Descriptive Gazetteer Entry for NAWORTH

NAWORTH, a township in Brampton parish, Cumberland; on the river Irthing and the Newcastle and Carlisle railway, near the Roman wall, 2½ miles E N E of Brampton. Real property, £4, 714. Pop., 557. Houses, 97. Naworth Castle was built, in the 13th century, by Ranulph Dacre; continued in the possession of the Dacres till 1569; passed then, by marriage, to Lord William Howard, the " Belted Will" of traditional lore, and warden of the marches in the time of Elizabeth; and belongs now to the Earl of Carlisle. It stands on theedge of a platform, nearly insulated by a deep gulley; was originally designed for protection against raids from the Scottish Border; was much enlarged and strengthenedabout 1316; underwent further improvement by Lord William Howard; was severely injured by fire in 1844; has been carefully restored, with retention of its ancient features; consists chiefly of two large square towers, withintervening buildings, and with interior quadrangularcourt; includes a great hall with walls 7½ feet thick, theprivate apartments of Lord William Howard, a conce aled passage from his oratory to a grated aperture at the top of dungeons, and these dungeons themselves with theirold appliances of imprisonment; and contains curious old paintings, pieces of tapestry, and suits of armour. An ancient earth-work, probably British, with two encircling ramparts, is S of the castle and near the railway .


(John Marius Wilson, Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales (1870-72))

Linked entities:
Feature Description: "a township"   (ADL Feature Type: "countries, 4th order divisions")
Administrative units: Brampton CP/AP       Cumberland AncC
Place: Naworth

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