Visit these 4 Historic Carlisle Attractions

Being a border city between England and Scotland, Carlisle has earned its reputation of being a historic city through blood over the centuries as the Carlisle attractions will show you.

There is no better city to learn about the history of England and Scotland than Carlisle, as it was in the firing line on both sides. Carlisle Castle and the Tullie Museum are the places where you can meet some of the characters from England and Scotland that have shaped this city over the past 2000 years.

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If you are travelling around the United Kingdom, the best way is by car. Not only do you get to see more but you will find more hidden gems that the average traveller doesn’t see.

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Carlisle Attractions

Carlisle Castle

If you are driving, then Carlisle Castle should be your first port of call as the pay and display car park is right next door. It’s also one of the well-known Carlisle attractions.

Within these walls lies the intact buildings of Carlisle Castle. Some exhibitions lie in the Militia store and The Keep. The Militia store holds information boards of all the history of Carlisle and the part that the Castle may have played. This is a very extensive evolution as it covers 78-1959. Even Mary, Queen of Scots, makes an appearance.

Inside The Keep, you have three floors to explore. Like all Castles in the United Kingdom, a stone spiral staircase is the only way to get from floor to floor.

On the 2nd floor are the strange etchings on the wall. Kept behind glass, they are a mystery about who made them and why.

The Keep is unfurnished, but an exhibition on more history in Carlisle is on the top floor. This time it is on the Jacobite Rebellion in Scotland in which Carlisle played a role.

Hours

1 Apr – 27 Oct Daily 10.00 am to 5.00 pm.

28 Oct 2024 – 31 Mar 2023 Weekdays closed. Sat & Sun 10.00 am to 4 pm.

17 Feb 2025 – 21 Feb 2025 10.00 am to 4 pm.

Last admission 30 minutes before closing.

Prices

Adult	£11.30
Child (5-17 years)	£6.80
Concession	£10
Family (2 adults, up to 3 children)	£29.40
Family (1 adult, up to 3 children)	£18.10

If you have an Overseas Visitor Pass, you get in for free. To find more information on the Pass, click here.

The price of your ticket includes entry to Cumbria’s Museum of Military Life.

Cumbria Museum of Military Life

For an extra charge, you can visit the Cumbria of Military Life, housed in one of the historic buildings.

Here you will find all the history of the border regiments and collections from the past 300 years. Uniforms, medals, art, and more are presented in displays and videos teaching you about their history and stories.

This is a small but powerful museum and interesting for those who like military museums and war history. It’s another one of the Carlisle attractions so add-on to see it when you’re in the Castle.

Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery

The Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery are located right across the road from the Castle. There is also another entrance off Castle Street.

You could spend all morning or afternoon at this incredible Museum as there is so much to see.

There is an excellent exhibition on the Romans in the basement. You can learn so much more here than has been told before.

On the upper levels are even more facts about the area, including The Reivers, a lawless society that operated on the fragile English-Scottish border.

Everything is covered in this Museum, including wildlife and the Celts, and you even have a Roman Wall to walk across.

The most significant piece on display would be the 12-metre skeleton of a Fin Whale that was washed up on the coast near Drigg in February 2014. Driggsby, as he’s now named, hangs down from the ceiling over the reception area.

The Art Gallery has one room dedicated to the changing exhibitions held here.

This museum deserves a visit by everyone who wants to learn about the area and its history. It is one of the must-do Carlisle attractions.

Hours

The museum is currently closed for redevelopment but will open in the summer of 2024. Check their website for more information.

Carlisle Cathedral

Do you think if I’ve seen one Cathedral, I’ve seen them all? Well, think again as Carlisle Cathedral is one Cathedral and one of Carlisle attractions, you should see, especially if you love grand architecture.

This architectural gem is enormous, and the details inside are incredible. You will be amazed by the ceiling, the colours and the imagination put into the design of this Cathedral.

There is not only the Cathedral to explore but the Treasury downstairs, with its treasures found during excavations in the 1980s.

The Cathedral and Treasury are both free entry and a great way to read more on historic Carlisle with information boards detailing its treasures.

Hours

Monday-Friday: 7.30 am to 6.30 pm
Saturday-Sunday: 7.30 am to 5 pm

Conclusion

Carlisle attractions are in a city that you usually bypass on the motorway when you travel north or south, but it deserves at least a few hour’s stopover. This is a very historic city, and I hope you will stop and see some of Carlisle attractions.

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Links

If you’d like to read more about my travels in the UK, click on the countries following links; England, Scotland and Wales.

If you want to check out UK passes and what you should get for where then read my blog on Explore the UK with Passes.

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Travel Resources

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• Travel Insurance – is your number one thing to pack when you’re travelling. Cover-More Australia, Cover-More New Zealand, EKTA, Travel Insurance Master and Insubuy are invaluable in keeping you insured during your travels.
• Attractions – buy before you leave home with these great sites, Big Bus Tour, Get Your Guide, GoCity and Viator.
• House Sitting – is a great way to save on accommodation and Trusted Housesitters has house sits all around the world for you to try.
• Photo Editing – is a great way to bring your photos to life and you can try Luminar Neo, which I use.
• Visa Applications – apply online for your visa requirements with iVisa.
• Sim cards – Try Airalo is the world’s first eSIM store that solves the pain of high roaming bills by giving travellers access to eSIMs (digital SIM cards).

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