Rural Diaries – country life, the countryside and rural issues

Posted by Sally on January 11th, 2009 in Country Dating, Cumbria, Rural Resources

On a day out in Cumbria you can find something to entertain the whole family. Cumbria is not just the home of the Lake District and rugged scenery, there are many places of interest to see.

Let’s start with Carlisle, as it’s the capital city of Cumbria and the most Northerly town in England.

Carlisle is a busy industrial and market town, with many historic sites to visit. Carlisle has a strong tourist industry so there are plenty of good hotels to choose from, a range of restaurants and bars to visit and a good sized shopping centre.

Here are just a few ideas of days and nights out in Carlisle, Cumbria:

Carlisle Castle

If you like historic sites then the medieval Carlisle Castle is a must see, with the site dating back to Roman times.

It was the last English castle to be besieged in 1746 when Bonnie Prince Charlie’s Jacobite garrison tried to hold off the Hanoverian forces of the Duke of Cumberland. The Jacobites were held prisoner in Carlisle castle and you can still see ornate carvings the prisoners made before their deaths and the licking stones they used to get water for their parched throats to stay alive.

Visit Cumbria has some great photos of Carlisle Castle on their website.

Carlisle Castle is in the centre of Carlisle and is open 7 days a week 9.30am to 5pm (Oct – Mar 10am to 4pm). Entrance fees are Adults £4.40, Children £2.30 and Concessions £3.50. English Heritage members get free admission.

Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery

This is no stuffy old museum filled with glass cabinets. The sandstone house itself is worth seeing, once a family home it was turned into a museum in 1893 and a modern wing was added in 1990.

Tullie House likes visitors to get involved. They run all sorts of workshops and have a film season. On their What’s on at Tullie House list for February we see dance workshops, jewellery making, Chinese ink painting and wire work .. to name but a few.

If you are an art lover they have an excellent fine and decorative art section, including pre-raphaelites. With around 4300 paintings, sketches, watercolours, prints and sculptures dating from 1650 to present day, most are by British artists.

There is also a Cumbria Life gallery, which tells tales of rural life in Cumbria throughout its history.

The museum has approximately 188,000 objects dating as far back as 1644. Their wildlife and geology section itself has aroung 100,000 insect specimens from Cumbria and Britain.

They also have ceramics, furniture, metalwork and musical instruments dating from around 1564.

Admission fees will depend on what you want to see or do in Tullie House and some exhibitions are free. For more information you can email them at enquiries@tulliehouse.co.uk and no visit to Carlisle should miss this out.

Carlisle Cathedral

Carlisle Cathedral dating back to 1122 has been battered by warfare for 900 years. With Carlisle being the northern most town in England the Scots and English have fought many a battle there and the Romans even built the Roman Wall right through the city.

Of special interest is the 14th century stained glass east window, the alterpiece in St Wilfrid’s Chapel which is a 16th century Felmish carved piece and the medieval paintings depicting the Life of St. Cuthbert, St. Augustine and St. Antony and the figures of the 12 Apostles.

Visit theor website to find out more about Carlisle Cathedral and how to get there.

Cumberland County Show

This is held in Carlisle every summer, in Rickerby Park on the banks of the river Eden. This year it will be held on Saturday 18th July 2009 and is a fantastic family day out at a country fair.

The 2008 show included the Flying Gunners Royal Artillery Motorcycle Display team, the Shetland Pony Grand National, Terrier Racing, Young Farmers fun competition, Cumberland and Westmorland Wrestling, Countryside area (with birds of prey, dry stone walling, bee keeping, etc), Model Farm where you could see cows being milked, sheep shearing, etc. That is not to mention the horse and cattle shows, the dogs, rabbits, poultry, pigs, alpacas and goats!!

It is a true country show with fun for everyone, family dogs are welcome as long as they are kept on leads.

Not the cheapest day out for a family with adult tickets £10 and £4 for children aged 5-16 but they do a family ticket (2 adults and 3 chuildren) for £20. Once you pay for lunch, drinks and gifts it can be an expensive day out but trust me it is worth it.

You can get a 10% discount on your tickets if you book them in advance by phone or through the Cumberland Show website.

The Sands Centre

If you are staying in Carlisle for a weekend or a holiday then a visit to the Sands Centre may be in order. They offer a programme of arts and entertainment events including a Classical Concert Series featuring top international orchestras, conductors and soloists.

They also have rock and pop concerts, light entertainment and comedy, ballet and opera productions and a hugely successful Pantomime.

A quick look at their events calendar for Jan – Mar 2009 includes “One Night of Queen”, the Russian State Philharmonic Orchestra, Jimmy Carr (comedian), Swan Lake and Lemar (soul singer).

Go to the Sands Centre website to find out what will be on when you are visiting Carlisle.

There is a brilliant list of 511 places to stay in Cumbria on the Information Britain website.