P E N R I T H. 561 
Hall, a handfome modern building, belonging to fir 
Frederic Fletcher Vane, bart. is about five miles from 
the town of Penrith, on the road leading to Wigton. 
Eden Hall, about three miles to the eaft of Penrith, is 
an ancient, large, and noble, ftrufture, feveral of the 
apartments being ornamented with curious hillorical 
prints, tapeltry-hangings, and ftucco-work; and an ele¬ 
gant ftaircafe with hanging flairs, &c. This noble ftruc- 
ture belongs to fir Philip-Chriftopher Mufgrave, bart. 
who feldom refides at it, though it is pleafimtly fituated. 
—Melmerby Hall, eight miles eaft, in a pleafant /port¬ 
ing country, is the feat of Thomas Pattinfon, eft). 
Leaving Penrith and travelling towards the bridge, at 
about half a mile from the town, on the left, may be ob- 
ferved a road which leads to Carleton Hall, the feat of the 
late James Wallace, efq. who died attorney-general to his 
late majefty George III. which place he filled with the 
higheft reputation. He fpared no expenfe in improving 
and beautifying it, and lived to fee it a moft charming 
and delightful place of retirement from the arduous and 
bufy fcene of life in which he made fo confpicuous a 
figure. 
After palling the bridge, (the river Eden being the 
boundary which feparates the counties of Cumberland 
and Weftmoreland,) and proceeding on the road to 
Brough, at about two miles from Penrith, on afmall but 
beautiful eminence, Hands Bird’s Neft, or Brougham Hall, 
a handfome building, with fmall but neat gardens ; but 
this place has of late been much negle&ed, and confe- 
quently much out of repair, the prefent proprietor, Henry 
Brougham, efq. feldom refiding at it. 
At the diftance of three miles from Penrith, on the left 
of the road leading to Brough, are the venerable ruins of 
Brougham Caftle, eredfed in 1070. From what remains 
ftanding of this ancient pile, it has evidently been a for- 
trefs of great ftrength. It formerly belonged to the illuf- 
trious family of the Cliffords. Margaret, daughter of 
Anne countefs dowager of Pembroke and Montgomery, 
being married to John lord Tufton, brought this and the 
adjoining eftate into the family of the earl of Thanet, in 
whofe pcffeflion it Hill remains. This noble caftle was 
repaired by the aforefaid Anne countefs dowager of Pem¬ 
broke in the year 1651, having been in a dilapidated ftate 
nearly five and thirty years. After her death it was en¬ 
tirely negledled, and all the materials fold for tool, to 
two attorneys in Penrith. It is now a mouldering vene¬ 
rable ruin on the banks of the river Eden. The keep 
and chapel are the moft prominent features ; the former 
of which is very ancient, of maffy conftrudtion, having 
feveral circular arches in front, and has probably been 
confiderably higher. To the north-eaft angle is attached 
a gateway of lefs ancient eredlion. The chapel was very 
fmall; part of the eaft window, ftalls, and holy-water 
recefs, with large corbels of the roof, remain. The old 
church at Brougham, being confidered in a dangerous 
ftate, was taken down, and rebuilt by the countefs of 
Pembroke, in the year 1659. 
About a mile from this place, on the fouth fide of the 
road (to London), the attention is drawn to a pillar 
ftanding on a gently-riling ground. This pillar was 
erefled in the year 1656 by the fame countefs of Pem¬ 
broke, a woman fo juftly celebrated for her many excel¬ 
lent qualities, that a little defcription of this memorial 
may not be unacceptable. This pillar is between feven 
and eight feet high, and about three in diameter, of an 
odlagonal form, with capital and bafe: it fupports a 
fquare block of ftone, on two fides of which are fun- 
dials, on a third the arms of Veteriponts and Clifford, im¬ 
paling Ruffell, furmounted by an earl’s coronet; and on 
the fourth, the following infcription, on a brafs plate: 
“ This Pillar was erefted, anno 1656, by the Right Ho¬ 
nourable Ann, countefs dowager of Pembroke, See. and 
foie heire of the Right Honourable George earl of Cum¬ 
berland, &c. for a memorial of her laft parting in this 
place with her good and pious mother, the Right Ho¬ 
nourable Margaret, countefs dowager of Cumberland, 
the 2nd of April, 1616. In memory whereof (he alfo 
left an annuity of four pounds to be diftributed to the 
poor within this pari fit of Brougham every 2nd day of April 
for ever, upon the ftone table here hard by. Laus Deo.'" 
