United Kingdom operates under separate legislative and administrative arrangements in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and The Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service is the county-wide statutory emergency fire and rescue service for the Shire county of Cumbria, The North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust was formed on 1 July 2006 as part of Health Minister Lord Warner's plans to reduce the number of NHS North West England is a Constituency of the European Parliament. This is a list of the 646 constituencies currently represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, as at the 2005 general election Penrith and The Border is a County constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. A Gazetteer of place names in the United Kingdom showing each place's County, Unitary authority or council area and its geographical coordinates List of places --> List of cities in the United Kingdom List of towns in England Lists of places This is a list of cities towns and villages in the county of Cumbria, England. A geographic coordinate system enables every location on the Earth to be specified in three coordinates using mainly a spherical coordinate system. Market town or market right is a legal term originating in the Medieval period for a European settlement that has the right to hold Markets Boundaries and divisions Cumbria is neighboured by Northumberland, County Durham, North Yorkshire, Lancashire, and the Lieutenancy England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland It is in the Eden Valley, just north of the River Eamont, and lies less than 5 kilometres (3. The River Eamont is a River in Cumbria, England and one of the major tributaries of the River Eden. 1 mi) outside the boundaries of the Lake District National Park. The Lake District, also known as The Lakes or Lakeland, is a rural area in North West England. Other local rivers bounding the town are the River Lowther and the River Petteril. The River Lowther flows through Cumbria in England. It is a tributary of the River Eamont which in turn is a tributary of the River Eden which The River Petteril is a River running through the English County of Cumbria. A partially man-made watercourse, known as Thacka Beck, flowing through the centre of the town, connects the Rivers Petteril and Eamont. For many centuries, the Beck provided the town with its main water supply.
Historically a part of Cumberland, the local authority is Eden District Council, which is based in the town and was formerly the seat of both Penrith Urban and Rural District Councils. The historic counties of England are ancient subdivisions of England. Cumberland is one of the 39 Historic counties of England. It formed an administrative county from 1889 to 1974 (excluding Carlisle from 1915 and now forms part of Local governments are administrative offices that are smaller than a State. Eden is a local government district in Cumbria, England. Its council is based in Penrith. In the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, an urban district was a type of Local government district that covered an Urbanised area Rural districts were a type of Local government area &ndash now superseded &ndash established at the end of the 19th century in England, Wales, and Penrith has no town council of its own, and is the second least populated unparished area, after Berwick-upon-Tweed. A town council is a democratically elected form of government for small municipalities or Parishes A council may serve as both the representative and executive branch In England, an unparished area is an area that is not covered by a Civil parish. Berwick-upon-Tweed ( ˈbɛrɪk- ( Scots: Berwick or historically South Berwick) situated in the county of Northumberland, is the northernmost
Contents |
History
Toponymy
The name Penrith is Cumbric, the British language spoken in Cumbria until about the 11th century. Cumbric was the Brythonic Celtic language, often considered to be a Dialect of Welsh, spoken in Northern England and southern The Brythonic languages (or Brittonic languages or British languages) form one of the two branches of the Insular Celtic language family the other being However, there is a great deal of debate over the meaning of the name Penrith. There are two main strands of opinion. One is that the name comes from the word for "chief ford"; the other is that it means "red hill". It is much more likely that the second theory is the correct one. The main problem with the "chief ford" theory is twofold; first, the nearest ford is located more than a mile away from the original settlement heart of Penrith. Second, the name does not match known Celtic syntax. Celtic languages nearly always used "reversed word order" in place names. The Celtic languages are descended from Proto-Celtic, or "Common Celtic" a branch of the greater Indo-European Language family. That is, the generic term precedes the specific identifier. For Penrith to mean "chief ford" would require the Cumbrians to have abandoned this naming strategy as the place name elements "pen" and "rhyd" are in the order one would see them in English. (This is incorrect: many Welsh place names begin with "Pen" (chief, head, end), such as Pen-y-bont (Bridgend) and Penarth (head of the promontory). Therefore, "chief ford" in Welsh and other Brythonic languages would be "Penrhyd", although the second theory below is more likely to be correct. )
The second theory of "red hill" is much more likely. First, it respects the syntax - "hill red". Second, it respects the first principal of toponymy. That is, it identifies what is there at the site (the red sandstone of Beacon Hill) and not a location some distance away. The name "red hill" also gains support from other evidence. The modern Welsh name for Penrith is Penrhudd. This also means "red hill" and is pronounced almost the same, albeit with the harsh eth (ð) sound. There is a village near to Penrith named Penruddock which is accepted to be a Cumbric name and to mean "little red hill" (pen + rhudd + og), Furthermore, there is an area between Penrith and Penruddock that is still named Redhills.
Governance
| Penrith Urban District | |
| Geography | |
| Status | Urban district |
| HQ | Penrith Town Hall |
| History | |
| Created | 1894 |
| Abolished | 1974 |
| Succeeded by | Eden District Council |
Penrith Urban District Council was the local authority for the town between 1894 and 1974 when it was replaced by Eden District Council. In the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, an urban district was a type of Local government district that covered an Urbanised area Eden is a local government district in Cumbria, England. Its council is based in Penrith.
