Brampton has a population of some 4000 and is situated in a hollow formed by glacial action which took part during the Ice Age. Hence it is surrounded by rolling hills, hedgerows, and woodland. And the countryside is one of beauty. It is a location rich in the history of the Roman occupation, Border Raiders, and the Jacobite uprisings. So no trip to the area would be complete without a visit to Hadrians Wall Country.

 

The market town of Brampton was founded in the 7th century. The origin of the towns name came from the thorny shrubs growing in the sandy soil which could possibly be from the old English word Brambles. Most of the historic buildings which decorate the town are built of local red Sandstone. Brampton had a wide and cobbled main street which was suitable for the market, first held in 1252. The markets Charter was first granted by Henry 111, then James 1 granted one in 1606, of which a copy can be seen in the Moot Hall. In addition to the markets, four annual fairs were held.

 

The Octagonal Moot Hall in the Market Place was built in 1817 by the Earl of Lancaster. This replaced a 1648 building which Oliver Cromwell used to house prisoners.  The pointed windows, square turret and external stairs still remain today. Below was the open arcade market area which was a poultry, butter and egg market. This was enclosed in 1896. This building is now used by the Tourist Information Centre. In front of the Moot Hall is a bull ring which is a reminder that the sport of Bull Baiting occurred here. Today the market is held on a Wednesday with the Farmers Market on the last Saturday in the month.

 

In 1758 a road from Newcastle to Carlisle was built and helped put Brampton on the map. Cotton weaving for Carlisle manufacturers (there are rows of old weaver’s cottages in the town) and coal mining brought prosperity to the town. 

 

In the 1800’s Brampton had around 45 pubs for the then population of 3000. There were two Breweries in the town which kept supplies close to hand.

 

A statue of the 7th Earl of Carlisle (a British politician and statesman) stands on the top of the Moat, which could once have possibly have been the site of a castle, and stands 135 feet high. If you stand at the top you will get an excellent view of the town. 

 

Situated in the town itself is the almost square St Martin’s Church which was designed by the Pre-Raphaelite architect Philip Webb and was built of sandstone in 1874 to 1878. The church is quite important because of its stained glass windows made in William Morris’s Studio and designed by Edward Burne-Jones. Each window has separate themes of the good shepherd, heroes of the bible, virtues, childhood and paradise.  In the cemetery of St Martin’s is a worn gravestone of an early 19th century white witch called Lizzy Batey who was known as the Brampton Witch.

 

Bonnie Prince Charlie established his head quarters in one of the old buildings in Brampton, which is now a shop. It was the site where he received the keys to Carlisle upon its surrender. There is now a plaque on the outside of the building stating his stay.

 

Outside the town centre is the Capon Tree Monument which was erected in 1904, it was the scene of the hanging of six of Bonnie Prince Charlie’s supporters (who were left behind at Carlisle Castle when he fled the scene) in 1746 by the Duke of Cumberland. The Oak Tree at the memorial was the site for picnic lunches by circuit judges on their court rounds.

 

A few miles outside Brampton off the A69 on the Castle Carrock road is Talkin Tarn Country Park. It covers 180 acres, 65 of which make up the Tarn. The Tarn itself is a 10,000 year old glacial lake. It is 42 feet deep and is fed by underwater springs. It is open all year round except Christmas Day and Boxing Day. And it has free admission. There area many activities to do at the tarn, including windsurfing, canoeing and sailing and when it is the season fishing. In fact the tarn has its own rowing club. Every year they hold their own Regatta which is one of the biggest in the country. You can often see them training while you have a stroll round the park’s woodland. The path is over a mile long and is buggy and wheelchair friendly. There is also plenty of wildlife to see such as squirrels, rabbits and otters. There is a tearoom available for refreshments with a log fire and a gift shop where many of its items are made in Cumbria.

 

Two miles south of Brampton on the A69 is Gelt Woods which is an ancient woodland with the River Gelt running through (the mad river). It has been made by nature and people into a very special place. The red sandstone from the Quarry was quarried from here by the Romans who built Hadrian’s Wall. You can see the marks and chippings which were left by them as they chiselled out the stones for the wall. Quarrying continued here until the 19th century and much of Brampton is built from the stone from these quarries. There is a wide variety of trees which were planted by early woodsmen. There has been a lot of conservation work done in the woods. It has needed to be done to encourage the trees and ground vegetation.

