Carlise Castle and City

As well as having a Cathedral, Carlisle also has a Castle. The first fortifications were built by the Romans in AD 72 to support the garrisons on Hadrian’s Wall. William Rufus, son of William the Conqueror, began building a Norman castle in 1093. Being only 10 miles to Scotland, the castle was subject to many sieges; with its last battle being in 1745 during the failed uprising of Bonnie Prince Charlie.

The castle’s most famous resident is Mary Queen of Scots, who was imprisoned in the castle for a few months after she failed in her attempt to regain the Scottish crown. Queen Mary’s Tower is named after her, as is the Lady’s walk where she used to exercise.

Here are a few photos of the castle.

Carlisle grew up around the castle from its earlest days as a Roman settlement to now being the country's administrative centre and the cultural centre for Cumbria. Overall, I think that the city has done a good job of blending the old with the new. Here are a few of photos of I took while wandering around the town.