The authority's area was coterminous with the civil parish of Penrith although when the council was abolished Penrith became an unparished area. A civil parish in the United Kingdom is a unit of local government.
The area had previously been an urban sanitary district presided over by the Local Board of Health. Sanitary Districts were established in England and Wales in 1875 and in Ireland in 1878.
As well as the town of itself the district also contained the hamlets of Carleton (now a suburb of Penrith), Bowscar, Plumpton Head and part of the village of Eamont Bridge.
The district was divided into 4 wards namely: North, South, East and West whose boundaries remained the basis of local government divisions in the town until the 1990s. In Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States, a ward is an Electoral district
From 1906 the council was based at Penrith Town Hall which had previously been 2 houses believed to have been designed by Robert Adam. Robert Adam ( 3 July 1728 &ndash 3 March 1792) was a Scottish neoclassical Architect, Interior designer
In the 1920s the council came into the possession of Penrith Castle, the grounds of which it turned into a fine public park and also built the Castle Hill or Tyne Close Housing Estate nearby. Penrith Castle was built between 1399 and 1470 as a defense against Scottish raids Further pre-war council housing was built at Fair Hill and Castletown and after World War II at Scaws, Townhead and Pategill. The council house is a form of public or social housing in the United Kingdom. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including
The district was surrounded on 3 sides by the Penrith Rural District, the fourth boundary was with Westmorland marked by the River Eamont. Penrith was a Rural district within the Administrative county of Cumberland, England that existed Westmorland (formerly also spelt Westmoreland, an even older spelling is Westmerland) is an area of north-west England and one of the 39 Historic counties
Local government divisions
For the purposes of electing councilors to Eden District Council the unparished area of Penrith is divided into 6 wards:
Penrith West which includes Castletown and parts of the town centre and Townhead. A councillor or councilor ( Cllr, Coun, Clr or Cr for short is a member of a Local government council such as a In Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States, a ward is an Electoral district
Penrith North: part of the town centre, the New Streets, most of Townhead and the outlying settlements of Roundthorn, Bowscar and Plumpton Head.
Penrith South: Wetheriggs, Castle Hill, a small part of the town centre, part of Eamont Bridge and part of the Bridge Lane/Victoria Road area. Eamont Bridge is a small village immediately to the south of Penrith Cumbria.
Penrith East: part of the town centre, Scaws, Carleton Park and Barco
Penrith Carleton (formerly part of Penrith East): Carleton Village, High Carleton, Carleton Heights, Carleton Hall Gardens
Penrith Pategill (also formerly part of Penrith East): Pategill, Carleton Drive/Place, Tynefield Drive/Court and part of Eamont Bridge. Eamont Bridge is a small village immediately to the south of Penrith Cumbria.
Penrith West and South wards make up the Penrith West Electoral Division of Cumbria County Council whereas East, Carleton and Pategill combine in the Penrith East division and Penrith North along with the rural Lazonby ward make up the Penrith North division.
Geography
| North: Plumpton | ||
| West: Keswick | Penrith, Cumbria | East: Langwathby |
| South: Shap |
Divisions and suburbs
Castletown
Castletown is the area to the west of the railway line and includes the Gilwilly Industrial Estate and part of the Penrith or Myers Industrial Estate. Plumpton or Plumpton Wall is a small village about 4 miles north of Penrith Cumbria. Keswick (pronounced "kez-ick" /ˈkɛzɪk/ is a Market town within the district of Allerdale, Cumbria, England. Langwathby is a village in northern Cumbria, England. It is situated about 5 miles (8 km north-east of Penrith on the A686 road. Shap is a Linear village located amongst Fells and isolated dales in Eden district, Cumbria, England. The West Coast Main Line (WCML is a busy mixed-traffic railway route in the United Kingdom. An industrial estate is an area of land set aside for industrial development. The area - which was originally built to house workers on the railway line - mostly consists of late 19th and early 20th century housing (mainly terraced) including some council housing but in recent years modern housing developments such as Greystoke Park, Castletown Drive and Castle Park have sprung up. In Architecture and City planning, a terrace(d or row house or townhouse (though the latter term can also refer to Patio houses
There is one pub in the suburb, The Castle Inn and in previous years there was a sub-postoffice, Co-op store and other shops all now closed. The Penrith Co-operative Society Limited, or simply Penrith Co-op, is a small regional consumer co-operative in the United Kingdom. Until the 1970s Castletown had its own church, St Saviour's in Brougham Street which acted as a chapel of ease to Penrith's parish church of St Andrew. The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England, the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican A chapel of ease (sometimes 'chapel-of-ease' is a church building other than the main church (the Parish church) of a Parish. A parish church, in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a Parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches
The suburb has a community centre on the recreation ground at Gilwilly and did until recently hold an annual gala day and parade throughout Penrith. At one time in the mid 20th century elections were held amongst regulars at the Castle pub to find a Mayor of Castletown. There is a long standing rivalry between the Castletown and Townhead districts.
Townhead
Townhead is the general name for the northern area of the town which also includes the Fair Hill district and the Voreda Park or Anchor housing estate. A housing estate is a group of buildings built together as a single development
The main part of area is built along both sides of the A6 road heading up the hill in the direction of Carlisle. The road is streetnamed as Stricklandgate and Scotland Road but on maps dating before the mid nineteenth century was just marked as Town Head.
