Carlisle to see, Carlisle Cathedral first
On foot in Carlisle, 5 places to visit are within 1 km of the centre. The list adds 5 places within 5 km of its edge. They include 4 museums, 2 castles and 2 attractions. One of them is cared for by English Heritage. Brougham Castle is worth a day, 30 km from the centre.
The headline places in Carlisle
Behind Carlisle Cathedral on the list are 3 museums and 2 castles.
CathedralCarlisle Cathedralin town
Castle · English HeritageCarlisle Castlein town
MuseumTullie Housein townMuseumMuseumCumbria's Museum of Military Lifein townMuseumMuseumGuildhall Museumin town
CastleCorby Castle3.4 km outside town, to the eastEach has a page of its own: what it is, who runs it, the weather month by month and what else is near it.
How they lie
Furthest from the centre is Cumberland Bird Of Prey Centre, 7.8 km away.
The dashed line is Carlisle’s built-up area; orange marks its middle (where most people live). Numbers match the list below. © OpenStreetMap contributors · ONS built-up area 2022
The mix
4 are museums or galleries; castles or historic places come next with 3.
Green: inside Carlisle. Grey: within 5 km of its edge.
1 place is cared for by English Heritage (Carlisle Castle).
Every entry
10 places in all: 5 in town and 5 within 5 km of its edge.
Tullie House
Grade I listed natural history museum in Carlisle, Cumbria, England, UK.
Cumbria's Museum of Military Life
Military museum in Carlisle, United Kingdom.
The 5 inside Carlisle come first, best known first; then the places within 5 km, close and well known first. Churches and listed buildings are on the History page, not here.
353 listed buildings and 10 scheduled monuments are on Carlisle’s History page → · Parks, footpaths and green space in Carlisle →
Out of town
Brougham Castle, at 30 km, heads the 12 day trips.
Castle · English HeritageBrougham Castle30 km southeast
CastleScaleby Castle8.7 km northeastCastleCastleCaerlaverock Castle39 km west
CastleNaworth Castle18 km northeast
Castle · English HeritagePenrith Castle28 km southeast
Abbey or priory · English HeritageLanercost Priory18 km northeast
CastleDrumburgh Castle14 km westCastleCastleArmathwaite Castle14 km southeast
CastleFeatherstone Castle28 km east
Historic houseHutton-in-the-Forest21 km south
Abbey or prioryHolmcultram Abbey23 km west
CastleGreystoke Castle25 km southPlaces well known beyond Carlisle (Wikipedia articles in several languages, published visitor counts, or a National Trust, English Heritage or Cadw property), close and famous first. Distances are straight lines from the middle of the town.
Carlisle: questions and answers
What are the main attractions in Carlisle?
The best known inside Carlisle’s built-up area are Carlisle Cathedral, Carlisle Castle, Tullie House and Cumbria's Museum of Military Life. In all, 5 places to visit are mapped inside the town, and 5 more within 5 km.
Does Carlisle have a museum?
4 museums and galleries are in or within 5 km of Carlisle: Tullie House, Cumbria's Museum of Military Life, Guildhall Museum and A World In Miniature.
Is there a National Trust or English Heritage property near Carlisle?
Yes. In or within 5 km of Carlisle, 1 place is cared for by English Heritage (Carlisle Castle).
What are the best-known days out near Carlisle?
Within 40 km: Brougham Castle (30 km), Scaleby Castle (8.7 km), Caerlaverock Castle (39 km), Naworth Castle (18 km).
Where are Carlisle’s historic buildings listed?
Carlisle has 353 listed buildings, 22 of them Grade I. They are on its History page, from Historic England’s list, not repeated here.
How is this list made?
From OpenStreetMap (museums, galleries, zoos, theme parks and attractions, castles, forts and abbeys, and historic houses and gardens that are open to visitors) and Wikidata (what each place is, who runs it, its website and visitor counts). A place counts for Carlisle when it is inside the ONS 2022 built-up area, and as nearby within 5 km of its edge. Opening times and prices are not shown: check the official site.
Places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, Open Database Licence) and Wikidata (CC0), placed in the ONS 2022 built-up area (Open Government Licence v3.0). Visitor counts are the latest Wikidata gives, with their year.
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (14)
- Carlisle Cathedral: Diliff, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Carlisle Castle: John Gibson, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Tullie House: Raymond Knapman, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Corby Castle: Lynne Kirton, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Brougham Castle: Michael D Beckwith, CC0, Wikimedia Commons
- Scaleby Castle: Simon Ledingham, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Naworth Castle: Peter McDermott, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Penrith Castle: David Rogers, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Lanercost Priory: Martinvl, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Drumburgh Castle: Rose and Trev Clough, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Featherstone Castle: Margaret Clough, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Hutton-in-the-Forest: Mdbeckwith, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Holmcultram Abbey: John Lord, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Greystoke Castle: Simon Ledingham, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
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