A new year’s resolution has been to nominate a day each week that in normal times for me to go out on cultural away days with friends. This gives Kim the time she needs to properly focus on new projects at the drawing board, free of distraction! It’s a mutually satisfying project that’s going great guns so far. A recent outing was blessed with a rare day of rain and wind free weather. My friend Rob and I took the train to Carlisle from Hexham, a scenic journey along one of the world’s oldest intercity rail lines. We fell into enjoyable conversation with two other senior gents with similar interests to ourselves who were on a Newcastle /Workington away day jolly, changing trains at Carlisle’s solidly outsize Citadel station.
Despite half the border city’s attractions either being closed mid week or undergoing refurbishment we had no shortage of things to re-discover elsewhere around the centre. The magnificent cathedral provided a fantastic focus and the historic urban quarter that its great red sandstone mass dominates was also full of interest.
Formerly the church of the prestigious Augustinian priory, what Carlisle’s seat lacks in status and grandeur compared to say Lincoln or Salisbury, it makes up for in the way of curious treasures and warmth of welcome its staff extend the visitor. The volunteer guides here are friendly and obliging with time to chat and answer questions. The information panels in the aisles are hanging cloth banners, outlining the lives and achievements of interesting lesser known figures associated with the building down the ages. Pleased to see featured a character I’d once played – Reverend Hardwicke Rawnesley. (Diary of April 24th 2022 Castle, Lake and Tarn has more about this influential Victorian cleric & pioneering conservationist).
Amongst those Cathedral’s treasures are the Tudor Salkeld panelled wooden doorway with its profiled faces of worthies, the magnificent star spangled barrel roof put in during the mid Victorian restoration and an imposing Jacobean wooden pulpit with its curious carved supports, as well as the magnificent medieval choir stalls and their reverse side C 15th full length paintings of the saints. Interesting to note that figures at ground level have been defaced by protestant iconoclasts at some point post-Reformation whilst those tiered above and out of immediate reach have not, thus retaining their facial features.
The new fratery here, adjacent the cathedral entrance, is an inviting place to relax over food and drink. Rob & I gravitated to the spacious overflow setting of the cathedral library for our delicious lunch. Continuing our walkabout along the city walls, overlooking station and lines north we bumped into a Scottish master brewer involved in the comprehensive restoration of a former long closed pub here as a bar with its own microbrewery and visitor centre.
It’ll be the first brewery to open in Carlisle city centre since 1987 when the last traditional brewery closed. Lots of chat about heritage hops and brewing techniques with our genial interlocutor before we headed back down along some old lanes and cobbled byways.
We discovered a fascinating mix of private town houses and former grand institutions, in various states of transformation, which drew us on with growing interest and hopes for the further renewal of an historic city which I remember advertising itself once as ‘Worth a Closer Look’.
Now, in that respect we all love an old public notice still clinging on, despite vagaries of wear and neglect, like this one in a Carlisle alleyway…
Another surprise was this old meter. What would it have powered in its public place of a run down arcade? When was it last used? Incidental street art now but obviously essential once.
The surprise takeaway though from our day out was discovering a random series of officially sanctioned street art brightening the environment of otherwise unloved and overlooked urban scruff points. Hurray for the association of freelance artists collectively known as Blank Wall Assassins for cheering the eye with their range of pop-up graphic contributions. Particularly loved this iconic Lake District view of Aira Force filling a focal point, framed by a covered ginnel populated with pigeon nests and commercial wheelie bins. Brilliantly effective work by artist Martin Evans (2020)
So yes, Carlisle was worth a closer look alright and once Tullie House gallery and museum with its delightful garden reopen, and on a day when English Heritage are open for visitors at the great border citadel that is the castle, we’ll no doubt be back for more…not to mention a pint at that new micro-brewery on the west walls, which is due to open this summer!
STEPHEN TOMLIN 