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city in Cumberland, Cumbria, England
Europe > Britain and Ireland > United Kingdom > England > North West England > Cumbria > Carlisle

For other places with the same name, see Carlisle (disambiguation).

Carlisle is a city in Cumbria, in northwest England 10 miles from the border with Scotland, with a population of 74,200 in 2024. Most visitors are just making an overnight stop on a long motorway journey, but reasons to linger include the cathedral, castle and museums. You could also use Carlisle as a base for exploring the northern end of the Lake District, and Hadrian's Wall.

Understand

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"You Enter over the Bridge and Double gates wch are jron grates and Lined wth a Case of doores of thick timber, there are 3 gates to the town, one Called the English gate at which I entred. The other the jrish wch Leads on to Whitehaven and Cockermouth, the other ye Scottish gate through which I went into Scotland. The walls of the town and Battlements and towers are in very good Repaire and Looks well."
- Celia Fiennes travelled solo through Britain in 1698 and wrote a travel guide.

Caer Liwelyδ means the fortress of Luel or Luguwalion. It was a Roman garrison town from about 72 AD, and when they left after 300 years it was contested between petty kingdoms such as Strathclyde, Northumbria and Rheged. The Scots were holding it when the Normans arrived, but in 1092 William Rufus captured it for England and built the castle and city walls, which resisted re-capture by Scotland except for a brief Jacobite occupation in 1745. Between the organised military campaigns was continual banditry by the infamous Border Reivers. This era faded in the 18th century and was romanticised by Sir Walter Scott in the 19th. Carlisle then became a middling sort of market town, with textile mills and the arrival of the railway. It now has agricultural and food related businesses supplied by the surrounding lowlands.

Tourist information is in the old town hall on Market St, open M-Sa 10AM-4PM.

Get in

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By plane

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Manchester Airport (MAN IATA) is usually best choice for its global connections and competitive fares. An hourly direct train from the airport takes two hours to Carlisle and continues to Glasgow.

Newcastle upon Tyne (NCL IATA) and Glasgow (GLA IATA) airports are reasonable alternatives.

Carlisle Lake District Airport (CAX  IATA) has air freight, aircraft maintenance and private light aviation but no commercial flights. From time to time there's upbeat talk of relaunching these, but the list of flopped ventures is longer than the list of destinations ever served. It's six miles east of town near Brampton, see below for the aviation museum at the airport.

By train

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Trains run hourly from London Euston, taking 3 hr 20 min via Warrington, Wigan, Preston, Lancaster, Oxenholme (for Lake District) and Penrith, and continuing from Carlisle non-stop to Glasgow Central (another 70 min).

Trains from Manchester Airport and Piccadilly, and from Liverpool Lime Street, also run via Preston to Carlisle and continue to Lockerbie, where they branch either for Motherwell and Glasgow Central, or for Edinburgh Haymarket and Waverley.

An hourly train runs from Dumfries via Annan and Gretna to Carlisle. Every few hours these start from Glasgow Central and meander through Kilmarnock and a dozen small places.

Trains run every 30 min from Newcastle upon Tyne, taking 90 min via Metrocentre, Prudhoe, Hexham, Haltwhistle and Brampton. Some start from Morpeth.

Trains from Leeds run a scenic route every couple of hours, taking 2 hr 40 min via Shipley (for Bradford), Keighley, Skipton, Settle, Ribblehead and Appleby.

The Dalesman is a steam-hauled excursion train running June-Sept from York or Chester to Carlisle via this line.

Trains from Barrow-in-Furness wend and wind along the coast hourly via Millom, Ravenglass (for Eskdale), Sellafield, Whitehaven, Workington, Maryport, Wigton and Dalston.

1 Carlisle station is central in town. It has a staffed ticket office and machines, toilets, a cafe and waiting rooms. There is step-free access to all platforms.

By road

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Carlisle Castle

Carlisle is the terminus of the historic A6 from London via Manchester, meeting A7 from Edinburgh. It's now bypassed by M6 from the Midlands and Preston, which reaches the Scottish border 10 miles north of town to become A74(M) / M74 to Glasgow. Cyclists must stay on A6 / A7.

From northeast England take A1(M) to Scotch Corner then cross the Pennines on A66 to Penrith to join M6. When A66 is closed by bad weather (a regular winter occurrence) stay on A1(M) to Newcastle then cross on A69 via Hexham at lower altitude.

