Countess Pillar

Countess Pillar

The Countess Pillar is a 17th-century monument near Brougham, Cumbria, England, between Penrith and Appleby. It is two miles east of Penrith on the A66. The square top of the pillar is brightly painted and carries sun-dials on its sides.

It was erected by Lady Anne Clifford in 1656 to mark the place where she last met her mother.[1][2][3]

Anne Clifford, countess of Pembroke, Dorset and Montgomery (1590-1676), spent much of her life in a long and complex legal battle to obtain the rights of her inheritance. Her mother, Margaret, was one of the few people who suuported Annes's claim to her estates.

In 1616 Anne travelled north to see 'her' estates and visit her mother at Brougham Castle. On her departure from the castle, Anne travelled with her mother a quarter of a mile to where the castle drive meets the main road, 'where she and I had a grievous and heavy parting'. Margaret died a month later. [4]

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Coordinates: 54°39′13″N 2°42′18″W / 54.65366°N 2.70492°W / 54.65366; -2.70492