Inside Mayburgh Henge at Eamont Bridge: the single standing stone, the cobble bank and scattered river cobbles in the grass
Eamont Bridge · Two henges · Circular

Eamont Bridge walk: the henges, Brougham Hall and Brougham Castle

A 4.6-mile circular just south of Penrith. Two prehistoric henges, a fortified hall full of makers, a castle on the river, and the riverside fields back. Where to park, with what3words.

Walked by Peter, with Cass Visited Sunday 18 October 2026
4.6 mi
Circular (7.4 km)
~2 hrs
With stops
4
Two henges, a hall, a castle
Free
Henges and hall; the castle charges
Parking The route Mayburgh Henge King Arthur's Round Table Dogs and sheep 927: the meeting of kings The pub FAQ

A mile south of Penrith

Eamont Bridge, Brougham and the henges

Eamont Bridge is the village on the A6 just south of Penrith. Within a few hundred metres of each other it has two prehistoric henges: Mayburgh Henge and King Arthur's Round Table. Both are English Heritage sites, both are free, and neither had a queue. About ten minutes at each is plenty.

It is also where, on 12 July 927, the rulers of the north and of Wales met King Athelstan, the meeting usually taken as the founding of England. That story and the plans for its 1,100th anniversary in 2027 have their own page.

From the village we walked out to Brougham Hall, on to Brougham Castle, and back along the riverside fields. 4.6 miles, and just over two hours with stops.

What to wear: trainers are fine in summer and dry spells. Otherwise wear boots, because the riverside fields on the way back get wet.

Where to start

Parking for the walk

Mayburgh Henge: the one I'd use. A small parking area for six or seven cars at ///opposing.brings.ditching. If you are doing all four places, park here and walk one big circle.

The small parking area for Mayburgh Henge at Eamont Bridge, with one car parked under the trees
The parking area at Mayburgh Henge.

King Arthur's Round Table. There is a layby right outside with room for about three cars, at ///enlarge.terms.commuting. This is where we started.

Starting at the hall or the castle instead. Brougham Hall has a small public car park at the back, and there is an informal spot by Brougham Castle. Both have their own directions and what3words on the Brougham Hall and Brougham Castle pages.

Step by step

The Eamont Bridge circular, step by step

Written from the Mayburgh parking. We actually started at King Arthur's Round Table and walked out to Mayburgh and back first; it comes to the same loop.

1

Mayburgh Henge

From the parking, follow the fingerpost up the lane to the gate. Mayburgh is an English Heritage site, free, and open at any reasonable time in daylight.

A brown English Heritage fingerpost for Mayburgh Henge beside a lane, with the grassy henge bank and a gate ahead
The fingerpost and the lane up to the gate.
The long grassy bank of Mayburgh Henge seen from the field outside, topped with trees
The bank from outside.

From the lane it looks like a long wooded mound. Go through the gate and you are inside a huge ring, almost 100 metres across. The English Heritage board calls it a massive henge of the late Neolithic period, 3000 to 2000 BC, and English Heritage puts it at about 4,500 years old.

The bank is made of river cobbles. The board says they came from the nearby River Lowther, and English Heritage gives the bank's height as up to about 3 metres. Unusually for a henge, there is no ditch round it. The way in is on the east side.

The single standing stone inside Mayburgh Henge with sheep grazing beyond it and the Lake District fells on the horizon
The standing stone, with the fells behind.

One standing stone is left, a little north-west of the centre and just short of 3 metres tall. In the 18th century there were more: four in the centre, says the board, and English Heritage adds two pairs either side of the entrance. Nobody knows for certain where the rest went. English Heritage says they may have been taken for building stone, and that local legend cursed the labourers who moved them.

The board also says Mayburgh may have been a meeting place for a prehistoric community, part of a complex of three henges in the area.

The standing stone at Mayburgh Henge close up, with cobbles at its base and sheep in the field behind
The stone close up. Sheep were grazing inside.
2

The Eden Millennium Monument

Beside Mayburgh sits a big granite block with a cross and "2000" carved on it. Its plaque says it is a 50-tonne block of Shap granite, dedicated on 2 July 2000 by the Bishop of Penrith. The three carved sides show an Alpha, a Cross with the number 2000, and an Omega.

