Egremont is located near the foot of Uldale Valley and Dent Fell, the town’s layout has remained little changed in almost 1000 years of history, and is known as the Centre of the Western Lakes.
Pre-dating the Norman Conquest the town has a rich industrial heritage. Evidence exists that Norsemen established a fort at the location of Egremont Castle at around about the end of the first millennium. There is access to the castle all year round as it is on public ground. The town’s layout remains faithful to its 13th Century origins with the wide Main Street leading into the Marketplace.
In close proximity to the River Eden the town grew up around the industries of dyeing and weaving. More surprisingly the town was central to the area’s iron ore trade and in Florence Mine, Egremont has the last surviving working iron ore mine in Western Europe. St Mary’s and St Michael’s Church is a stunning example of Victorian Gothic architecture and is a must see for any visitor to the town.
Egremont is famed for the Crab Fair which dates back 1267 and is held every September after the harvest. Amongst the more traditional activities such as Cumberland wrestling one will find “sporting events” peculiar to this particular area. The fair is proud to host the annual World Gurning Championship, where competitors contort their faces hideously through a horse collar, and the pipe smoking championship, which is unusual to say the least for an area which is famed for the likes of Wordsworth and Wainwright.
