Description

CARLISLE

NY3956SE CARLISLE CASTLE
671-1/6/4 West City Walls and Tile Tower
01/06/49 adjoining at south-west

GV I

City walls and interval tower. C12 walls extensively repaired
up to C20; C12 tower rebuilt c1483 for the Duke of Gloucester
(Richard III) with C19 and C20 repairs. Walls of mixed red and
calciferous sandstone blocks (some stone re-used Roman) on
chamfered plinth, with external buttresses repaired in C15
tile bricks. Internal face of C19 brick. Tower has plinth of
same materials as walls but rebuilt in C15 tile brick. Flat
flagged roof.
High wall with projecting 2-storey square tower; parapet walk
carried up by steps over tower. The wall is straight and joins
the south-west angle of the outer bailey of Carlisle Castle.
Upper parts of the wall clearly show the different repairs.
The inside of the wall had its facing stones removed in 1745
and this was replaced in brick in the 1830s.
The tower has slit vents in each face, the right return has a
red sandstone panel, now weathered, originally thought to have
had the emblem of a white boar (Richard's coat-of-arms). Rear
of tower flush with wall has two C15 elliptical-arched
doorways. C19 stone surround openings.
INTERIOR: has steps to tower and upper chambers; brick vaulted
ground floor, mural chambers and repaired C15 fireplaces.
Along the parapet coping of the wall are inscriptions of
various C19 soldiers serving in the garrison of the castle;
built into the south end of the wall is a War Department
boundary stone.
HISTORY: The tower formerly guarded the Irish Gate; demolition
of the gate in 1811 left this isolated part of the West Walls.
Houses were built against part of the walls in the early C19
and joist holes for floors can be seen cut into the Tile Tower
and wall; the last of these were demolished in 1952. For full
details see McCarthy et al (1990).
For the remainder of this side of the city walls, see West
City Walls, West Walls (qv).

Listing NGR: NY3963156120

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q99478159

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Hertfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Churches: An Architectural Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  The Listed Buildings and Other Principal Structures at the Royal Gunpowder Mills Waltham Abbey
• 
  Period Property Manual (New Ed)
• 
  This Old House: Restoring, Rehabilitating, and Renovating an Older House
• 
  Oxfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)