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Carlisle has its very own castle and there are Hadrian’s Wall ruins nearby. For a great day out you could hire a car and visit both.
The castle is more than nine centuries old and understandably, given that it is a castle near to what was a barrier between Scotland and England, has borne witness to many battles and invasions. The site is looked after by English Heritage, who takes care of many of England’s castles. Before it was a medieval fortress it was a Roman one and it’s now one of Cumbria’s favourite castles. The castle is open to the public and there are regular events put on for families including ghost walks and gunpowder plot tours.
Carlisle Castle was built during the reign of William the Conqueror’s son William II. During this reign, Cumbria was a part of Scotland. William’s father had invaded England in 1066 at the famous Battle of Hastings, yet his son actually drove the Scottish out then ordered the Norman style castle to be built where a Roman fortress had stood. The castle was ordered to ensure England had a defence against invasions from Scotland at the border. Around thirty years after construction of the castle had begun, Henry I ordered a city wall to be added.
The Scottish were not easily driven out of their land and many attempts were made to try and reclaim it. It was successfully recaptured and then given back. For less than a year in the late 1500s, Mary Queen of Scots was famously imprisoned in the castle, from where she wrote letters to Elizabeth I begging the English Queen to have her freed. The two were relatives. Mary was being punished for having made the wrong decision in the eyes of Scottish nobility as to who she married. Elizabeth eventually replied that she was unable to help Mary. Mary was moved from Carlisle to Bolton Castle, from where her bid for freedom continued. She was transferred from place to place as a prisoner for the rest of her life and eventually executed.
Most of Hadrian’s Wall runs through the countryside but a part of it runs through Carlisle. There is an eleven mile walk from Walton to Carlisle along the Wall and an almost fifteen mile walk along it from Carlisle to Bowness-on-Solway. The first of the two goes through farmland and past a park and the River Eden, the second is a little more sparse.
It is important to remember that all of Hadrian’s Wall is historically and archeologically very significant, and to take care as you walk along it so you do not disturb any part of it unnecessarily. Do not walk on the wall itself as this contributes to the erosion of it. Help to keep the site as intact as possible for future generations and enjoy your walk.
Birdoswold Roman Fort is along the Wall route and is only fourteen miles from Carlisle. Staff at Carlisle Castle are happy to give directions. If you’d like to see more castle then Penrith Castle and Brougham Castle are about as close.
BIO
Sophie Collard (@QunoSpotter) writes about fascinating places to visit and people she’s met while on her travels. She’s travelled in the UK, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and South East Asia and loves the sense of distance and changing landscapes.
