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Thirlwall Castle
Attractions in Gilsland

Trips from Gilsland, starting with Thirlwall Castle

Most of what there is to see is castles or historic places: 5 of 6. Gilsland itself has none of them. Of the places on our list, one is looked after by English Heritage. Hadrian's Wall lies 18 km out, the pick for a day trip.

Photo: Thirlwall Castle, Ashley Dace (CC BY-SA 2.0)
In Gilsland
0
inside the built-up area
Within 5 km
6
of the town’s edge
Museums & galleries
1
in or near town
Castles & historic places
5
in or near town
Cared for
1
National Trust, English Heritage, Cadw and others
Best known

Top of the list around Gilsland

Following Thirlwall Castle are 2 castles, a historic site and a museum.

CastleThirlwall Castle2.1 km outside town, to the eastCastleBlenkinsopp Castle3.1 km outside town, to the southeastCastleTriermain Castle3.6 km outside town, to the westHistoric siteHistoric site · English HeritageBirdoswald Roman Fort1.5 km outside town, to the westMuseumMuseumRoman Army Museum2.9 km outside town, to the eastRuinsRuinsPiper Sike Turret (51a)4.3 km outside town, to the west

Each has a page of its own: what it is, who runs it, the weather month by month and what else is near it.

The map

Around Gilsland, mapped

Most of the 6 close by lie to the west.

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The dashed line is Gilsland’s built-up area; orange marks its middle (where most people live). Numbers match the list below. © OpenStreetMap contributors · ONS built-up area 2022

By kind

Kind by kind

Most common are castles or historic places: 5 of 6.

Museums & galleries 1 museum0 in town · 1 nearby
Castles & historic places 3 castles · 1 historic site · 1 ruins0 in town · 5 nearby

Green: inside Gilsland. Grey: within 5 km of its edge.

1 place is cared for by English Heritage (Birdoswald Roman Fort).

Every place

Full list of places

Everything here is within 5 km of its edge, 6 places in all.

Close and well known first. Churches and listed buildings are on the History page, not here.

4 listed buildings and 2 scheduled monuments are on Gilsland’s History page → · Parks, footpaths and green space in Gilsland →

Big names nearby

Further afield: the best known within 40 km

Of the 12 day trips, Hadrian's Wall (18 km) is the best known.

FortFort · English HeritageHadrian's Wall18 km eastCathedralCarlisle Cathedral26 km southwestCastleFeatherstone Castle6.6 km southeastCastle · English HeritageCarlisle Castle26 km southwestCastleNaworth Castle8.5 km southwestCastleBellister Castle7.4 km southeastAbbey or priory · English HeritageLanercost Priory8.4 km westCastleCastleBewcastle Castle (ruins)11 km northwestCastleCastleAskerton Castle9 km westCastle · English HeritageBrougham Castle39 km southCastleCastleHermitage Castle33 km northwestCastle · English HeritageAydon Castle37 km east

Places well known beyond Gilsland (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.

What visitors ask about Gilsland

What is there to see near Gilsland?

No attraction is mapped inside Gilsland itself. Within 5 km of it are Thirlwall Castle, Blenkinsopp Castle, Triermain Castle and Birdoswald Roman Fort.

Does Gilsland have a museum?

1 museum or gallery is in or within 5 km of Gilsland: Roman Army Museum.

Is there a National Trust or English Heritage property near Gilsland?

Yes. In or within 5 km of Gilsland, 1 place is cared for by English Heritage (Birdoswald Roman Fort).

What are the best-known days out near Gilsland?

Within 40 km: Hadrian's Wall (18 km), Carlisle Cathedral (26 km), Featherstone Castle (6.6 km), Carlisle Castle (26 km).

Where are Gilsland’s historic buildings listed?

Gilsland has 4 listed buildings. 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 Gilsland 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 (11)

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.