Town Head was one of the 8 townships or constablewicks that the ancient parish of Penrith was divided into the others were Middlegate, Burrowgate, Sandgate, Dockray and Netherend within the town proper and Plumpton Head and Carleton outside the town. A township (or Municipality) is a settlement which has the status and powers of a unit of local government Parish Constable was the term used to determine a Law enforcement officer, usually unpaid and part-time serving a parish.
There are various small businesses in the area including one pub - The Grey Bull, a fish and chip shop, an Indian restaurant and two petrol filling stations one incorporating a sub-postoffice.
New Streets
The New Streets is a name for the area between Townhead and Scaws on the side of the Beacon Hill (or Fell) which consists of steep streets of some terraced housing but mainly large detached and semi detached houses mostly laid out in the late 19th century going up the hill. Fell (from the Old Norse fjall, 'mountain' is a word used to refer to Mountains or certain types of mountainous landscape in Scandinavia The streets are - from north to south - Graham Street, Wordsworth Street, Lowther Street, and Arthur Street. The term is sometimes extended to include Fell Lane (which is actually the ancient east road from Penrith town centre leading to Langwathby), and Croft Avenue and Croft Terrace (dating from c. Langwathby is a village in northern Cumbria, England. It is situated about 5 miles (8 km north-east of Penrith on the A686 road. 1930). However, the late date of the development of the latter streets place them outwith the traditional definition of the term. At the foot of the streets is Drovers Lane which is sub-divided along its entire length into Wordsworth Terrace, Lowther Terrace, Bath Terrace, Arthur Terrace, Lonsdale Terrace and finally Meeting House Lane. Running along the top of the streets is Beacon Edge from which spectacular views can be seen over the town and towards the Lake District. Until about the turn of the twentieth century, Beacon Edge was known as Beacon Road. As well as the streets going up the fellside there are some that connect the streets such as Beacon Street and smaller housing developments in the gaps between the individual streets. The fellside is known to have been used as a burial ground for victims of the many attacks of plague which struck Penrith down the centuries, and there are also areas which still bear the names of the farming which took place in the area. For example, a now wooded enclosed area on Fell Lane is still known as 'the Pinfold' (or Pinny) and was used to house stray animals until their owner paid a fine to release them. Also, a lane off Beacon Edge is still known as 'Intack Lane' (that is, the lane to farmed land). Most of the land that formed the "intack" itself was used to form Penrith Cemetery.
Scaws
The Scaws Estate was first built by Penrith Urban District Council almost immediately after World War II on land previously known as The Flatt Field and Scaws Farm which formed part of the Lowther Estates. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Earl of Lonsdale is a title that has been created twice in British history first in the Peerage of Great Britain in 1784 (becoming extinct in 1802 and then in the Peerage Scaws Farm is now known as Coldsprings Farm. The name was changed following a murder which took place at the farm.
In later years some private housing was built on the higher parts of the estate.
Beaconside Infants and Junior Schools are located in the centre of the estate and there were at one time 3 corner shops and a launderette in the area. "Corner shop" redirects here For the British band see Cornershop. A self-service laundry is a facility where Clothes are washed and dried
Adjoining Scaws are the privately owned Barcohill and Meadow Croft housing estates.
Carleton
Carleton, once a separate settlement, is the area of Penrith that has seen the most growth of housing in the past 30 years.
Carleton Village itself is a small line of houses along one side of the A686 road that forms part of the boundary of the town's built up area; at the junction of the A686 and Carleton Road (formerly the A66 road) is a building that until 2004 was the Cross Keys Inn. Carleton used to be a separate village or small hamlet one mile east of Penrith Cumbria, England. The A686 is a road in northern England. It runs from Penrith in Cumbria to Haydon Bridge in Northumberland. The A66 is a major road in northern England which in part follows the course of the Roman road from Scotch Corner to Penrith.
On the other side of the road and to the west of Carleton Road is the large High Carleton housing estate which was started in the 1960s and is still growing. The estate is subdivided into the Frenchfield Way/Gardens area, the original High Carleton area, Carleton Park or Parklands, Carleton Meadows and Carleton Heights most of the streets in this area are named after trees or other plants eg: Oak Road, Sycamore Drive, Juniper Way. A small stream runs through the estate. Oak Road connects Carleton with Meadow Croft and Scaws. These developments have earned the nickname "Legoland", owing to the similarity between houses.
To the west of High Carleton is Winters Park where Penrith Rugby Union Football Club has its ground and the Carleton Hall Gardens estate. Overview See also Playing rugby union A rugby union match lasts for 80 minutes (plus stoppage time with a short
Carleton Hall is the headquarters of the Cumbria Constabulary. Cumbria Constabulary is the Home Office Police force in England covering Cumbria.
At Frenchfield just south of Carleton Village towards Brougham Castle is the Hunter Hall Private Preparatory School and new Eden District Council-owned sports pitches. Brougham Castle is about 2 miles to the south-east of Penrith, Cumbria (
Pategill
Adjoining Carleton is the Pategill Estate which started as a council estate in the 1960s and is still mostly owned by housing associations. Two streets on the estate namely Prince Charles Close and Jubilee Close were opened by HRH The Prince of Wales in 1977.
