Carlisle branch

Carlisle

Carlisle is referred to as "an ancient and famous city" which has been a place of importance since the time of the Romans. Carlisle has had more than its fair share of war and devastation particularly from Roman times onward mainly due to its proximity to the border with Scotland. The Romans came to the area in around 80 AD and established a fort from which they could mount raids to the North against the Scots. The fort occupied the site where Carlisle Cathedral now stands, which itself is a magnificent building.

Emperor Hadrian ordered the building of the now famous Roman Wall (Hadrian’s Wall) which stretches from the Solway Firth on the Cumbrian coast to Newcastle on the east coast of the country. Hadrian’s Wall is now a World Heritage Site. Tullie House Museum located between The Castle and The Cathedral provides an interesting and comprehensive history of the city.

Carlisle is now a modern and busy city with an impressive Castle which was used to confine Mary Queen of Scots in the late fifteen hundreds. The city has an excellent range of social leisure and retail opportunities.

Carlisle is an expanding city with a good rural and commercial base that offers an excellent environment for a diverse range of people. The city is surrounded by attractive open countryside and is on the doorstep of the Eden Valley, Lake District National Park, and the Solway Firth which is well known for its migrating birdlife. Carlisle is bypassed by the M6 Motorway which provides excellent road communications for travel in all directions. Newcastle Airport in the east can be reached in little over an hours drive. Other international airports within or around two hours drive include:- Glasgow, Manchester and Liverpool. Carlisle Airport is also the subject of investment and expansion will offer a limited range of passenger flights, commencing June 2018.

Carlisle is on the West Coast Mainline. There are fast and frequent services to London in around three hours fifteen minutes service and non-stop to Glasgow in about an hour and fifteen minutes. There are other direct rail services from including Carlisle to Edinburgh - one hour twenty minutes, Newcastle and Manchester including Manchester Airport.

Wetheral

Arguably Carlisle’s most sought-after village, Wetheral is an ideal commuter village, being just 4 miles from central Carlisle and most conveniently placed for access to the M6 motorway and A69. The village is also well served by public transport and benefits from a station on the Carlisle to Newcastle railway line. The village is mostly centred around an attractive village green and sits above the River Eden. There is an active local community, which benefits from two good Public House’s, a popular restaurant, Hotel and leisure club with swimming pool and squash courts, as well as a shop, Post Office, café and village hall. The village features an impressive range of homes from modern properties to large period homes and apartments.

Dalston

Situated to the south of the city, Dalston is a large village with a wide range of amenities including both junior and senior schools, butchers, doctor’s surgery, veterinary practice, dentists, Co-operative convenience store as well as two public houses, café, fish and chip shop and a range of independent retailers. Conveniently located for access to the A595 for access to West Cumbria, just 4 miles from Carlisle and well placed for access to Caldbeck, Keswick and the North Lake District National Park. Dalston and the surrounding area provides a wide range of homes, from modern family homes to bungalows and larger detached properties.

North Lakes

Carlisle benefits from a close proximity to the northern fringe of the Lake District National Park, with the villages of Caldbeck and Hesket Newmarket being just 15 miles from the city centre. They act as an excellent base for exploration further in to the Lake District, with Keswick being just a further 15 miles beyond and Whinlatter Forest Park, a haven for mountain bikers and walkers alike, just 3 miles outside of Keswick. Lake Ullswater and Pooley Bridge are just 25 miles from central Carlisle and easily accessed via Junction 40 of the M6.

Brampton

The popular market town lies some 8 miles east of Carlisle and is conveniently placed for access to the A69 for Newcastle, with the International Airport being just an hours drive. Brampton has a wide range of amenities including junior and senior schools, shops and services including a medical centre. The nearby golf club and Talkin Tarn country park are also well regarded. It also serves as the gateway to Hadrian’s Wall country.

Eden Valley

The upper reaches of the Eden Valley offer up some wonderful scenery and are home to picturesque villages such as Armathwaite, Ainstable and Lazonby. The North Lakes AONB is also on the doorstep. Penrith and the M6 motorway are readily accessible. The Eden Valley offers excellent opportunities for leisure pursuits and tourism with the historic Carlisle to Settle railway line running through it.