Egremont Castle

Egremont Castle stands on a grassy mound above the River Ehen in the small town of Egremont in Cumbria. It was built on the site of an earlier Danish fort after William II of England took control of Cumberland in 1092. The present stone castle was constructed between 1120 and 1135 by William Meschin, who also founded the nearby town. Additions were made in the 13th century, but the castle later fell into ruin. Its motte-and-bailey design includes a tall mound surrounded by lower defensive walls. The castle once protected the town and its market, where traders paid tolls for security. Some of these profits helped William Meschin establish St Bees Priory on the coast. A local legend tells of a horn that only the rightful heir could blow, inspiring William Wordsworth’s poem *The Horn of Egremont Castle*. The castle’s image also appears on the cover of an album by the band It Bites, whose members grew up nearby. Visitors find a grassy ruin with sections of crumbling stone walls and a raised mound. The remains include parts of the original defences and foundations from the 12th and 13th centuries. The site overlooks the River Ehen and the town’s long market street. The castle’s history is marked by its role in local trade and legend, offering a quiet place to explore the past.