The centre of the estate is accessible by foot only and there is a small convenience store here. A convenience store is a small store or shop. They are often located alongside busy roads or at gas/petrol stations.
Several properties are run as sheltered accommodation for the elderly.
Wetheriggs
The Wetheriggs, Skirsgill and Castle Hill or Tyne Close areas were first developed in the 1920s by the Penrith UDC on land formerly known as Scumscaw and the first private housing to be developed was Holme Riggs Avenue and Skirsgill Gardens just prior to World War 2.
Further development did not start until the 1960s and 1970s when land between Wetheriggs Lane and Ullswater Road was built on though it was not until the late 1980s that the two roads were connected after the building of the Clifford Road extension which saw the Skirsgill area developed.
Within the area are 3 schools: Ullswater Community College. North Lakes Junior and QEGS. The Crescent on Clifford Road is a block of elderly sheltered accommodation. There was formerly a shop at the junction of Huntley Avenue and Clifford Road next to North Lakes School.
The large North Lakes Hotel and Spa stands at the junction of Clifford and Ullswater Roads overlooking the Skirsgill Junction 40 Interchange of the M6 motorway, A66 and A592 roads. A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging usually on a short-term basis This article concerns the M6 motorway in England There are also M6 motorways in Russia (see Caspian Highway) Hungary (see M6 motorway The A592 road is a major route running north-south through the English Lake District.
Landmarks
The main church is St. Andrew, built from 1720 to 1722 in an imposing Grecian style, abutting an earlier 13th century tower. The term ancient Greece refers to the period of Greek history lasting from the Greek Dark Ages ca The church yard has some ancient crosses and hogback tombstones in it known now as "Giant's Grave", and "Giant's Thumb" which is the remains of a Norse cross dated to 920 AD. [2]
The ruins of Penrith Castle (1300s-1500s) can be seen from the adjacent railway station. Penrith Castle was built between 1399 and 1470 as a defense against Scottish raids The castle is run as a visitor attraction by English Heritage. English Heritage is a Non-departmental public body of the United Kingdom government ( Department for Culture Media and Sport) with a broad remit of To the south-east of the town are the more substantial ruins of Brougham Castle, also under the protection of English Heritage. Brougham Castle is about 2 miles to the south-east of Penrith, Cumbria (
To the south of the town are the ancient henge sites known as "Mayburgh Henge" and "King Arthur's Round Table". henge is a prehistoric Architectural structure. In form it is a nearly circular or oval-shaped flat area over 20 Metres (65 feet) in diameter Both are under the protection of English Heritage.
In the centre of the town is the Clock Tower, erected in 1861 to commemorate Philip Musgrave of Edenhall.
Penrith has been noted for the number of wells in and around the town, and well-dressing ceremonies were commonplace on certain days in the month of May. Wells is a small Cathedral city and Civil parish in the Mendip district of Somerset, England, on the southern edge of the Mendip Well Dressing is a custom practised in rural England in which wells springs or other water sources are decorated with designs created from Three miles south-east of the town, on the River Eamont are the "Giants' caves", where the well was dedicated to St. Ninian. Traditional story Ninian is first mentioned by Bede, in his Ecclesiastical History of the English People (book III chapter 4 The caves are enlarged out of Lower Permian sandstones and their associated breccias and purple shales. The Permian is a geologic period and system that extends from 299 Sandstone is a Sedimentary rock composed mainly of Sand -size Mineral or rock grains. Shale (also called mudstone) is a fine-grained Sedimentary rock whose original constituents were Clay minerals or Muds It is characterized by
Just to the north of the town is the wooded signal-beacon hill, naturally named Beacon Hill. It last use was probably in 1804 in the war against Napoleon. Napoleon Bonaparte (15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821 was a French military and political leader who had a significant impact on the History of Europe. Traditionally, the Beacon Pike was used to warn of approaching danger from Scotland. Today, although surrounded by a commercial woodland owned by Lowther Estates, the hill still contains some natural woodlands and is a popular local and tourist attraction. On a clear day the majority of the Eden Valley, the local fells, Pennines and parts of the North Lakes can be seen. It is almost certain that the Beacon Hill gave Penrith its name - in Celtic - of "red hill".
Transport
The town is on the M6 motorway, and also the junction of the A66, A6, and A686 roads. This article concerns the M6 motorway in England There are also M6 motorways in Russia (see Caspian Highway) Hungary (see M6 motorway The A66 is a major road in northern England which in part follows the course of the Roman road from Scotch Corner to Penrith. The A686 is a road in northern England. It runs from Penrith in Cumbria to Haydon Bridge in Northumberland.
Penrith is also a stop on the West Coast Main Line, with the town's station (dating from 1846) officially known as 'Penrith North Lakes'. The West Coast Main Line (WCML is a busy mixed-traffic railway route in the United Kingdom. This article is about the station in Penrith Cumbria UK For the station in Sydney Australia see Penrith railway station Sydney. Today it is served by regular express trains from London, Birmingham, Stoke-on-Trent, Manchester, Glasgow and Edinburgh. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Birmingham ( ˈbɜːmɪŋəm Ber -ming-um Stoke-on-Trent ( often abbreviated to Stoke) is a city in Staffordshire, England which forms a linear Conurbation almost 12 miles (19 Glasgow (ˈglæzgoʊ is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom Edinburgh ( ˈɛdɪnb(ərə Dùn Èideann) is the Capital of Scotland and is its second largest city after Glasgow.
