Brougham Castle is a historical building located about 2 miles (3.2 km) to the south-east of Penrith, Cumbria, England. Founded by Roger de Vieuxpont in the early 13th century on the site of a Roman fort, it sits near the confluence of the rivers Eamont and Lowther. In its earliest form, the castle consisted of a stone keep, with an enclosure protected by a timber bank and a wooden palisade. When the castle was built, Roger de Vieuxpont was one of only a few lords loyal to the king in the region. The Vieuxpont's were a powerful land-owning family in North West England and also owned the castles of Appleby and Brough. In 1264 Roger de Vieuxpont's grandson, also called Roger, was considered a traitor and his property was confiscated by Henry III. Brougham Castle, and the other estates, were eventually returned to the Vieuxpont family, and stayed in their possession until 1269 when it passed to the Clifford family through marriage.
With the outbreak of the Anglo-Scottish Wars in 1296, Brougham became an important base from which Robert Clifford, 1st Baron de Clifford, could take part in the conflict. At this point, he began refortifying the castle: the wooden outer defences were replaced with stronger, more impressive stone walls, and the large stone gatehouse was added. The importance of Brougham and Roger Clifford was such that in 1300 he hosted Edward I at the castle. The second Roger Clifford was executed as a traitor in 1322 and the Clifford estates passed into the possession of Edward II, although they were returned to the family once Edward III became king. The region was often at risk from the Scots, and in 1388 the castle was captured and sacked.
Following this, the Cliffords began spending more time at their other castles, particularly that of Skipton Castle in Yorkshire. Brougham descended through several generations of Cliffords, intermittently being used as a residence. However, by 1592 it was in a state of disrepair as George Clifford spent more time in southern England due to his role as Queen's Champion. The castle briefly recovered in the early 17th century to such a condition that James I visited in 1617. In 1643, Lady Anne Clifford inherited the castle and set about restoring it. She also undertook the restoration of the castles at Appleby and Brough. The castle was kept in good condition for a short time after Lady Anne's death in 1676; however, the Earl of Thanet, who had inherited the Clifford estates, sold the furnishings of Brougham Castle in 1714. The empty shell was left to decay as it was too costly to maintain.
As a ruin, Brougham Castle inspired a painting by J. M. W. Turner and was mentioned at the start of William Wordsworth's poem The Prelude. The castle was left to the Ministry of Works in the 1930s and is today maintained by its successor, English Heritage. The castle ruins are open to the public. The stone keep is the castle's oldest surviving structure and dates from its foundation. (more...)