Penrith - St Andrew

After the Romans left, the north became a patchwork of warring Celtic tribes. In the 7th century, the region was invaded by the Angles, a Germanic tribe that moved westwards from Northumbria. From around 870, the area was colonised by Vikings from Dublin and the Hebrides and Danes from Yorkshire.


The Norman conquest of north Cumbria took place in 1092 under the Conquerer´s son William Rufus, who retained Carlisle and Penrith and as demesne. The Norman rulers thereafter held Penrith as a crown estate

From 1242 to 1295 Penrith and dhe area around was in the hands of the King of Scots, in return for renouncing his claims to Northumberland, Cumberland and Westmorland. King Henry III had been reluctant to cede Penrith to the Scots, as it was a good source of Crown income. Tensions between the English Crown's agents and the Scottish agents attempting to defend the rights of the Scottish king and his tenants ocurred

The tower of St Andrew's Church dates from the 12th and 13th centuries, with the top stage either added or rebuilt in the 15th century. The nave of the old medieval church was completely demolished in 1721-22 and rebuilt in Georgian style.

The "Cheesbrough Clock" was installed in the tower just before the rebuild of 1722 replacing an earlier clock. Its maker, Aaron Cheesbrough from Penrith, was the first domestic clockmaker in Cumbria and the clock which bears his name is dated 1712.