The National Cycle Network's major National Route 7 runs through the town, and National Route 71 stops just short of the southern edge of the town. The National Cycle Network is a network of cycle routes in the United Kingdom.
Notable people
Penrith was the home town of William Wordsworth's mother, and the poet spent some of his childhood in the town, attending the local school with Mary Hutchinson his later wife.
The MP and social reformer Samuel Plimsoll spent part of his childhood living at Page Hall in Foster Street. A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a Parliament. Samuel Plimsoll (10 February 1824 &ndash 3 June 1898 was a British Politician and social reformer now best remembered for having devised the Plimsoll line. The row of houses at Townhead called Plimsoll Close is named after him.
Mary, the wife of British Prime Minister Harold Wilson, lived in Penrith for part of her life whilst her father was minister at the Congregational Church in Duke Street. Mary Wilson Baroness Wilson of Rievaulx (born 1918 is an English Poet, best known as the wife of former British prime minister, Harold Wilson The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the political leader of the United Kingdom James Harold Wilson Baron Wilson of Rievaulx, KG, OBE, FRS, PC (11 March 1916 &ndash 24 May 1995 was one of the most prominent British politicians An unrelated American church of similar name is the United Reformed Churches in North America.
The feature film Withnail and I features the real Penrith very briefly, but most of the filming locations were actually in and around nearby Shap. Withnail and I is a British film made in 1986 by Handmade Films. Shap is a Linear village located amongst Fells and isolated dales in Eden district, Cumbria, England. The famous "Penrith Tea Rooms" scene was filmed in Stony Stratford, Milton Keynes. Stony Stratford (often shortened to Stony) is a constituent Town of Milton Keynes and is a Civil parish operating as a Town council The Borough of Milton Keynes is a Unitary authority and Borough in south central England, at the northern tip of the South East England
Charlie Hunnam, British actor, attended Queen Elizabeth Grammar School (QEGS) Penrith and lived locally in the area during his teenage years. Charles Matthew "Charlie" Hunnam (born 10 April 1980) is an English Actor. A grammar school is one of several different types of School in the history of education in the United Kingdom and other English-speaking countries
The Victorian novelist Anthony Trollope's mother lived for a while at a house called Carleton Hill (not be confused with Carleton Hall) just outside the town on the Alston road. Victorian literature is the literature produced during the reign of Queen Victoria (1837-1901 and corresponds to the Victorian era. Anthony Trollope (April 24 1815 – December 6 1882 became one of the most successful prolific and respected English Novelists of the Victorian era.
The Scottish road-builder and engineer John Loudon Macadam the inventor of "Macadamized" roads (not Tarmacadam as that came later) lived for a while at Cockell House in Townhead. Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. John Loudon McAdam ( September 21 1756 – November 26 1836) was a Scottish Engineer and Road -builder Close by Cockell House today are the streets Macadam Way and Macadam Gardens. see http://maps.google.co.uk/?ie=UTF8&z=17&ll=54.669972,-2.756785&spn=0.004517,0.009978&om=1
Paul Nixon, Leicestershire wicket keeper and current England cricket international was born in Carlisle but grew up in the Penrith area. Paul Andrew Nixon (born 21 October, 1970 in Carlisle) is an English cricket player who has played for Leicestershire, England The England cricket team is the national cricket team which represents England and Wales.
Nightlife
As it is a small town relying heavily on agriculture and associated trades, the nightlife in Penrith is not especially notable. Like other rural towns of its size, Penrith relies on public houses to form the basis of social entertainment, and was once famous for the sheer number of pubs in the town and at one time the town had 4 working breweries. A brewery is a dedicated building for the making of Beer, though beer can be made in the home and has been for much of beer's history There were once many more pubs in the town than there are now, and the trend of pub closure is still continuing. Despite this, there are still a considerable number of pubs in the town. These range from traditional, small pubs that have a loyal clientele to the bigger bars which form part of the "circuit".
Penrith also has numerous dining places and restaurants.
The Alhambra in Middlegate is a cinema with 2 screens, and is one of the last cinemas in the country to have ice creams served from trays in the auditorium and intervals during long films. Cinemaaustraliajpg|thumb|A movie theater in Australia ]]A movie theater, movie theatre, picture theatre or cinema is a venue The Alhambra also has an adjoining bingo hall.
Amateur dramatics and musicals are staged at the Penrith Players Theatre, Ullswater Community College and Queen Elizabeth Grammar School
Penrith Dialect
The Penrith dialect known as Penrithian, is a diasystem of the Cumbrian dialect spoken around the Penrith and Eden district area. Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School may refer to Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School Ashbourne, England Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School Alford Not to be confused with the Celtic Cumbric language The Cumbrian dialect is a local Dialect spoken in the English county
Media
The local newspaper, the Cumberland and Westmorland Herald, goes on sale every Saturday. Sections of the Herald are updated every following Tuesday on their website. The Herald is independently owned, with offices on King Street, but is printed at the CN Group's printing works in Carlisle, where the weekly Cumberland News and daily evening paper the News and Star which also cover news items from Penrith are printed. The CN Group Limited is an independent local media business based in Carlisle which operates in three different media fields Carlisle (pronounced CARLYLE(emphasis on the first syllable is a City in northern England the largest settlement in Cumbria. The News and Star (formerly the Evening News and Star and Cumberland Evening News) is a local Tabloid newspaper in Cumbria.
