Brougham Castle

BROUGHAM (Cumbria/Westmorland) -- An old Plantagenet castle built on the site of a huge Roman fort (Brocavum/Brougham -- it kept its name all these years). One of Lady Clifford's castles; Lady Clifford was a 17th C eccentric who restored several medieval castles around the time of the Civil War (Appleby, Brough, Pendragon, etc.); these are rather impressive fortresses (originally) that had some rich-lady embellishments added on, such as fancy stonework and flushing privies. All except Appleby fell into ruin (stones from Brough, another castle on a Roman site, were used to repair it -- Brougham was dismantled for local building stone). The gatehouse and keep are the most impressive remains.

This castle is a little beyond the northeast edge of the Lake District, near Penrith. As a ruin, it is in pretty good shape, and the setting is pastorally attractive, if not dramatic. (The Romans sited their fort along the highway to Hibernia as a way station -- they did not go out of their way to put their roads and strongholds in picturesquely remote areas except when they couldn't help it, hence this place is very near the motorway, which also avoids the difficult country).