Cut off

I have a book - Carlisle in 50 Buildings, so that’s me sorted for a while! And it will be a while, as I don’t go into Carlisle very much now. I was in this afternoon for the hairdresser so thought I would at least start the list. 

So here is:

Number 1 - Carlisle Castle

Carlisle was a Roman settlement established to serve the forts on Hadrian’s Wall. Because of its proximity to the kingdom of Scotland, it grew up during the Middle Ages as a military stronghold. The castle was built in 1093 on the site of the old Roman fort. It was built by the son of William the Conqueror to keep the northern border of England secured against the threat of invasion by Scotland. It of course went through many changes but most of the original is still intact. It’s a good castle to visit as it is not a ruin!!

The only problem is - access. My hairdresser is on Castle Street, the road which links the centre of town and the cathedral with the Castle . . . except it doesn’t! In their wisdom (or maybe there was no other option) city developers built the city ring road, a very busy dual carriageway, at the foot of Castle Street, thereby cutting off the castle from the rest of the city. Of course there are ways of getting across - an underpass from Tullie House, a bridge and multiple pedestrian crossings, (I had to wait at three crossings in order to get this photo and even then I was at the wrong angle, which is why the entrance to the castle looks as if it is bending backwards!). However, this is not quite the same as being able to just walk up to it as part of the historic heart of the city. 

So that’s the first building, the oldest and probably the most important. Worth visiting . . . if you can work out how to get there!