Spanning the centuries

We had snow today! An extraordinary day weather-wise with rain, sleet and snow, then sun. I was going to blip the first snow, in our garden or on the fells, but, when the sun came out and we had a blue sky, I decided it was time to go castle-hunting again.

This is Brough Castle, in Brough, near Kirkby Stephen. It was built on the hill top site of a Roman fort. Indeed the name comes from 'burg' or 'burgh' meaning 'fort'. The towering Keep in the background dates from about 1200.

The castle was subject to frequent raids by the Scots, but eventually it fell into the hands of the Clifford family and became a place of residence. Over several centuries, the family restored and added to the castle. The section in the foreground is Clifford's Tower, built in the 13th century by Roger Clifford, with rectangular Tudor windows inserted by Lady Anne Clifford in the 17th century.


So you have it . . .

. . . remains of the original castle keep, remains of the new(ish) restored Tower and the most amazing blue sky as the sun shone through the clouds catching the castle walls.