Ron Freethy's England: Kirkby Stephen

IN THE last few weeks I have been strolling around castles and for the last in the series I've discovered a rare memory of King Arthur - not at Camelot but in Cumbria.

This wonderful old ruin is close to Kirkby Stephen, which can be reached by turning off the M6 at junction 38 (Tebay).

The Pendragon area is in the heart of the valley of the beautiful river Eden. The whole area is criss-crossed with well-marked footpaths but the castle itself is usually quiet, even in the middle of the tourist season.

As a nipper, Pendragon was in my home patch and my first visit to the castle was on a foggy winter's day when my grandmother told me that this was the one time home of King Arthur's father.

Uther Pendragon, so legend suggests, built his castle on a mound above the Eden and tried to make his stronghold even safer by diverting the river Eden around it to create a moat. This failed and he had to undergo a siege. All went well until a traitor poisoned the well and the castle fell.

This is the stuff (and nonsense?) of legend and if there was a castle in Uther Pendragon's time it would have been made of wood rather than stone. The present stone castle played a minor role in Norman times and was one of a chain of castles once owned by the Clifford family, whose power bases were at Skipton and Appleby. Lady Anne Clifford (1590-1676) was a formidable lady only 4ft 10 inches tall, but what a mighty midget she was. Despite objections first from Cromwell and then from Charles II, she set about restoring all her castles, including the nearby Brough and Brougham, both of which have splendid riverside walks around them.

All this lady's good works have crumbled away somewhat and this is especially true of Pendragon but the walks from it around the Mallerstang area are spectacular.

I always go in winter when the frost etches the walls and again in spring when the bluebells are at their best. I've just finished my February stroll but, as I ate my butties away from the icy blast of the wind, I thought long and hard of bluebell blooms and the buzzing of the bees. Another of my favourite activities in this area is a spot of innocent sport. Hound trailing is a feature of this district and instead of a pack of hounds working together to kill a fox, each dog is pitted against the others. They follow a specially-laid trail of aniseed, which is circular. Off go the dogs up hill and down dale, with eager punters watching their progress through binoculars. Bookmakers do a roaring trade and so do hot dog stands and all the usual salesmen who frequent at such events.

This is by far the best way to enjoy the thrill of the chase. Nothing has to die and there are usually only two winners - the dog which comes in first and the bookie!

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.