A75 runs from Stranraer (for the Belfast and Larne ferries) via Dumfries.

From Edinburgh the usual route is A702 via Biggar to join M74 at Abington. A scenic slower alternative is A7 via Galashiels and Hawick.

By bus

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National Express runs from London Victoria, once daytime (NX590) taking 9 hours via Milton Keynes, Birmingham, Manchester and Penrith, and once overnight (NX594) taking 7 hours via Heathrow airport. Both continue to Glasgow, and NX594 carries on to Edinburgh. Megabus competes head-to-head on the same route.

NX 182 from Edinburgh takes 3 hr 20 min via Glasgow and Hamilton, and continues to Penrith, Manchester city and airport, and Birmingham.

Stagecoach 685 runs hourly from Newcastle Eldon Square, taking 2 hr 30 min via Hexham, Haltwhistle and Brampton.

Carlisle Cathedral

Bus 104 runs every 30 min from Penrith, taking 50 min.

Bus 300 runs every 30 min from Workington, taking 90 min via Maryport and Aspatria.

Bus 554 runs every 2 hours from Keswick, taking 85 min.

Bus 79 runs hourly from Dumfries, taking 1 hour 40 min via Annan, Gretna and Longtown.

Buses no longer run along the Solway coast from Stranraer ferry port, you have to double back via Glasgow,

Borders Bus X95 runs from Edinburgh along A7 via Galashiels, Selkirk, Hawick and Longtown.

McCall's Coach 382 runs four times a day from Lockerbie via Ecclefechan and Gretna.

2 Carlisle Bus Station is on Lonsdale St near the shopping centre.

Get around

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Most sights are within walking distance of the centre.

Stagecoach Bus 93 follows the route of Hadrian's Wall west of town, running 2-3 times a day to Glasson, Port Carlisle, Bowness-on-Solway, Anthorn and Kilbride.

A dozen taxi firms ply the town and nearby countryside.

Car hire is available from Glenrental, Europcar, Budget, Avis and Enterprise.

