Descriptive Gazetteer Entry for BROUGH

BROUGH, a small old town, a township, and a parish in East Ward district, Westmoreland. The town stands on Watling-street and on the rivulet Hilbeck, in the valley of the Eden, 2 miles NNW of Barras r. station, and 5 NNE of Kirkby-Stephen. It occupies the site of the Roman station Veteræ; was very early a place of importance; and now consists chiefly of one long street. It has a post office‡ under Penrith, an inn, remains of an ancient castle, a parish church, three other places of worship, and a free school on the foundation of an hospital founded in 1506. The castle dates prior to the Conquest; was sacked, in 1175, by William the Lion of Scotland; belonged for a time to the Veteriponts, and passed to the Cliffords; suffered severe injury, in 1521, by accidental fire; and was repaired, in 1660, by the celebrated Countess Anne Clifford. The parish church is an ancient edifice, with a tower of 1513 or earlier; and contains a monolithic stone pulpit, and some old monuments. Fairs are held on the Thursday before Whitsunday and 26 Oct.-The township includes the town; and is divided, by the Hilbeck rivulet, into Market-Brough and Church-Brough. Acres, 966. Real property, with Hilbeck township, £3,961. Pop., 840. Houses, 187.—The parish contains also the townships of Hilbeck, Stainmore, and Brough-Sowerby; and is sometimes called Broughunder-Stainmore. Acres, 24,517. Real property, with Kaber township in Kirkby-Stephen parish, £12,773. Pop., 1,728. Houses, 355. The property is much subdivided. Hilbeck Hall, once the seat of the De Hilbecks, afterwards of the Blenkinsops, stands on high ground, commanding an extensive view. An ancient cross, erected by William the Conqueror and Malcolm of Scotland, to mark the boundary between England and Scotland, stood in Stainmore forest. The parish is hilly; and contains mines of coal, limestone, and lead. A chalybeate spring is near the church; and some Roman coins and other Roman relics have been found. The living is a vicarage in the diocese of Carlisle. Value, £492.* Patron, Queen's College, Oxford. The p. curacy of Stainmore is a separate benefice. Charities, £99. Lord Mayor Buckle was a native.


(John Marius Wilson, Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales (1870-72))

Linked entities:
Feature Description: "a small old town, a township, and a parish"   (ADL Feature Type: "cities")
Administrative units: Brough Ch/AP/CP       East Ward RegD/PLU       Westmorland AncC
Place: Brough

Go to the linked place page for a location map, and for access to other historical writing about the place. Pages for linked administrative units may contain historical statistics and information on boundaries.