The villages of Penruddock and Motherby are known to be the old Celtic settlements situated some seven miles west of Penrith.
Motherby is in the paprish of Greystoke, and Penruddock is in the parish of Hutton, and is located in the grounds of the National Park.
Up until 1927, the railway connecting Penrith and Keswick ran between the two. Now it is long closed, though the ruins of the station still remain, as do various stretches of the embankment and some bridges.
Hereabouts will be found numerous farmhouses, which at one time were little more than hay lofts with living accommodation below. High Farm dates back to 1695. A chest, known as the Penruddock Kist, was found here, and upon opening was found to contain all the old deeds relating to the village. This Kist is now in All Saints church, whilst the documents are held in the Carlisle archives. It is thought that the Presbyterian or Puritan movement reached here in 1654. The present church built in 1789 is the third oldest Presbyterian church in England.
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