The Citadel
  • Carlisle Citadel is a bastion just north of the railway station, built in 1541 to replace the medieval Botchergate portal through the walls into town. It was later a prison, law courts and council offices but is now looking for a use. No interior access.
  • 1 Carlisle Cathedral, The Abbey CA3 8TZ, ☏ +44 1228 548151. M-F 7:30AM-6:30PM, Sa Su 7:30AM-5PM. Built from 1112 as an Augustinian priory, it became Anglican after the Dissolution of 1536. It's small and the exterior looks somewhat scruffy, as the local red sandstone is vulnerable to industrial soot and smoke. Within, the finest feature is the great intricate east window. The choir has a wooden barrel vault roof and wooden seating with misericords. These are shelves on the undersides of hinged seats, so that during the lengthy standing periods of a service, monks could prop themselves upright. Candle scorch marks reveal that they sometimes fell asleep. Donation £5. Carlisle Cathedral (Q2533552) on Wikidata Carlisle Cathedral on Wikipedia (updated Nov 2024)
  • Guildhall Museum, Fisher St CA3 8JE. Closed until March 2025. In a half-timbered house of 1407, this exhibits the Trade Guilds, the town's medieval merchant societies. Free. (updated Nov 2024)
  • 2 Tullie House, Castle Street CA3 8TP, ☏ +44 1228 618718. M–Sa 10AM-4PM, Su 11AM-4PM. Art gallery and museum of Borders life, from Hadrian's Wall and the Reivers to the present. Adult £7. The Tullie (Q7852186) on Wikidata Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery on Wikipedia (updated Nov 2024)
  • Cursing Stone is a modern artwork, a boulder by the walkway between Tullie House and the castle. In 1525 the Archbishop of Glasgow put a curse upon the thieving Border Reivers, at such length that they'd probably come back and stolen more cattle before he was done cursing. The boulder bears an excerpt from the curse and the names of prominent Reiver families. Since it was installed in 2001, it's been blamed for every misfortune in town.
  • 3 Carlisle Castle, Castle Way CA3 8UR, ☏ +44 370 333 1181. Sa Su 10AM-4PM. The earliest fort here was the Roman Luguvalium from 72 AD, 50 years before construction of Hadrian's Wall. The Normans built a wood-and-earthwork fort in 1092 and rebuilt it as a stone castle from 1122. It withstood attacks by the Scots and in 1568 the imprisoned Mary Queen of Scots watched football on the green outside. The Jacobites seized it in 1745 before retreating before the advance of the Duke of Cumberland, and those that didn't scarper were put to death. The border then became peaceful so the castle was neglected. The army still have a small presence here and the castle houses Cumbria's Museum of Military Life, no extra charge. Adult £11.30, conc £10, child £6.80, English Heritage free. Carlisle Castle (Q614836) on Wikidata Carlisle Castle on Wikipedia (updated Nov 2024)
  • 4 A World in Miniature, Houghton CA6 4JB (On A689 near jcn 44 of M6), ☏ +44 1228 400388. M-Sa 10AM-5PM, Su 10:30AM-3:30PM. This is a side-show to a chain garden centre, a collection of intricately crafted room interiors at 1:12 scale. They lend you a magnifying glass to peruse the details. Adult £6. Houghton Hall (Q26609469) on Wikidata (updated Nov 2024)
  • 5 Solway Aviation Museum, Carlisle Airport, Crosby-on-Eden CA6 4NW, ☏ +44 1228 573823. Mar-Oct F-Su 10:30AM-5PM. Collection of heritage aircraft and equipment, and historic displays. Adult £7, conc or child £5. Solway Aviation Museum (Q7559049) on Wikidata Solway Aviation Museum on Wikipedia (updated Nov 2024)
  • 6 Vintage Motorbike Museum, Chappel Lane, Scalbyhill, ☏ +44 1228 675117. One-man collection of old motorbikes, sidecars, equipment and so on. (updated Nov 2024)
Avro Vulcan Bomber at the Aviation Museum
  • Vue Cinema is at 50 Botchergate by the railway station.
  • The Brickyard is a live music venue on Fisher St, 50 yards east of the castle.
  • West Walls Theatre (aka Green Room) is 200 yards north of the railway station.
  • The Sands Centre is an events and live music venue on the south riverbank by the A7 bridge.
  • Stanwix Theatre is on the university campus along Brampton Rd, a mile northeast of town centre.
  • Football: 1 Carlisle United, Brunton Park, Warwick Rd CA1 1LL, ☏ +44 1228 526237. "The Cumbrians" were relegated in 2024 and now play soccer in League Two, the fourth tier. Brunton Park (capacity 18,000) is oversized for their present status, and sometimes floods, but plans to move elsewhere have flopped. Carlisle United F.C. (Q19575) on Wikidata Carlisle United F.C. on Wikipedia (updated Nov 2024)
  • Carlisle City play soccer in the amateur leagues at Gifford Park two miles south of town centre.
  • Rugby: Carlisle RUFC play in the amateur leagues at Warwick Rd, 200 yards west of Brunton Park stadium.
  • Carlisle Jazz Club meet at the rugby club on Warwick Rd on Thursday evenings from 8:30PM.
  • 2 Eden Rock, 9 Brunel Way, Durranhill Industrial Estate CA1 3NQ, ☏ +44 1228 522127, . M-F 10AM-10PM, Sa Su 10AM-8PM. Bouldering wall with 1000 m2 of climbing surface. Adult £9.50. (updated Nov 2024)
  • 3 Carlisle Racecourse, Durdar Rd CA2 4TS, ☏ +44 1228 554700. This has flat-racing Apr-Oct and National Hunt (jumps) races Nov-March. Carlisle Racecourse (Q5041405) on Wikidata Carlisle Racecourse on Wikipedia (updated Nov 2024)
  • Hike: use OS Landranger Map 85 for areas west of the M6 through town to the coast, and Map 86 for east of M6 to Brampton.
Best known is Hadrian's Wall coast-to-coast footpath, but there's nothing left of the wall itself this far west - go 20 miles east to Greenhead for the start of the best section. The local section approaches from Brampton along the north bank of the River Eden, crosses into town, then follows the south riverbank and Solway Firth out to Bowness. Structures such as Drumburgh Castle (now a private mansion) reveal how the wall's masonry disappeared.
Drigg the Whale resides at Tullie House
  • Golf: courses near town are Stony Holme, Carlisle GC and Eden GC.
  • 4 Watchtree Nature Reserve, Wiggonby CA5 6NL, ☏ +44 1228 712539. Daily 9AM-5PM. There are several bird-watching, wetland and similar wildlife sites along the Solway Firth, but this one hides a dark history. In 2001 Foot & Mouth Disease broke out in British cattle, associated with the lifestock mart at Longtown north of Carlisle, and quickly became nationwide. It was harmless to humans but damaging to consumer confidence, farming and meat production. The government decided on a policy of mass slaughter of affected herds - so where do you put the unsaleable carcasses? The army was brought in to kill herds and dispose of the carcasses, with a vast "plague pit" on this site near Great Orton. The area couldn't then be used for agriculture but was remediated into a nature reserve. Free. (updated Nov 2024)
  • Carlisle Music and Drama Festival is next held M 10 - Sa 15 March 2025.
  • Cumberland Show is an agricultural show at Warwick-on-Eden, along A69 six miles east of town, with the next on Sa 7 June 2025.
  • Supermarkets: lots around the periphery, serving a wide tract of Cumbria and Dumfries. For example Asda by jcn 44 of M6 is open M-F 6AM-midnight, Sa 6AM-10PM, Su 10AM-4PM.
  • Bookcase, 17 Castle Street CA3 8SY (50 yards north of cathedral), ☏ +44 1228 544560. M-Sa 9:30AM-5PM, Su 11:30AM-4PM. Huge secondhand book store spanning four floors with a large stock of fiction and non-fiction, CDs and LPs, plus a small museum on The State Management Scheme for Carlisle's pubs. (updated Nov 2024)
  • Market Hall is a traditional covered Victorian market a block north of the cathedral, open M-Sa 8AM-5PM.
  • The Lanes just east is a modern indoor shopping mall.
  • Corby Castle (six miles east in Wetheral) is 13th century, much modified in later years. In 2024 it's for sale, asking £15 million.

