Cockermouth Castle

Cockermouth Castle stands at the meeting point of the Rivers Cocker and Derwent in the Cumbrian town of Cockermouth. Built by the Normans in 1134, it began with stone taken from the nearby Roman site at Papcastle. The Percy Earls of Northumberland held the castle for centuries before it passed to the Wyndham family. It was home to the dowager Lady Egremont until her death in 2013. The castle has Grade I listed status and is recognised as a scheduled monument. The castle played a part in the Wars of the Roses and suffered damage during the Civil War. Its 13th-century bell tower leans badly and the 14th-century kitchen tower shows signs of water damage. Flooding in 2015 worsened the situation, washing away part of the riverbank and causing a landslide. Historic England listed it among sites at risk, though repairs have been made to the bank. The castle opens to the public during Heritage Open Days. Visitors find a mix of ruins and inhabited parts, with the leaning bell tower and the damaged kitchen tower still standing. The riverside setting adds to the atmosphere of the site. The castle’s history is visible in its stonework, some of which came from the old Roman fort. The grounds show signs of both past defences and recent conservation work. The surviving parts give a sense of how the castle has changed over nearly nine centuries.