Photo: PAUL FARMER, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
The churchyard in the town contains the 'Giant's Thumb', a Norse cross dating from 920 AD erected as a memorial to his father by Owen Caesarius, King of Cumbria from 920 to 937 AD. There is a tradition that the 'Giant's Grave' is the grave of Owen himself. The four hogback stones surrounding the grave are said to represent wild boar he killed in nearby Inglewood Forest. The two Norse crosses are some 11 feet high. The tower dates from 1397, but the church was built in 1722 and has an interesting interior. The church cafe is open M-F 9:30AM - 2PM.
St Andrew's Church is in the centre of the town of Penrith, Cumbria, England. It is an active Anglican parish church in the deanery of Penrith, the archdeaconry of Carlisle, and the diocese of Carlisle. The parishes of Penrith ; St John, Newton Reigny and St John the Evangelist, Plumpton Wall are united in a single benefice. The church is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade I listed building. At one time St Andrew's had a chapel of ease or mission church in Brougham Street in the Penrith suburb of Castletown called St Saviours and another, All Hallows at the hamlet of Bowscar just to the north of the town.
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In Robinson's School in Middlegate. The school closed in 1971 after a long history dating back to 1670 and is now a combined tourist information centre and museum.
Building of the castle' began in 1399, when William Strickland (later Bishop of Carlisle and Archbishop of Canterbury) added a stone wall to an earlier pele tower, primarily as a defence against the then frequent raids from the Scottish borders. The castle was improved over the next 70 years, becoming a royal fortress for Richard, Duke of Gloucester before he became King Richard III in 1483. The ruins that can be seen today date from about that time. The striking sandstone remains are situated in Castle Park, opposite Penrith railway station.
Shell of a 19th century mansion, the real attraction is the restored gardens.