Drink

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Nationalised pubs

In 1916 during World War I, David Lloyd George was minister for war munitions, and was concerned by poor production and drunkenness in the workforce. He'd already hiked the tax on alcohol, and now took the entire industry and licensed trade under government control in Carlisle and Gretna, in Cromarty Firth, and in Enfield. Pub managers got a simple wage with no incentive to boost sales. Tatty premises were replaced by New Model Inns, looking like prosperous dwellings in the Home Counties. Enfield left this State Management Scheme in 1922 but in Carlisle it persisted until 1973.

  • Botchergate by the station has The William Rufus (below), Woodrow Wilson (below), The Griffin, Walkabout (below), The Caledonian, Cumberland Inn and Brewdog.
  • The William Rufus, 10 Botchergate CA1 1QS, ☏ +44 1228 633160. Su-Th 8AM-midnight, F Sa 8AM-1AM. Reliable JD Wetherspoon with good selection of food and ale. (updated Nov 2024)
  • Woodrow Wilson is another Spoons almost next door at 48 Botchergate, similar hours and offerings.
  • Walkabout, 6 Botchergate CA1 1RP, ☏ +44 1228 554980. Su-W noon-midnight, Th-Sa noon-3AM. Australian-themed chain pub, sports bar and restaurant. (updated Nov 2024)
  • King's Head Inn, Fisher Street CA3 8RF (100 yards east of cathedral), ☏ +44 1228 533797. M-Sa 10AM-11PM, Su noon-11PM. Lively pub with great selection of cask ales, plus TV sport and live music. (updated Nov 2024)
  • Carlisle Brewing Company is on Kingstown Broadway near M6 jcn 44. No tours or taproom, but their beer is on sale in city pubs.

Sleep

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Watchtree Nature Reserve

Connect

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As of Nov 2024, Carlisle and its approach roads have 5G from all UK carriers.

Go next

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Routes through Carlisle
Glasgow ← Gretna ← merges with A74 (M) Scotland ←  N  S  → Penrith → Preston
END ←  NW  S  → Penrith → Lake District
Edinburgh ← Hawick Scotland ←  N  S  → END
END ←  W  E  → Brampton → Newcastle upon Tyne



This city travel guide to Carlisle is a usable article. It has information on how to get there and on restaurants and hotels. An adventurous person could use this article, but please feel free to improve it by editing the page.
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