Route: Brougham Castle
Area: Eden Valley
Date of walk: 26th June 2015
Walkers: Andrew and Gilly
Distance: 5.1 miles
Weather: Mostly overcast with a few brighter spells
Brougham Castle is on the eastern edge of the Lake District, close to the A66 and the M6 and thanks to its location is probably ignored by most folk as they drive past it on the way into Lakeland proper. We too have been guilty of this, having admired the castle hundreds of times through the car window
Today we drove past the castle yet again, but this time we turned off the A66 and parked in a layby adjacent to the entrance. Our English Heritage membership gained us free admission and we spent an hour or so wandering round the atmospheric ruins of the castle. We climbed up a narrow spiral staircase to the top of keep, from where there are panoramic views over the Eden Valley
After leaving the castle we crossed over Castle Bridge and there followed a delighful walk along the bank of the River Eamont into Eamont Bridge
The return leg was mainly along the quiet B6262 (though this can be avoided by a longer option along public footpaths and a return via Moor Lane)
It was a lovely walk, though marks have to be deducted on account of the constant hum of traffic from the nearby motorways
Click on the icon below for the route map (subscribers to OS Maps can view detailed maps of the route, visualise it in aerial 3D, and download the GPX file. Non-subscribers will see a base map)
Scroll down – or click on any photo to enlarge it and you can then view as a slideshow
Red squirrel in the garden before we set off this morning
Brougham Castle
The River Eamont flows by the side of the castle
Inside the castle ruins
We climb up the steep spiral staircase of the great keep
Looking towards lakeland
View from the top of the keep
Looking back up to the keep
We walk out of the grounds and cross Castle Bridge
Brougham Castle from Castle Bridge
We follow the sign to Eamont Bridge and walk through an attractive meadow
The River Eamont
Heron
Further along the riverbank
Heron again - it remained motionless for so long that Gilly decided it must be a stuffed one
Approaching Eamont Bridge
We cross the footbridge next to the road bridge
Old cottage in Eamont Bridge
Eamont Bridge gives its name to the village
Walking towards Bleach Green
At the far point of the walk the M6 is on our right - out of sight but not out of hearing
Walking past Brougham Hall
The Brougham Door Knocker, one of only four examples of this 12C design
The quiet road back to the start
We pass by Brougham Castle again
The start - and finish - of the walk is just ahead
