Brough is a small town located in the Eden Valley, at the foot of the North Pennines, just four miles north of Kirkby Stephen and eight miles east of Appleby-in-Westmorland. It is a twin village, the southern part, Church Brough, lies on a former Roman road and was the setting for the Norman Brough Castle (once the site of a Roman camp), while the northern area, Market Brough, is sited on a medieval road. The difference in the two villages relates to the functions they once served; Church Brough’s houses stand around a market square decorated with a maypole, while Market Brough boasts a wide and long main street. The village’s claim to fame lies in its 18th-19th century importance as a coaching town for the England-Scotland run, where more than 10 inns catered to the stagecoach trade. A beautiful sleepy backwater, it is surrounded by traditional farm meadows and picturesque pastures and fells. Nearby, the traditional market town of Kirkby Stephen, once home to cotton mills and a large manufacturer of shoes and woollen hats, today hosts a variety of shops, cafés, restaurants and pubs for every taste and budget. Enjoy many excellent walks and cycle routes nearby; explore Penrith, Appleby and the magnificent Howgill Fells, enjoy a drink in Tan Hill, England’s highest pub, or take a ride on the Settle-Carlisle railway. A superb location, with the whole of the mystical Lake District National Park and the stunning Yorkshire Dales at your fingertips.
