Carlisle Cathedral

Carlisle Cathedral stands in the city of Carlisle, Cumbria, on ground once occupied by an earlier church. Founded in 1122 as an Augustinian priory, it became a cathedral in 1133 when Athelwold, its first prior, was made the first Bishop of Carlisle. The building is the second smallest of England’s ancient cathedrals and is listed Grade I. Its exterior shows the local red sandstone, darkened almost to black in places. Inside, the surviving Norman work appears in the south transept and the short nave, now the Chapel of the Border Regiment. The cathedral is worth the journey for its medieval choir stalls and the largest Flowing Decorated Gothic window in England. The east window rises 51 feet and is 26 feet wide, with tracery drafted from 263 points and much original medieval glass. The wooden barrel ceiling of the choir dates from the 14th century and was restored by Owen Jones in 1856. The set of 46 carved oak misericords, installed in the early 15th century, show lively figures and creatures, including scenes from the lives of saints. Visitors find the cathedral’s Gothic arcade richly moulded with dog-tooth decoration and twelve carved capitals. The Prior’s Tower, a 15th-century pele tower, contains a painted ceiling and stands within the close entered through the 1527 gatehouse. To the south-east, the late 15th-century tithe barn survives as an events venue. The ruined chapter house and dormitory lie east of the cloister, while the Fratry, rebuilt around 1500, now hosts exhibitions. The cathedral’s close holds fragments of the original priory, including the gate and gatehouse, all Grade I listed.