Walking the Wall: Things to See in Carlisle

Carlisle is the biggest town along the western side of Hadrian's Wall, and is filled with great things to see. Its occupation goes way back to before the Roman invasion, when, according to a 6th century writer named Boethius, the area was a stronghold of the Carvetii tribe.

When the Romans came, they established a settlement called Luguvalium where Carlisle is today. The settlement is named after Lugus, a British/Celtic god whom Julius Caesar thought was synonymous with the Roman God Mercury. Most of what we know about Carlisle in Roman times comes from the writing of Tacitus. The ruins of a Roman fort, constructed in AD 73 out of timber, lies beneath Carlisle Castle. The fort protected a strategic location on the Roman road to the north and overlooked the confluence of the Caldew and Eden rivers.

By the early 2nd century, Luguvalium was one of several forts strung along the Stanegate, a road that

stretched from Carlisle to Corbridge. In AD 122, Hadrian visited the province and began the building of his wall. A new fort was built in the northern part of the Carlisle. Named Petriana after a 1,000-strong cavalry regiment that was housed there (the Ala Gallorum Petriana Petriana), it was the largest fort along the wall. There is an ongoing archaeological dig at the Carlisle Cricket Club that regularly unearths artifacts from the Roman period. 

Because it is only eight miles from Scotland, Carlisle was an important military stronghold throughout the Middle Ages. Mary, Queen of Scots was imprisoned in its castle in 1568. When the Industrial Revolution began in the 19th century, it became a mill town boasting seven railway companies.

When we arrived in Carlisle at the end of our first day of hiking the wall, our first stop was at the Sands Center by Eden Bridge. That is where we got our second stamp on our passport. The Hadrian's Wall Passport is a fun souvenir, whose purchase supports the National Trail System, particularly the maintenance of the wall, its trails, and archaeological digs along the wall. Collecting the seven stamps available along the 84 mile journey can be a challenge!

We stayed the night in the County Hotel, which was conveniently located next to the train station and close to the bus station. While inexpensive, the hotel was old and a little shabby, but the real sticking point was thin, single pane windows that let in all the street sounds. There was a restaurant right under our room, and the voices and music continued until sometime after 2 in the morning. 

Because we were afraid that tacking on sight-seeing after walking fifteen miles would be just too hard, we'd  toured many of the sites in Carlisle the day before, when we were passing through on our way between Edinburgh and Bowness-on-Solway.  Here are things I recommend:

If you are not staying in Carlisle, I recommend storing your luggage for the day to make sightseeing easier.  We found a place just feet from the train station, so we didn't have to lug our things around.

We picked up our English Heritage Passes at Carlisle Castle. The pass for overseas visitors is available for 9 or 16 consecutive days, and saved us a lot of entrance fees. You can buy it online and collect it at any of its sites, including the Castle. Carlisle Castle, built in 1092 by William Rufus, using stones from Hadrian's Wall, is still relatively intact. It now houses the Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment and the Border Regiment Museum.

We also visited the Carlisle Cathedral, which was free and had an interesting little museum down in its basement. One person we met along the way told me that Oliver Cromwell tore down some of the cathedral, and it was rebuilt later. If you walk around it, you will see that it definitely was built at different times. Some of the windows have round casements and some have pointed ones. 

I especially liked the choir area, which had richly carved seats. 

Our time in Carlisle was limited, and there were some places we missed, much to my regret. 

The Tullie House Museum, which is named after the Jacobean mansion in which it is located, features exhibits on the Roman occupation of the region, Hadrian’s Wall, and the Border Reivers.

St. Cuthbert’s Church might have its origins before St Cuthbert's visit to Carlisle in 685. The Church stands square to the Roman Road and has a unique moving pulpit, a fourteenth century window, a window commemorating our hospitality to a Latvian Lutheran congregation, and a very attractive series of windows depicting the life of St Cuthbert.

The Guildhall Museum is which is based in a 14th-century house and hosts exhibits related to the city’s 8 medieval trade guilds, is closed until further notice.

Carlisle is one of the biggest towns along the Wall Trail, so it's a good place to do some shopping. One of our party needed new hiking poles, and there was an outdoor equipment store that had them. We also bought supplies for a picnic lunch at one of the grocery stores before we headed out to begin our second day along the trail. 

 As we left Carlisle, we passed two more sites that are worth a look. We took a riverside path along the

banks of the River Eden until we crossed at the Memorial Bridge, a lovely old suspension bridge. We then entered Rickerby Park, where a War Memorial dedicated to the fallen of the First World War sits close by the trail. 

We continued walking. On this, our second day on the Hadrian's Wall Trail, we encountered some rain, but we were determined to make it to Walton by nightfall.