Tens of thousands of passengers pause at Penrith Station every week as they travel between Scotland and English cities, but not all that many get on or off. That’s a shame, as Penrith is a lovely town with plenty of history, not to mention some excellent restaurants, cafes and bars.
There’s been a settlement here since Roman times, as it was on the main road from Carlisle (and Hadrian’s Wall) to Manchester. The town survived and turned into a market town, and its population grew in the nineteenth century when houses were built to accommodate those working on the railway that we still use today. Still, at just 15,000 people, it remains a relatively small town.
There’s a junction on the M6 just outside the town, so both rail and road users will leave their main routes here to head to the Northern Lakes such as Ullswater, Derwentwater and Thirlmere, the peaks of Helvellyn and Skiddaw, and the towns of Keswick, Pooley Bridge and Grasmere. To the East, there’s one of the UK’s five Center Parcs, Whinfell Forest. So whether you’re visiting this fine town or using it as a stopping-off point for visiting other places (or both), here’s all you need to know about trains to Penrith.
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