 

There have been two Celtic style round bird houses built in the woods. They were built from oak which was harvested from the woods itself. You can take a seat inside and enjoy the views to the river through the bird watching windows. There are plenty of birds and wild life to see. Gelt woods has been twinned with the Poiplie nature reserve on the Ipel river in Slovakia where young people have worked together to learn about each others lives and environments. There are parking facilities at Low Gelt Bridge. It is suitable for families, wheelchairs, buggies although after heavy rain some sections may get a bit muddy. Some sections of the wood have unfenced paths beside steep drops. Dogs are welcome if kept on a lead.
For further information contact Tourist Information – 016977 3433

 

Another old building is Brampton old church. People often wonder why the church is so far away from the town, or even more pertinent is why Brampton is so far away from the church. The reason is that the church is a lot older than the town and Brampton was moved when Brampton deer park was enclosed by Thomas de Multon, the lord of Gilsland, when the charter was granted for the market in 1248. Adjacent to the old church used to be St Martin’s Oak. This is traditionally believed to be the tree under which the gospel was first preached in the area. When the time came for a stone church to be built the same site would have been used as it was a sound defensive position. This fact did not escape the Roman’s as they built their fort at the junction of the Irthing and the Cambeck. The age of the present church is approximately 1100 AD and was built from stone quarried from the sit of the Roman fort Uxellodunum. Soon after 1169 the church was appropriated to Lanercost Priory. The church is still used occasionally for some services. The most recent being Easter Sunday.  

 

East of the town is Lanercost Priory set in a tranquil valley of the River Irving. The Augustinian Priory was founded around 1166 by Robert de Vaux. It was built with stone scavenged from nearby Hadrians Wall. The building was completed in 1220.

The Priory saw a lot of violence as it was used as a base with many a conflict with the Scots. Lanercost Priory was one of the first priories dissolved by Henry V111. He gave the buildings and land to Sir Thomas Lord Dacre the illegitimate son of Lord Dacre of Narworth. Part of the priory he made into his mansion called Dacre Hall, where when he was killed and buried in the grounds. You can approach the ruins by the archway which was once the gatehouse. In 1740 the priory church was reclaimed and the nave and north aisle were re-roofed to serve as the Parish church. There are a number of interesting tombs in the priory ruins including Sir Thomas Dacre. There are also many medieval slab graves inscribed with crosses, swords and other motifs. The fireplaces, ovens and second floor windows date from sixteenth century. The priory is well worth a visit.

Lanercost Priory is open from the beginning of April to the end of September 10am to 6pm. October 10am to 5pm.

 

Situated off the A69 or A689 heading either east or west to the Brampton roundabout is Brampton Golf Course. Take the exit for Brampton, follow the signs for the golf course towards Castle Carrock and it is 1.5 miles along the road on the right hand side after the railway crossing. The Golf Course is in one of the most beautiful parts of the North of Cumbria. It was designed by James Braid and is 6,407 yards off the competition tees and 6,084 yards off the forward tees, with a par of 72 and a standard scratch of 71. The course offers a challenge to all standards of golfer. Golf world once described the course as The Jewel of Cumbria. A lot of visitors have likened it to a Mini Gleneagles. The golf course also has a recently refurbished clubhouse, where you can enjoy a drink or even a meal after your round of golf. A lounge and dining room are included in the facilities with a games room with tables to play snooker and pool. The resident PGA Professional Stewart Wilkinson is available to give advice and even lessons. Stewart offers an extensive range of quality clubs and accessories in the shop which is open seven days a week. For further details contact Stewart on 016977 2000. The club welcomes visiting groups and parties and also casual visitors. It would be advisable to contact Stewart (the resident professional golfer) prior to your visit just to make sure that you won’t be disappointed if the first tee is busy. Booking for groups and parties can been done through Ian Meldrum the secretary.

 

Brampton has a railway nicknamed The Dandy. It started as a number of wagon ways pulled by horses and was laid by the Earl of Carlisle in 1775 to transport coal. A new line to Brampton was built when the Newcastle to Carlisle line was built and opened in 1836. Thomas Edmondson, Brampton’s first stationmaster invented the first machine printed passenger rail tickets. The railway line served both passengers and coal until 1923 when the coal depot was permanently shut.

 

Brampton is twinned with two small towns in central France, south of the River Loire, called Berry Bouy and Marmagne. They are about a mile apart and their combined population is around the same as Brampton’s. In alternate years the Brampton and District Town Twinning Association take a coach to France and stay in someone’s home, have good food, wine great company and sightseeing tours, then the following year Brampton host the French. This year is the turn of the French to come to Brampton at the end of October.

On January 6th 2005 Brampton was granted Fair Trade Status, becoming one of the first hundred towns in the UK to be recognised in this way. 

 

The Border Region of Brampton has much to offer for the cyclist, walker, hikers and bird watchers. The town’s shops and facilities have something for everyone and the accommodation, which there are plenty of, are up to the highest standard.