Egremont

Castle and Coastal-Plain Town

Egremont Castle rises above the River Ehen near the southern end of Main Street. Its first Norman structure dates to the early twelfth century, and later builders added stone walls and a gateway. Robert the Bruce's invasion reached Egremont in 1322, leaving the town further damaged. The surviving ruins include the west gateway, where herringbone masonry is still visible. A mapped approach leads from Bookwell Road; the perimeter route is pram accessible, while exploring the ruins involves steps and uneven ground.

Main Street is the spine of the town. Egremont sits between the St Bees Heritage Coast and the western edge of the Lake District National Park, and the River Ehen runs through it. Egremont's market-town history reaches back to a thirteenth-century charter.

A Main Street Built on Trade

The Kings Arms reopened in 2025 after a major refurbishment. The Main Street pub focuses on drinks and has a main bar, snug and games room. There are beer-garden seats at the front and back, plus darts and pool inside.

Henry III granted Egremont a charter for a weekly market and an annual fair in 1267.

Coast Paths and Iron Ore

St Bees Head is a separate coastal outing north-west of Egremont, with approaches from St Bees, Sandwith, Whitehaven and Kells. The public path from St Bees shore car park to Fleswick Bay is shut after landslips; other reserve trails are steep and uneven.

The industry that built the modern town has mostly gone. West Cumbria sits on haematite — a dense red iron ore — and Egremont grew on mining it, alongside dyeing and weaving.

Church and Connections

St Mary and St Michael's Church is medieval in origin but largely rebuilt in the nineteenth century, so what you see is mostly Victorian work on old foundations.

Egremont has no railway station. St Bees is the nearest station with a regular stop; the final leg into town needs a separate journey. Bus routes 22 and 30 serve Egremont.

The Crab Fair Tradition

The Crab Fair gives Egremont its most distinctive tradition. First held in 1267, it takes its name from the tradition of a lord giving crab apples to townspeople. The modern fair brings an apple-cart parade and the World Gurning Championships, where competitors frame their contorted faces through a horse collar.