Carlisle Cathedral

Created 31-Jan-26

Modified 31-Jan-26

Visitors 1

27 photos

The second smallest catherdal in England, having had 200 feet of nave demolished in 1646 by the Scottish Presbyterian Army during the Civil War in order to use the stone to re-inforce the walls of Carlisle Castle, Carisle Cathedral is at frst quite disorientating. Entrance is via what was the South Transept and only 2 bays of the Noraman nave, the Crossing and Chancel remain. Founded as an Augustinian Priory in 1122 it was raised to the status of a Cathedral in 1133 by Henry I. Rebulding and expansion during the 13th and 14th centuries lead to a change of axis and a disticnt assymetry in the structure. The Priory surrendered to the Crown on 9 January 1540.

Categories & Keywords

Category:Architecture and Structures

Subcategory:Churches

Subcategory Detail:

Keywords:Augustinian, Carlisle, Cathedral, Church, Cumbria, Monastery

Chancel and South Transept from the south east

View from the south west across what would have been the Cloister.

The Fratry,rebuilt c1500, the original canons frater, restored in 2109 at a cost of £3.4M. To the right is all that remains of the eastern external wall of the Cloister.

The Crossing viewed from the South Transept towards the Brougham Trytich in the North Transept

In the North Transept: the Brougham Triptych, made in Antwerp in about 1520, and bought by Baron Brougham & Vaux in the 1840s.