Brough Castle

Brough Castle
Brough, Cumbria, England
The ruined keep at Brough Castle
Brough Castle
Coordinates	54°31′18″N 2°19′28″W / 54.5218°N 2.3244°W / 54.5218; -2.3244Coordinates: 54°31′18″N 2°19′28″W / 54.5218°N 2.3244°W / 54.5218; -2.3244
Grid reference	grid reference NY791141
Site information
Owner	English Heritage
Open to the public	Yes
Site history
Materials	Stone
Events	Great Revolt of 1173-74

Brough Castle is a ruined castle in the village of Brough, Cumbria, England. The castle was built by William Rufus around 1092 within the old Roman fort of Verterae to protect a key route through the Pennine Mountains. The initial motte and bailey castle was attacked and destroyed by the Scots in 1174 during the Great Revolt against Henry II. Rebuilt after the war, a square keep was constructed and the rest of the castle converted to stone.

The Clifford family took possession of Brough after the Second Barons' War in the 1260s; they built Clifford's Tower and undertook a sequence of renovations to the castle, creating a fortification in a typical northern English style. In 1521, however, Henry Clifford held a Christmas feast at the castle, after which a major fire broke out, destroying the property. The castle remained abandoned until Lady Anne Clifford restored the property between 1659 and 1661, using it as one of her northern country homes. In 1666 another fire broke out, once again rendering the castle uninhabitable. Brough Castle went into sharp decline and was stripped first of its fittings and then its stonework. The castle's masonry began to collapse around 1800.

In 1921, Brough Castle was given to the state and is now run by English Heritage as a tourist attraction. It is a listed building and a scheduled monument.

Brough Castle was built on the site of the Roman fort of Verterae, a 3-acre (1.2 ha) fortification that was occupied until the 5th century. The site protected the Stainmore Pass that stretched from the River Eden across the Pennines, and the Roman road connecting Carlisle and Ermine Street, a valuable trading route during the period.