The Eden Millennium Monument near Mayburgh Henge: a large granite block carved with a cross and the number 2000
The Eden Millennium Monument, beside Mayburgh.
3

King Arthur's Round Table

Back down to the road and on to King Arthur's Round Table, a few hundred metres away. The entrance is at ///enlarge.terms.commuting, with the layby right outside.

Inside King Arthur's Round Table henge at Eamont Bridge, a flat grassy circle inside its ditch and bank, with Cass, a black Staffordshire Bull Terrier, in the foreground
Inside King Arthur's Round Table, with Cass.

Despite the name, it has nothing to do with King Arthur, and it is a henge, not a stone circle. The English Heritage board says it is a prehistoric monument that probably dates from 2,000 to 1,000 BC.

A wide ditch encloses a flat area with a low circular platform, and beyond the ditch is an earthen bank. There is one entrance, through the bank and ditch on the south-east side. The board says building the modern road destroyed the bank and ditch to the north-west, along with a second entrance. Like Mayburgh, less than 400 metres to the west, it may have been a meeting place for a large prehistoric community.

Looking across King Arthur's Round Table towards the houses of Eamont Bridge
Looking across the henge to Eamont Bridge.

English Heritage says it was excavated in 1937, when evidence turned up for two standing stones at one entrance, and a long, shallow trench near the centre that may be where the dead were cremated. The Arthur name may go back to the 17th century or earlier, when it was thought to be a jousting ground.

Rough grassland by King Arthur's Round Table at Eamont Bridge, with the sun low in the sky
The field by the henge.
4

Through Eamont Bridge towards Brougham

Walk through Eamont Bridge and follow the brown sign for Brougham Hall & Castle. You cross the river on the way out of the village.

The river at Eamont Bridge seen from the bridge, running between trees in autumn colour
The river at Eamont Bridge.
A brown road sign pointing left to Brougham Hall and Castle, above signs for the pottery and Black Cat Distillery
Follow the brown sign for Brougham Hall & Castle.
5

The lane to Brougham Hall

The lane runs between open fields and old oaks, then passes under a stone arch beside the hall's walls.

The lane towards Brougham Hall between a field gate and open fields, with Cass, a black Staffordshire Bull Terrier, at the edge of the frame
The lane and the fields, with Cass.
A big oak tree in an open field beside the lane to Brougham Hall
The field and the oak by the lane.
The lane running under a stone bridge arch beside the high walls of Brougham Hall
Under the arch, approaching the hall.
The high sandstone walls of Brougham Hall above the lane, with the arch beyond
The hall's walls from the lane.
6

Brougham Hall

Brougham Hall is free to walk into. Its courtyard is full of makers' workshops, and the Hideaway Café is the obvious stop halfway round. We went in and spent a good while there. The history, the makers and the public car park are on our Brougham Hall guide.

7

On to Brougham Castle

From the hall, follow the signs for Brougham Castle: straight down one road, take a left, and you are at the castle.

A fork in the lane below Brougham Hall with a small fingerpost on the verge
The fork in the lane, with its fingerpost.
A quiet tarmac lane between hedges and trees towards Brougham Castle, with Cass, a black Staffordshire Bull Terrier, on the lead
The lane towards the castle, with Cass.
The lane curving past a mown field and a lone tree on the way to Brougham Castle
The lane and the fields before the castle.
8

Brougham Castle

Brougham Castle is the English Heritage ruin on the River Eamont, and the one place on the walk that charges for entry. We have been inside on earlier visits; this time we looked from outside. Its history, the views from the keep and where to park are on our Brougham Castle guide.

9

Over the bridge, and down towards the A66

Go past the castle, cross the bridge and fork left. Just before the A66 there is a left turn that drops down.

The road beyond Brougham Castle by the bridge, with Cass, a black Staffordshire Bull Terrier, on the lead in the foreground
The road by the bridge, with Cass.

Optional detour: The Cross Keys Inn, Carleton

Instead of dropping down, go right under the A66 to Frenchfield playing fields, then up the hill, about 1 km, to The Cross Keys Inn at Carleton. Known for: seasonal, locally sourced food and Sunday roasts. We didn't go in on this walk.

10

Into the riverside fields

For the main route, turn left into the field. Through the gate you have a choice: straight on down to the river, where there is a small beach (sandy, not stony), or right for the shorter line to the next gate, alongside the A66.

