Penrith - Arnison and Sons

After the Romans left, the north became a patchwork of warring Celtic tribes. In the 7th century, the region was invaded by the Angles, a Germanic tribe that moved westwards from Northumbria. From around 870, the area was colonised by Vikings from Dublin and the Hebrides and Danes from Yorkshire.

The Norman conquest of north Cumbria took place in 1092 under the Conquerer´s son William Rufus, who retained Carlisle and Penrith and as demesne. The Norman rulers thereafter held Penrith as a crown estate

From 1242 to 1295 Penrith and dhe area around was in the hands of the King of Scots, in return for renouncing his claims to Northumberland, Cumberland and Westmorland. King Henry III had been reluctant to cede Penrith to the Scots, as it was a good source of Crown income. Tensions between the English Crown's agents and the Scottish agents attempting to defend the rights of the Scottish king and his tenants ocurred


Established in 1742, N Arnison & Sons claims to be the oldest family run clothing retailer in the UK.