A few paces towards the fouth is the bafe of a fmall ftone 
table, the upper part of which has been thrown down, 
and lies near the fpot: how long it has been in this ftate 
we know not; but with very little trouble it might be 
replaced,and both preferved fromdeftrudion. Gratitude 
to the benevolent diftributor of fo many charities Ihould 
be alone fufticient to preferve this and all other of her 
works from wanton demolition ; and, when we refleiff on 
the doubly pious intention of this little monumental 
tribute, as expreffed in the infcription, it is a duty abfo- 
lute and indifpenfable. This exalted female character 
(the daughter of George Clifford, third earl of Cumber¬ 
land, by Margaret Ruffell his wife) was born at Skipton 
Caftle on the 30th of January, 1590. She firft married 
William Sackville, earl of Dorfet, and afterwards Philip 
Herbert, earl of Pembroke, wdio died in the year 1649. 
After his death the countefs devoted her attention to 
many pious works, and the reftoration of fix of her no¬ 
ble caftles, which had fuffered delapidations during the 
civil wars. 
On the north bank of the river Eden are two caves or 
grottoes, dug out of the folid rock, and fufticient to con¬ 
tain one hundred men. The paffage to them is very 
narrow and dangerous, and perhaps its perilous accefs 
may have given it the name of Ifis Parlis, though the 
vulgar tell ftrange ftories of one Ifis, a giant, who lived 
here in former times, and, like Cacus of old, ufed to 
feize men and cattle, and draw them into his den to de¬ 
vour them. But it is highly probable that thefe fubter- 
raneous chambers were made for a fecure retreat in time 
of fudden danger: and the iron gates, which were taken 
away not long ago, do not a little confirm that fuppofi- 
tion. 
PEN'RITH (Old), is five miles from New Penrith, 
and thirteen from Carlille. Here are great ruins of a 
town ; here was formerly a Roman llation, of which 
there are a great many remains, and numbers of Roman 
antiquities have been found here. 
Beacon-hill is thus deferibed by Mr. Hutchinfon: 
“ Our firft excurfion from Penrith was to mount the fteep 
hill on which the beacon is placed, upwards of a mile to 
the northward of the town ; the labour was great by 
which we afeended, but the view amply rewarded our 
fatigue. The beacon-houfe is a fquare building of ftone, 
and happily fituated for the purpofe of alarming the 
country in times of public danger, as it commands an 
extenfive vale. The northern window of the beacon- 
houfe affords a profpeft of Crofs Fell, with the pikes of 
Dufton, together with a chain of mountains extending 
from eaft to weft near thirty miles; the weftern point 
finking in the fpacious plain where the city of Carlille 
lies. The utmoft bounds of this view are formed by a 
ridge of Scotch mountains. Theeaftern window prefen- 
ted a view of the country bounded by the hills of Stane- 
more, and that lofty promontory Wildbore Fell, with 
its neighbouring mountains above Kirkby Stephen. 
The fouth window prefented to us a view of Brougham 
Caftle, with its plains of pafture-ground. The lpread- 
ing woods of Lowther, (fee vol. xiii.) intermixed with 
rich cultivated lands, formed the rifing grounds. Some 
parts of the lake of Ulfwater werefeen, whilftthe mighty 
rocks and mountains, which hemmed in the lake, lifted 
up their heads in rude confufion, and crowned the fcene. 
The weftern window afforded a new, and not lefs plea- 
ling, profpedt: the town of Penrith lay before us, and 
here and there the river Eamont (Eden) Ihowed its wind¬ 
ings through the woods. The lull which riles above the 
town is crowned with the awful remains of a royal for- 
trefs ; time has defpoiled its grandeur, but its honours 
ftill furvive to its noble owner, the duke of Portland, 
, who 
i 