A separate edition of the Herald is published for the Keswick area, and is known as the Lake District Herald. Keswick (pronounced "kez-ick" /ˈkɛzɪk/ is a Market town within the district of Allerdale, Cumbria, England.
Penrith lies with the ITV Border region and the BBC's North East and Cumbria region. Independent Television (generally known as ITV) is a public service network of British commercial television broadcasters set up under the Independent Border Television (now legally known as ITV Border is the ITV franchisee for the border region between England and Scotland (including the south of Scotland much of Cumbria
There are two local radio stations serving the Penrith area, both based in Carlisle. These are BBC Radio Cumbria and the independent station CFM. Independent Local Radio CFM is an Independent Local Radio station broadcasting to Northern & Central Cumbria and the southern tip of Scotland, with transmitters in Carlisle
Education
Penrith has the following educational establishments:
- Brunswick Infants (formerly County Infants), Brunswick Road
- Beaconside C.E. Infants (formerly Scaws Infants School), Brent Road
- North Lakes Junior (formerly Wetheriggs Junior; was at first a girls only school) [1], Huntley Avenue
- St Catherines Roman Catholic Primary, Drovers Lane
- Hunter Hall (independent preparatory school), Frenchfield
- Ullswater Community College (formerly Ullswater High School), Wetheriggs Lane
- Queen Elizabeth Grammar School (QEGS) (selective), Ullswater Road
- The University of Cumbria has a campus just outside the town at Newton Rigg. See also Primary education A primary school (from French école primaire) is an institution where children receive the first stage of Compulsory An Infant school is a type of School which caters for young children usually between the ages of 4 and 7 years The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England, the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England, the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican A junior school is a type of School which caters for children often between the ages of 4 and 11 An independent school in the United Kingdom is a school relying upon private sources for all of its funding predominantly in the form of school fees In English language usage in the former British Empire, the present-day Commonwealth, a preparatory school (usually abbreviated to prep school Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational Institution where the final stage of compulsory schooling known as Secondary education, takes Ullswater Community College (UCC is a large mixed Comprehensive school in Penrith Cumbria. Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School may refer to Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School Ashbourne, England Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School Alford Further education (often abbreviated "FE" is Post-secondary Education (in addition to that received at Secondary school) that is distinct from The University of Cumbria is a British University established on 1 August 2007, with roots extending back to the Society for the Encouragement
- Ullswater Community College has a large further or adult education centre
Former schools in the town include:
- Girls National School (building now housing school replaced by Beaconside Juniors), Drovers Lane
- Boys National School or St Andrews School for Boys (building now demolished school replaced by Beaconside Juniors), Benson Row
- National Infants School (now Penrith Playgroup Nursery School), Meeting House Lane
- Robinsons School - this was a girls' school (infant) school founded in 1670 by William Robinson, a local merchant who made good in London. A nursery school is a school for children between the ages of three and five staffed by qualified teachers and other professionals who encourage and supervise educational play rather than William Robinson, or Will Robinson or Bill Robinson or other nicknames may refer to Persons Historical William Benjamin It now houses the town's museum and tourist information centre, Middlegate, and has the following inscription above the door: "Ex sumptibus DN Wil Robinson civis Lond anno 1670 DN"
- County Girls School (building now part of Brunswick Infants the school was replaced by Wetheriggs school), Brunswick Road
- County Boys School (the building now QEGS Sixth Form Centre, also was for a while an annexe to Wetheriggs. The sixth form, in the English, Welsh and Northern Irish education systems Commonwealth West Indian countries such as Barbados, Belize School meged with Wetheriggs Girls to form Wetheriggs Junior), Ullswater Road
- Tynefield Secondary Modern (originally co-educational but later girls only), Wetheriggs Lane
- Ullswater Secondary Modern (boys only), Wetheriggs Lane
Ullswater & Tynefield schools and buildings merged to create Ullswater High in 1980. A Secondary Modern School is a type of Secondary school that existed in most of the United Kingdom from 1944 until the early 1970s under the Tripartite System Mixed-sex education, (or just Mixed education) also known as Coeducation, is the integrated education to males and females at the same school facilities
Churches
Church of England (Diocese of Carlisle)
- St Andrew's parish church of the United Parish of Penrith, St Andrews Churchyard
- Christ Church (formerly a separate parish but now part of United Parish of Penrith), Drovers Lane/Stricklandgate
Roman Catholic Church (Diocese of Lancaster)
- St Catherine's, Drovers Lane
Methodist Church of Great Britain
- Penrith Methodist Church, Wordsworth Street
Others
- United Reformed Church, Lowther Street
- Society of Friends, Quaker Meeting House, Meeting House Lane
- Gospel Hall Evangelical Church, Albert Street/Queen Street
- King's Church Eden - part of the Newfrontiers family of churches
Economy
As a small market town relying quite heavily on the tourist trade Penrith benefits from a mix of some high street chain stores and many small local specialist shops. Though as has happened with many towns of a similar size a lot of shops have given way to business such as banks, building societies and travel agents
Market days are Tuesday and Saturday. A banker or bank is a Financial institution whose primary activity is to act as a payment agent for customers and to borrow and lend money A building society is a financial institution owned by its members, that offers banking and other Financial services, especially mortgage lending On Tuesdays there is a small outdoor market in Great Dockray and Cornmarket, once a month this is expanded to include a Farmers' Market in the Market Square as well. Farmers' markets, sometimes called greenmarkets, are Markets usually held out-of-doors in public spaces where Farmers can sell produce On Saturdays at the Auction Mart alongside the M6 motorway Junction 40 takes place Cumbria's largest outdoor market. This article concerns the M6 motorway in England There are also M6 motorways in Russia (see Caspian Highway) Hungary (see M6 motorway A free bus service is provided between the Auction Mart and the town centre on Saturdays.
