Carlisle Castle, Carlisle, Cumbria

This image is titled 'North west view of Carlisle Castle' by Samuel and Nathaniel Buck. They were brothers who, in 1724, set out around England to make prints of 'antiquities'. Carlisle Castle is thought to have been first built as a wooden structure in 1092. From 1122, the castle began to be rebuilt in stone. Following his visit to the castle in 1186, Henry II built part of the 'palace' and a chapel. Over the course of the 13th century the castle fell into disrepair, however between 1296 and 1307 the stone tower later known as Queen Mary's Tower was built. In the 1370s and 1380s, the castle's outer gatehouse was rebuilt and and in 1483 the Tile Tower was built. Between 1541 and 1543 the castle's defences were modernised. Mary queen of Scots was imprisoned here for several weeks in 1567, held in what was then called the Warden's Tower. By 1617 it had again fallen into disrepair, however following a siege of the castle in 1644-5 repairs were carried out. This site is now in the care of English Heritage (2011).

Location

Cumbria Carlisle

Period

Georgian (1714 - 1836)

Tags

castle attack defence tower wall medieval (1066 - 1484) english heritage