Cloisters

This is one of the iconic views of Appleby - The Cloisters. On Tuesday I took the blip picture of the Low Cross with my back to the cloisters and looking up to the top of Boroughgate, so this is looking the other way and the other side of Low Cross.

The Cloisters divides the church from the town, is the entrance to the church, provides shelter from rain, is a place to sit and is well known as the place youngsters of the town hang out in in an evening. There are shop spaces on each side of the arches and the occupation of these change regularly. At the moment on the left is the Visitor Centre, a temporary position whilst the Moot Hall is undergoing refurbishment, and on the right is some sort of Harry Potter shop, something to do with the fact that ‘Appleby’ is mentioned in one of the books (no idea!). Apparently in the late 19th century there was a public bathhouse in one side - cold, warm, hot or vapour baths cost a shilling for a ‘first class’ hour of use or sixpence for ‘second class’ half hour! The place was reserved for ladies on Monday afternoons.

The Cloisters is a listed building and Pevsner makes reference to it - two two-story end pavilions with corbelled parapets, seven arches without capitols between . . . It was built in 1811 and designed by Robert Smirke, who was the architect for Lowther Castle and the British Museum. 

However, this Cloisters replaced a ‘cloister’ commissioned by the Bishop of Carlisle in 1694 and given as a gift to the town. This also divided the church from the town, but was mainly used as a covered butter market. Which brings us back to the Low Cross - this designated the butter market, but after 1696 the only place that butter could be sold was in the Cloisters. 

What we do for Blip. 
I knew I would have to wait a while to get the picture I wanted, as there are always cars coming round in front of the Cloisters to get onto the main street from the one-way system, but what I had not anticipated was two cars parked right in front (double yellow lines!). I waited a while and then one car was driven off. I carried on waiting and eventually a lady got into the other car but, just as she was ready to set off, a friend came along and they proceeded to chat for a while. I have photos from all these stages! Eventually she left and I took this one.