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Carlisle Citadel
Also known as, or recorded in historical
documents as; Nisi Prius Court; Court House; Assize Court; Crown Court
In the civil parish of Carlisle.
In the historic county of Cumberland (Modern Authority of Cumbria, 1974 county of Cumbria).
The site is known as the The Citadel which refers to the earlier Henrician artillery fort located on this site. The Citadel was built in 1541-1542 to designs by Stephen von Haschenperg and consisted of a triangular enclosure with massive round towers situated at the angles. The fortress was mostly demolished to make way for the present towers in 1810 and only the lower levels of the eastern tower are original. Prior to the construction of Henry VIII's artillery fort the site was occupied by the Botcher Gate or English Gate (see NY45NW 52). The Citadel was intended to be of independent strength, which made sense given the obsolete state of Carlisle's defences. The Botcher gate was initially walled up, and it appears that a raised floor level was added with two gunports in the former gateway. On its west side, but set slightly back, was a second recangular tower mounting twin gunports. To the east and west of the resulting double tower were built curtain walls to connect with two large, round bulwarks, two storeyed, 60 feet in diameter with 12 foot thick walls. Within these were casemates mounting artillery. It was also fortified on its northern face within the city walls. A half round tower was constructed to house ordnance to command the city. This was attached to the round bulwarks by curtain walls. The construction of the Citadel nessesited the rebuilding of the adjacent walls and the creation of a new gate, the English Gate, in the west wall just north of the Citadel. By 1604 the Citadel was effectively little more than a gaol. (PastScape)
Built on top of the remain of the Citadel are 'two immense oval towers, built in 1810-1811 by Sir Robert Smirke, to a design originally by Thomas Telford. Until recently they served as the civil courts (east tower) and criminal courts (west tower). The towers are constructed in red sandstone ashlar with a partly machicolated cornice and battlemented parapets. The towers have recently undergone major restoration.' (PastScape)
This is a
Grade 1 listed
building protected by law*. (Images
of England number 386722; 386723)
The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is NY40255566
This site's English Heritage (PastScape) Defra or Monument number is
1394195; 540490
Further information may be available from the holder of the county Historic Environment Record. In particular 'grey' literature, such as watching brief reports, held by H.E.R.s
is often poorly referenced and is unlikely to be recorded in this website, or elsewhere.
- Web site links
- Books
- Salter, Mike, 1998, The Castles and Tower Houses of Cumbria (Malvern) p36
Perriam, Denis and Robinson, John, 1998, The Medieval Fortified Buildings of Cumbria (CWAAS)
Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge) p38
King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1
Colvin, H.M., Ransome, D.R. and Summerson, John, 1982, The history of the King's Works, Vol4: 1485-1660 (part 2) (London) p670-1
Hugill, Robert, 1977, Castles and Peles of Cumberland and Westmorland (Newcastle; Frank Graham) p62-3
Pevsner, Nikolaus, 1967, Buildings of England: Cumberland and Westmorland (Harmondsworth) p101
Curwen, J.F., 1913, Castles and Fortified Towers of Cumberland, Westmorland and Lancashire North of the Sands (Kendal) p115-7
Jefferson, S., 1838, History and Antiquities of Carlisle p277-9 http://books.google.com/books?id=JeMVAAAAYAAJ
- Journal Articles
- Hughes, J., 1970, ‘The building of the Courts, Carlisle, 1807-1822' Transactions of the Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society 70 p205-20
Oliver, 1916, Transactions of the Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society Vol16 p91-6
- Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
Most of the sites or buildings
recorded in this web site are NOT open to the public
and permission to visit a site must always be sought from the landowner
or tenant. |
The information on this web page
may be derived from information compiled by and/or copyright of English
Heritage and other individuals and organisations. All the sources
given should be consulted to identify the original copyright holder
and permission obtained from them before use of the information
on this site for commercial purposes. I do
not receive any income from this site and I fund it myself.
The bibliography owes much to various bibliographies produced by
John Kenyon for the Council
for British Archaeology, the Castle Studies Group and others.
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It is an offence to disturb a
Scheduled Monument without consent. It is a destruction of
everyone's heritage to remove archaeological evidence from any site
without proper recording and reporting. Don't use metal detectors on historic sites without authorisation. |
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*The listed building
may not be the actual medieval building, but a building on the site
of, or incorporating fragments of, the described site.
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