Penrith - Red Town

Of all the towns and cities in the North, the origins of Penrith's name is often called into question.

Many people think that the name comes from the Celtic words 'penn' and 'rid', which mean 'hill ford'. On the other side of the argument, the origins are still Celtic, specifically Cumbric, but the name comes from 'Pen Rith' which translates to 'red town'.

In the 9th and 10th centuries, Penrith was the capital of the ancient kingdom of Cumbria.

The Cumbric language of which Pen Rith is suspected to come from actually persisted to be the main language spoken in the area until the 11th century. 

To celebrate the fascinating story of Pen Rith, a unique illustration has been crafted on behalf of TransPennine Express and put into a series of illustrations celebrating the history of the North.

The illustrations can be viewed on the tpexpress website.