Casterton School was founded in 1823 by Rev Carus Wilson as the Clergy Daughters' School in Cowan Bridge to educate daughters of financially disadvantaged clergymen.

Four of the Brontë sisters (Maria, Elizabeth, Charlotte and Emily) attended the former Cowan Bridge School.

A stone inscription to commemorate this is present at the original site and the former school at Casterton continued to acknowledge the literary connection by naming buildings accordingly until its closure.

[1] Following a decline in pupil numbers, in March 2013 a merger was announced with Sedbergh School, effective from September 2013.

Casterton's preparatory department remained on its site as Sedbergh's junior school was moved there, under the new name "Casterton, Sedbergh Preparatory School".