The main shopping areas in the town centre are Middlegate, Little Dockray, Devonshire Street/Market Square, Cornmarket, Angel Lane and the Devonshire Arcade and Angel Square precincts with some shops in Burrowgate, Brunswick Road, Great Dockray and King Street.
Some of the more widely known of the small specialist shops are J & J Graham Grocers and Delicatessen, Sportscraft, Arragons Cycle Centre, Harpers Cycles & Toymaster, Arnisons Ladies and Gents Outfitters, Confectioners The Toffee Shop and Cranstons Butchers who have a shop in King Street and also operate the Cumbrian Food Hall on Ullswater Road on the outskirts of the town.
In Middlegate are branches of Woolworths, Argos, Superdrug and Burtons. This article is about the British Woolworths Group plc, and its stores Argos is the largest general-goods Retailer in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland with over 700 stores Superdrug is the second largest health and beauty retail chain in the United Kingdom (behind Boots) and it is the sixth largest overall (behind Burton is a large United Kingdom High street clothing retailer While Clinton Cards, Boots the Chemist, W H Smith and Dorothy Perkins are in Angel Square. Clinton Cards is a chain of stores in the UK founded in 1968 by Don Lewin This article is about a former British company which has now merged to form Alliance Boots, as a result information on this page may be out of date This article is about the retail chain for people of that name see William Henry Smith. Dorothy Perkins, whose trading name was inspired by a rambler rose of the same name is a large British women's clothing Retailer active mostly in the United Kingdom There are 2 branches of Greggs the baker who also own a large bakery in the town. Greggs plc ( is the largest specialist retail bakery chain in the United Kingdom
The Penrith Co-operative Society has a large department store and supermarket in Burrowgate close to the bus station. The Penrith Co-operative Society Limited, or simply Penrith Co-op, is a small regional consumer co-operative in the United Kingdom. A department store is a Retail establishment which specializes in selling a wide range of products without a single predominant merchandise line. Customer divider barjpg|thumb|In supermarkets sellers periodically change prices for classes of goods in response to market conditions rather than negotiating the price of each good bus station is a structure where city or intercity Buses stop to pick up and drop off passengers Other supermarkets in the town are Morrisons (formerly Safeway), just outside the town centre on Brunswick Road, Aldi on Ullswater Road and Somerfield (formerly Kwik Save) in King Street; there is also a branch of Spar opposite the Co-op store. Wm Morrison Supermarkets PLC ( is the fourth largest chain of Supermarkets in the United Kingdom. Safeway was a chain of Supermarkets and Convenience stores in the United Kingdom. For similarly named settlements see Aldie, short for " AL brecht DI scount" is a Discount Supermarket Somerfield is a chain of small to medium-sized supermarkets operating in the United Kingdom. This article describes the now defunct UK-based chain There are also several unrelated shops of the same name in the United States In Sailing, a spar is also know as a round pole of wood or Metal used on a Sailing ship.
Next to Aldi are branches of Halfords and Wickes. Halfords Group plc ( is a leading retailer of car parts car enhancements and Bicycles operating in the United Kingdom, Ireland and the Czech Wickes is a UK DIY retailer owned by Travis Perkins with 183 stores throughout the country The town's branch of B&Q is on Bridge Lane opposite the hospital and health centre. B&Q is a British Retailer of DIY and Home improvement tools and supplies
Past and present national or regional retailers who at one time had shops in Penrith include Fine Fare, Dewhursts, Gateway, Iceland, Presto Foodmarkets, Greenwoods Menswear, Fosters Menswear, Liptons, Norweb, British Gas, Walter Wilson, Freeman, Hardy and Willis and Currys. Fine Fare was the name of a chain of Supermarkets in the United Kingdom until the late 1980s Somerfield is a chain of small to medium-sized supermarkets operating in the United Kingdom. Iceland is a Supermarket chain in the United Kingdom, partly owned by the Icelandic retailer conglomerate Baugur. Safeway was a chain of Supermarkets and Convenience stores in the United Kingdom. Safeway was a chain of Supermarkets and Convenience stores in the United Kingdom. Norweb PLC, originally the North West Electricity Board was a British electricity supply and distribution company British Gas plc was formerly the Monopoly gas supplier in the United Kingdom. United Co-operatives, or simply United Co-op, was the largest regional consumer co-operative in the United Kingdom until its merger with The Co-operative Freeman Hardy and Willis was a major chain of footwear retailers in the United Kingdom. Currys is an electrical Retailer in the UK and Republic of Ireland, and is owned by DSG International plc.
