kirkby stephen, brough & mallerstang...
A landscape rich in myths and legends, in prehistoric settlements and burial mounds, strategic Roman forts and defensive Norman castles.
The rich agricultural land yielded produce for sale in the market towns of Brough and Kirkby Stephen.
Drovers' roads brought livestock for sale, and packhorse routes carried goods across the Pennines and down the Eden valley and beyond. Kirkby Stephen, an ancient market town at the head of the Eden Valley, possesses an air of historical intrigue.
About the area
History & heritage
Croglam Castle is the largest prehistoric earthwork in the area, guarding the entrance to the Mallerstang Valley.
kirkby stephen history
kirkby stephen heritage
Art & culture
Andy Goldsworthy's sheepfolds and the poetry path which consists of a series of short poems by Meg Peacocke.
Natural environment
Four nature reserves can be found within a 5-mile radius of Kirkby Stephen.
What's on
From rushbearing's to farmer's markets there is something for everyone.
Oddities
Local rock
The local rock is called brockram - a type of breccia or conglomerate of limestone fragments set into a hard sandstone matrix. Many of the buildings in Kirkby Stephen are made of this stone.AA plaques
The villages of Nateby and Great Musgrave hold two unusual AA plaques. At Nateby the plaque, set into the wall of the Black Bull Inn, accurately records the distance to London as 266¼ miles. A similar plaque at Great Musgrave gives a distance of 265¾ miles!Furlongs v miles
Kirkby Stephen has an unusual old signpost (NY 775 085) with the distances measured in furlongs rather than miles.
