Penrith in Westmorland and Furness, England, United Kingdom — Northwestern Europe (the British Isles)
Sign of the Times
Photographed by Ray Gurganus, April 11, 2024
1. Sign of the Times Marker
Middlegate was once known as the Long Front, one of Perth's main streets Imagine the noise and smell in the 17th century, when the street was inhabited by weavers, tanners and tailors!
Since then it has continued to provide all manner of goods and services from food and entertainment to transport.
Regular passages
Look out for intriguing entrances to yards amongst the shopfronts here. They give access to the businesses, buildings and courtyards behind them.
Did you know?
Middlegate and several other old Penrith are called 'gates'. This comes from gata, the Old Norse word for road.
Fashion and function
The attractive glass-roofed arcade over Middlegate's shop fronts, shown here in 1912, was a feature for many years.
Can you imagine the retail revolution here in the 1930s when the chain stores Montague Burton and F.W. Woolworth arrived on Middlegate? Their modern architectural styles changed the streetscape dramatically.
Making the grade
Signs and symbols were useful in times when people couldn't read. Look out for this lintel nearby. The pair of shears suggests that a wool stapler, who sorted and graded wool was operating in the yard in 1697.
The place to be
Behind you, at the far end of Middlegate, is the Alhambra cinema. It was built on the site of the Middlegate Brewery in 1910 as a public assembly hall and theatre, and had a maple floor suitable for rollerskating!
School's out
Robinson's School stands at the far end of Middlegate. It began in 1670 as a charity for poor girls, became a National Infant School and finally closed just after its 300th anniversary. Today it is the Penrith & Eden Museum and the town's Tourist Information Centre.
Erected by Eden District Council.
Topics. This historical
this page online
Location. 54° 39.891′ N, 2° 45.203′ W. Marker is in Penrith, England, in Westmorland and Furness. It is at the intersection of Middlegate (Route A6) and Burrowgate, on the right when traveling south on Middlegate. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Penrith, England CA11 7PG, United Kingdom. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in North West England. Globally, it is on the Atlantic Ocean, in the North Atlantic Region, in Europe, in Atlantic Europe, on one of the British Isles, in the Western World, and in the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Roman Empire.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: The Water of Life (about 120 meters away, measured in a direct line); A Long Tradition (about 150 meters away); St Andrew's Churchyard (about 150 meters away); A Bustling Market Town (about 150 meters away); The Board & Elbow (about 180 meters away); Great Dockray (about 180
Photographed by Ray Gurganus, April 11, 2024
2. Penrith
Credits. This page was last revised on July 25, 2024. It was originally submitted on July 25, 2024, by Ray Gurganus of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 119 times since then and 23 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on July 25, 2024, by Ray Gurganus of Washington, District of Columbia. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
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