A branch of KFC has recently been built next to B&Q. Kentucky Fried Chicken, usually known as KFC, is a chain of Fast food restaurants based in Louisville Kentucky. However, the restaurant has received much criticism from local people for its unattractive and generic design.
Although the main industries in the area are based around tourism and agriculture there are some other industries reperesented within Penrith for expample Greggs have 2 bakeries in the Friargate area formerly belonging to the Penrith based Birketts firm; Dominos Pizza have a dough manufacturing site at Gilwilly and the model firm Lilliput Lane (now part of Enesco) was founded in Penrith and still has its main factory at Skirsgill Park. Greggs plc ( is the largest specialist retail bakery chain in the United Kingdom A bakery (also called baker's or bakehouse) is an establishment which produces or/and sells Bread, pies pastries Cakes Biscuits Domino's Pizza Inc ( is an international Fast food Pizza delivery corporation headquartered just outside Ann Arbor Michigan, United States For the composer see George Enescu. Enesco (Enesco LLC is an American company specializing in the sales and distribution of giftware Also at Penrith Industrial Estate is the Penrith Door Company factory formerly belonging to Magnet Joinery but now part of the American based JELD-WEN group
Agricultural based industries include BOCM Pauls who have a large animal feed mill on the Penrith Industrial Estate and up until recently there was another Feed Mill at Gilwilly originally belonging to Cumberland and Westmorland Farmers Ltd but eventully becoming part of the Carrs Milling Industries group. Magnet is a British retailer specialising in home improvement The United States of America —commonly referred to as the JELD-WEN is a corporation over 150 divisions and more than 20000 employees worldwide Local butchers Cranstons have an expanding meat packing, pies and ready meals manufacturing site alongside their shop and head office on Ullswater Road. A butcher is someone who prepares various Meats and other related goods for sale
In the past Penrith was known for its tanning industry and breweries. Tanning is the process of converting Putrescible skin into non-putrescible Leather, usually with Tannin, an Acidic Chemical compound The tanning factories were located mainly in the Friargate/Old London Road area of the town.
Penrith New Squares
For the past few years controversial plans have been proposed to expand the town centre of Penrith southwards into the Southend Road area which is currently used as car park and sports fields including ones used by Penrith and Penrith United Football Clubs. The first stage of this development has been achieved with the expansion of the swimming pool into a modern leisure centre complex.
The plans for the rest of the scheme have been developed by the property company Lowther Mannelli and include a new Sainsbury's supermarket (though previously it was thought that it was going to be a branch of Tesco), new shopping streets, car parking and housing. J Sainsbury plc ( is the parent company of Sainsbury's Supermarkets Ltd commonly known as Sainsbury's (also Sainsbury and JS) the third largest Tesco plc is a British -based international grocery and general merchandising retail chain The name of the scheme is Penrith New Squares as the new shops will be centred around 2 squares which will provide parking and places for public entertainment.
If the plans are approved the developers hope to see the first shops open in 2010. The site is due to be handed over to developers on 28 April 2008 and work is expected to begin soon after. Events 1192 - Assassination of Conrad of Montferrat (Conrad I King of Jerusalem, in Tyre, two days after his title 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Retailers Next, HMV, Waterstones and New Look are believed to be interested in renting units within the scheme. Next plc ( is a British clothes Retailer, with its headquarters in Enderby, Leicester. His Master's Voice, today usually abbreviated to HMV, is a famous Trademark in the music business and for many years was the name of a large record label Waterstone's is a United Kingdom –based chain of bookshops.
Sport
Penrith is home to Penrith Rugby Union Football Club. Penrith RUFC currently play in the Powergen North League 1. Home games are played at Winters Park in Penrith.
Penrith Town F.C. currently play in the Arngrove Northern League 2.
Penrith also has a newly developed skatepark recreational area by the Penrith Leisure Centre. Skateboarding is the act of riding and performing tricks using a Skateboard.
The Eden Valley Mountaineering Club draws many of its members from Penrith.
Twin town
Since 1989 Penrith has had a friendly twinning arrangement with the Australian town named after it in New South Wales. Penrith is a Suburb in western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. [3]
References
- ^ Gilpin, William (1786), Observations relative chiefly to Picturesque Beauty, Made in the year 1772 . . . . . Cumberland & Westmoreland. Pub. R. Blamire, London. Facing P. 85
- ^ Penrith - St Andrew's Church
- ^ Sister city arrangements for Penrith
Further reading
- "Ewanion". History of Penrith. Carlisle, 1993. ISBN 0-9519920-3-1.
- ECCP. Country Walks Around Penrith.
External links
- Eden District Council
- Illustrated Guide to Penrith
- Area profile based on 2001 Census Details
- Local Tourist Information
- Penrith Partnership Website
- Old Photos of Penrith made by the photographer Francis Frith in 1893. Francis Frith (also spelled Frances Frith) ( October 31, 1822 – February 25, 1898) was an English photographer of the Middle
See also:
- Cockermouth, Keswick and Penrith Railway
- Penrith and The Border (UK Parliament constituency)
- Penrith Castle
- Penrith railway station
- Penrith Mountain Rescue Team