A wooden gate into the riverside field, with a sign about keeping dogs on leads and open fields beyond
The gate into the field.
A worn path along the grassy riverbank beside the river, heading towards a gate
The riverside path and the next gate.
Wide open riverside fields under a cloudy sky on the way back to Eamont Bridge
The open riverside fields.
11

Through the woods to the traffic lights

Follow the path along the riverside into the woods. It is a short section, about 50 metres. Go over a stile, then follow the path back to the traffic lights at Eamont Bridge.

A narrow leafy path through the short woodland section, with Cass, a black Staffordshire Bull Terrier, on the lead ahead
The short woodland section, with Cass.
12

Over Eamont Bridge, back to the car

Go over the bridge and straight through Eamont Bridge, back to the car.

The bridge the village is named after

The bridge with the traffic lights is Eamont Bridge itself, a humped stone bridge of three arches over the River Eamont. Its Grade I listing says it was probably built in the 15th century and widened later, and it crosses the old county boundary between Cumberland and Westmorland. It is still too narrow for two lanes, which is why the lights are there.

The village is best known for something much older: the meeting of kings in 927. More on that below.

England's birthday

927: the meeting of kings at Eamont

On 12 July 927 the rulers of the north and of Wales met King Athelstan at Eamont, and the meeting is generally seen as the founding of England. Nobody knows the exact spot, but both henges on this walk and the Roman fort by Brougham Castle are among the possible sites. The 1,100th anniversary festival runs from 10 to 12 July 2027.

Eamont Bridge and the birth of England has the full story, the possible meeting places and the festival programme.

Livestock

Dogs and sheep at Mayburgh

On our visit a farmer's sign at the Mayburgh entrance said no dogs, because there were sheep in the field. English Heritage's own board says dogs on leads unless livestock is present, and there often is. Follow the sign on the day. Cass, our Staffordshire Bull Terrier, didn't go in.

Everywhere else Cass was on the lead, and the gate into the riverside fields has its own sign about dogs on leads.

Where we stopped

The Beehive, Eamont Bridge

We finished at The Beehive in Eamont Bridge. It has been refurbished recently. There is a big outdoor seating area, part of it covered with a TV on the wall, plus a kids' play area, and they do food.

The decking and garden tables at The Beehive, Eamont Bridge, with the white pub building behind
The decking and garden at The Beehive.
The children's play area at The Beehive, Eamont Bridge, with the covered seating and TV behind
The play area and the covered seating.

The honest verdict

Is the Eamont Bridge walk worth doing?

Yes. You get four places in one easy afternoon, a mile from Penrith. The henges are the oldest things on the walk by thousands of years, and the hall and the castle each deserve a visit of their own.

The henges are quick, so don't expect a long visit at either. Park at Mayburgh, and leave the most time for Brougham Hall.

Good to know

Eamont Bridge walk FAQ

Where do you park for Mayburgh Henge and King Arthur's Round Table?
Mayburgh Henge has a small parking area for six or seven cars, what3words ///opposing.brings.ditching. It is the best place to start if you are doing the whole circular. King Arthur's Round Table has a layby right outside with room for about three cars, ///enlarge.terms.commuting.
How long is the Eamont Bridge, Brougham Hall and Brougham Castle walk?
Our circular was 4.6 miles (7.4 km). It took us just over two hours with stops, and about 1 hour 50 minutes of walking. Trainers are fine in summer and dry spells; wear boots otherwise, because the riverside fields get wet.
What is King Arthur's Round Table?
It is a prehistoric henge at Eamont Bridge, not a stone circle, and nothing to do with King Arthur. The English Heritage board on site says it probably dates from 2,000 to 1,000 BC: a wide ditch round a flat area with a low circular platform, an earthen bank outside the ditch, and one entrance to the south-east. Mayburgh Henge is less than 400 metres to the west.
Can you take dogs on this walk?
Yes, on a lead near livestock. At Mayburgh Henge, the English Heritage guidance is dogs on leads unless livestock is grazing, and on our visit a farmer's sign at the entrance said no dogs because there were sheep in the field. Follow the sign on the day. Cass, our Staffordshire Bull Terrier, did not go into Mayburgh.

Keep exploring

More around Penrith

Brougham Hall

The fortified hall halfway round: its history, the makers in the courtyard and the café.

Brougham Castle

The English Heritage castle on the River Eamont, and where to park for it.

Penrith walks

The Beacon, the Eamont Way and more walks from town.

Lowther Castle

The castle ruins and gardens a few miles south.