In 1870-72, John Marius Wilson's Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales described Brough like this:
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.
Brough through time
Brough is now part of Eden district. Click here for graphs and data of how Eden has changed over two centuries. For statistics about Brough itself, go to Units and Statistics.
GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth, History of Brough, in Eden and Westmorland | Map and description, A Vision of Britain through Time.
URL: https://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/place/4377
Date accessed: 06th November 2024
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