Fratry

It was a lovely day in Carlisle this morning, as we made a fleeting visit, I went to the hairdresser and Gordon did a few jobs, including collecting the essential coffee beans. 

I love to walk through the Cathedral Precinct, as many people do, from the car park to the city centre, but today I had a special mission, which was to see the completed Fratry Project. This has been taking place over the last year or so. (If you follow the tag you can see two earlier stages in its development.) 

The Fratry was the dining hall of the Cathedral Priory and the aim has been to enhance the building to create a learning, cultural, community centre. The new part is a café and links the buildings together. It has been carefully made of sandstone to blend in with the rest. 

In the picture - the Cathedral entrance is on the right, the fratry on the left. The arches are all that remain of the original Cloisters and the new café is in the background. The café has only just opened, but seems to be already popular. Several new and nicely done information boards have appeared as well. I am impressed. 

The Cathedral itself always looks good in the sunshine, so I could not resist an extra.