Brougham Castle was one of the strongholds of the north of England against invasion by the Scots. It was built adjacent to the earthworks of the Roman fort Brocavum, seen left and below left. These earthworks, presumably more impressive at the time the castle was built, would have provided a ready made bailey for the Norman castle. A causeway was built from the fort across the castle moat and this would have been the original entrance. The castle in its earliest form was built by Robert de Vipont (c1203-1228) who built the massive keep and later a large rectangular building (afterwards containing the great chamber) to the east of the keep. It is thought the ditches of the Roman fort may well have been re-cut at the time the castle was built. The Roman fort itself covers 4 acres and would have housed around 1000 Auxiliaries (troops recruited from Rome's empire rather than Romans) plus at least a detachment of cavalry. It was in a strategically important position, guarding the river crossing and junction of the road into western Scotland with the trunk road through the Eden Valley and thus over the Pennines to York (Roman Eboracum). A further local road climbed over High Street to Ambleside (Galava).

Brougham Castle is not mentioned in written records until after de Vipont's death in 1228. William II had built Appelby Castle to guard the Eden Valley following his taking Carlisle and north Cumbria from the Scots in 1092. Jordan de Fantosme's detailed record, written at the time of the Scottish invasion of 1173-74 tells how William the Lion, captured Appelby easily - suspiciously so - and then went on to take Brough Castle with some difficulty. When peace was declared Henry II, suspecting the aged constable of Appelby, Gospatric, of sympathy towards the Scots, fined him 500 marks. After passing through several hands, the Bailiwick of Westmorland, along with the castles of Appelby and Brough, came by grants in March and August 1203 to Robert de Vipont. A 13th century agreement recorded in a document seen in the 18th century but since lost, stated that Gilbert of Brougham who was liable to render military service for the vill of Brougham to de Vipont, surrendered half the vill in return for not having to fulfill his military obligations.

The Outer Gatehouse and Moat

The 14th Century Domestic Buildings and Causeway from the Roman Fort

The next most important figure in Brougham's history was Robert Clifford. He was great-great-great-nephew of a mistress of Henry II and his grandfather had been a border baron of the southern marches of Wales. His mother, Isabella was joint heiress to the de Vipont lands and thus the castle passed to the Clifford family on her death in 1283. His aunt, Idonea, left him her half of the Vipont estate although by the time of her death in 1333, he had already been killed (at Bannockburn in 1314).

Robert added vigourously to the castle, creating inner and outer gatehouses, with a courtyard between them, each with portcullis. These were joined to the keep, making it an integral part of the main defences, rather than a "last resort" defence which was the traditional role of a keep. The original entrance from the fort was now walled into a new curtain wall with a further tower - the Tower of League - being added to the south west corner of the castle. He also added a further storey to the keep, creating a secure and private apartment with its own small chapel.

Looking from the Outer Gatehouse to the Inner Gatehouse

The earlier inner gatehouse had a private staircase from the lord's room on the first floor to the river bank where he could get away or enter unseen by the second, more secret postern door. There was no ground-floor access to this staircase, but its exit was protected by an arrow slit in a small chamber approached by the wall passage from the inner gatehall, seen to the right. Indeed this route to the arrow slit (plus a second window to the courtyard between the gatehouses) is the only function of this passage. The photograph was taken near to the staircase entrance to the passage and it then turns to the left and again back on itself to overlook the postern door.

Wall Passage in the Inner Gatehouse

The Tower of League sat between a new domestic range of buildings including lodgings and a chapel and a service range along the western edge of the curtain wall. The tower has four storeys, each having a fireplace and most also having latrines. This is akin to luxury for the period. The tower was built so as to jut out of the corner of the curtain wall and thus commands the ditches both south and west.

The Tower of League and Site of the Service Range

The Range used by Troops attached to the Castle

No trace remains of the service range, the site of which is the foreground of the photograph above. The range to the east of the Tower of League was built to house any extra troops whose presence was necessitated by political urgencies with the Scots which occurred from time to time.

The siting of the range kept such troops away from both the Clifford family, who lived in the keep and also away from the main gatehouses which were manned by Clifford family retainers. The range included a chapel and kitchen, both in upper storeys and a courtyard which would have been the original entrance from the Roman fort. Traces of medieval plaster still adhere to the walls in this range, as seen in our photograph, though the range is largely in ruins.

The Tower of League and Site of the Service Range

Well in the Southern Courtyard

The main castle well can still be seen in the great courtyard, and is situated between the lodgings range and the Tower of League. This second well is in the small courtyard which would have been the original entrance to the castle, opening from the causeway from the Roman fort. A good water supply was essential to castles in the event of a siege.

Attached to the keep originally by Robert de Vipont was a great chamber, where the family could dine in private. Now in ruins but for foundations, it was built on the eastern side of the keep. The great chamber is not to be confused with a castle's great hall, where the entire household could dine together.

The Keep and Ruins of the Great Chamber

The Keep as seen from the Lodgings Range

The massive keep dominates the castle from all directions. The entrance is on the same side as the entrance to the outer gatehouse. If enemies managed to get through the dual defences of the outer and inner gatehouse, they then had to get around three sides of the keep in order to reach the entrance, all the while being bombarded by missiles from above. Note the crack down the southern face of the keep.

In the photograph above it can be seen that part of an upper storey is set out from the main surface of the wall, and at the western (left) edge the projection rests on two stone corbels. These are shown in detail to the right. It is still possible to climb to the top of the keep, via a spiral staircase and wall passages.

Carved Stone supporting Corbels in the Keep

The Tower of League and Castle Well from the Keep

After Robert's death at Bannockburn the Clifford fortunes were eclipsed and it was his grandson Roger who restored the family prestige and made Brougham Castle once more an effective Border defence. Born in 1333, Roger bore arms as an esquire in Flanders a fortnight before his twelfth birthday and joined several expeditions against the French thereafter. But his main battles were against the Scots. He built the more convenient range of buildings against the east and south curtain walls, all on the first floor and comprising great hall, kitchen and chapel. He also made a covered way from the hall porch to the ground floor of the keep. An inscribed stone above the main entrance to the castle reads: Thys made Roger

In the roof of a passage in the keep is a reminder of the Roman fort. Part of a tombstone has been used in the ceiling. A notice reads: The Latin may be translated: 'To the spirits of the departed; Tittus M [...] lived 32 years more or less. M [...], his brother, set up this inscription.'

A Roman Tombstone re-used in the Ceiling of a Passage

The small private chapel, or oratory, can still be seen on the top floor of the keep. As can be seen from the photograph, the main flooring of the keep has worn away and been lost, and the keep is open inside from the ground floor to the sky above. To the extreme right is a fireplace in the opposite corner of the keep. Here is a fragment of carving in a corner. If you look carefully at the right hand support, there are three designs carved. The middle one, a scallop shell, can still be made out.

Detail of the Oratory

Piscina in the Oratory

This is the remains of a piscina - a shallow basin with a drain used for washing sacred vessels. Below is the roof of the oratory. Brougham Castle was host to King James I in 1617 and later, Charles I in 1629. It badly deteriorated during the Civil War however, being much restored by Lady Anne, the last of the Cliffords, who died in the castle in 1676. Ownership passed to the Earls of Thanet. It was partly demolished in 1691.

Wall Passage

Vaulted Roof and Boss in the Oratory

In this century the castle was given over to the Office of Works who repaired it and opened it to the public. Since 1984 it has been in the care of English Heritage.