Brougham Castle is located about 3 kilometres south-east of Penrith. It was founded in the 13th century by Robert I de Vieuxpont. The site near the confluence of the Eamont and Lowther rivers had already been chosen by the Romans for a fort called Brocavum.
The Vieuxponts were a powerful family of landowners in the north-west of England. When Roger de Clifford married the granddaughter of Robert Vieuxponts in 1269, Brougham Castle fell to the Clifford family.
With the start of the Scottish Wars of Independence in 1296, Brougham Castle became an important military base and impressive stone walls and a large stone gatehouse were added. When the 2nd Baron de Clifford was executed as a traitor in 1322 the family's estates became the property of King Edward II, but were returned when Edward III came to the throne. The region was often threatened by the Scots and in 1388 they captured and plundered the castle.
The castle was passed down through the Clifford family but got neglected in the 17th and 18th century. By the 1750s, Brougham Castle served only as a source of building stone for the village of Brougham.
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