history of kirkby stephen...
This fertile area was settled by early humans. Croglam Castle is the largest prehistoric earthwork in the area, guarding the entrance to the Mallerstang Valley. Further north, the Romans built a strategically placed fort at Brough to guard the trade route over the Pennines, as did William Rufus (son of William the Conqueror) who erected his Norman castle over the remains of the Roman fort. Other castles were built at Hartley, Lammerside and Pendragon.
Scottish raids in this area were common, and the castles were repeatedly damaged and rebuilt several times. By the Middle Ages though, Kirkby Stephen and Brough were thriving towns with their own markets and annual fairs. St Luke's Charter Fair in Kirkby Stephen dates back to 1353 when the main street would be filled with sheep and cattle, market stalls selling local wares, and musicians and jugglers entertaining the crowds.
In 1542 Henry VIII granted the lordship of the manor of Kirkby Stephen to Thomas Wharton after his victory over the Scots at the battle of Solway Moss. The family seat was at Lammerside and then Wharton Hall in Mallerstang. Thomas also founded the grammar school in Kirkby Stephen in 1566. In the 18th century, the Whartons sided with the Jacobites and rebelled against the crown. As a result, their estates were forfeited and sold to the Lowther family.
Another prominent family were the Musgraves, who moved from Great Musgrave to Hartley Castle. The castle was demolished in 1735 to re-use the stone at their new home at Edenhall near Penrith. Today, a farmhouse occupies the castle site - easily seen from the disused railway on the Northern Viaducts Round.
Lady Anne Clifford (1590 - 1676) was a indomitable woman who worked hard to regain her inheritance (which had been passed to a male relative on the death of her father). She eventually regained her father's vast estates at the age of 53, and a few years later set about restoring a number of castles, churches and medieval halls in the area.
Kirkby Stephen was one of the centres of the knitting industry in the 17th and 18th centuries. Thousands of home knitters were engaged in making knitted stockings, primarily for the army. A restored spinning gallery can be seen in the centre of the town.
The railway era began in the mid 19th century, first with the building of the Stainmore Railway in 1861, linking Darlington with Tebay. The railway brought coal and coke from Durham and transported iron and steel from the Furness area. The line also carried limestone from the quarry at Hartley. But as demand declined, the railway became obsolete and it was closed in 1962. Today, the line allows public access through the nature reserve at Smardale Gill and forms part of the Poetry Path. The Settle to Carlisle line, opened in 1875, is still in use today, with trains stopping at Kirkby Stephen's railway station (about 1½ miles from the town).
