The Romans called their settlement on the site of today’s Carlisle Luguvalium. This word means in Latin “the place /wall or stronghold” of Lugus.

Hadrians wall runs through the Stanwix area of the city and a fort was built there called Petrania which housed a 1,000 troops.

At or around 72/73 AD a Roman fort was built at Carlisle. A second fort was built after 106 AD and in 165AD this fort was replaced with a stone fort.
Carlisle may have then become the Capital for the Carvetii tribe.
The Celts gave Carlisle its name from Caer Luel the fortified place belonging to Luel.
St Cuthbert founded a Monastery in 685AD.
In 876AD the Vikings captured and burned the town.
Roman troops withdrawn from Hadrian’s wall in 399AD.
Vikings held the town until 10th Century until the Saxons captured it.

1070 Gospatrick the Earl of Northumberland captured the town and then passed it to his son Dolfin in 1072.
The current Castle was built in 1092 by William Rufus, because of the importance of the location of Carlisle on the border of England and Scotland the Castle was keep in good repair.
Initially built of wood in the 12th century it was rebuilt of stone, at the same time stonewalls were erected around the town.

1122 a  priory was built in the town.
1133 Carlisle was made the seat of a Bishop
The Scots held the town from 1135 to 1154.
In 1173 the Scots laid siege to the town but failed to capture it.
1158 Carlisle was given its first Charter by Henry II.
At this time Wool, Leather and imported Wine from France were key industries.
1223 Friars first arrived in Carlisle both Dominicans and Franciscans. They wore different colour costumes black and grey respectively.
1251 town given second Charter to replace first one lost in a fire.
1292 Carlisle suffered a very bad fire given most of the town was made of wood this meant that it was all but destroyed. (including the second Charter)
1293 a third Charter granted by Edward I.
In the early 15th century the Guildhall was built this was to give the various guilds that were organised a place to go to ensure their members interests were looked after.
The Guilds were Merchants, Butchers, Skinners, Shoemakers, Tanners, Tailors, Smiths and Weavers.
1349 the Black Death arrived in Carlisle and devastated the population.
Scottish Sieges of 1380 1385 and 1387.
Fire of 1391.

1541 Henry VIII rebuilt the Castle replaced the Southern Gate of Carlisle with a citadel and two towers.
1597 the plague arrived in Carlisle.
1597 Treaty of Carlisle between England and Scotland.
The Castle also served as a prison for Mary Queen of Scots.
1637 a new Charter was granted by James I
During the Civil War Carlisle was loyal to the crown.
1644 to 1645 Carlisle was under siege and finally starved into surrender.
After the siege the victorious troops ransacked the Cathedral.
Carlisle cross erected in 1682.
Tullie House built in 1689.
The Old Town Hall built 1699.

New Town Hall built in 1717.
In December of 1745 the Castle was captured by the Scots after the Siege of Carlisle.
1758 a road built from Carlisle to Newcastle, this was private and a toll was payable if you wanted to use it.
1778 St Cuthbert’s Church built.
1787 Carlisle’s first bank was opened.
Walter Scott married in Carlisle Cathedral 1797.
1798 Carlisle’s first Newspaper.

1801 population approx 9,500 (census)
1804 Carlisle corporation both lit and paved the streets.
First Theatre 1813.
Initially by oil lamps however after 1819 the town was lit by Gas.
1823 a canal was built from the town to Port Carlisle.
1838 the railway connected Carlisle to Newcastle
Citadel station built in 1848
In 1856 it was filled in and a railway was built to replace it.
1841 Hospital built.
Cholera outbreaks in 1832 and1848.
1870 sewers were constructed under the town.
1885 first telephone exchange.
Covered market built in 1889.
1893 a Park was opened called the People’s Park then later renamed the Bitts.
1899 electricity arrived in the town.

1900 electric Trams began.
1901 the population was approx 45,000.
First Cinema 1906
1912 Carlisle boundries were extended to include Stanwix and Botcherby.
Carlisle Cathedral has the largest east window of any cathedral in Europe.
In 1916 the government of the day took over all of the pubs in the city because of an epidemic of drunkenness in the nearby munitions factories in Gretna.
This experiment of National brewery control lasted until 1971.
Carlisle Civic offices opened in 1964
RAF Kingstown opened in 1938 and was a bomber station closed in 1996.
In 1822 there was severe flooding which caused 3 deaths.
In 1912 Stanwix, Edentown, St Anns Hill and Belah were added to the City.
1835 Carlisle became a Municipal borough.
1914 Carlisle was moved to County borough status.

1974 under the Local Government Act of 1972 the City and Borough merged to become the new City of Carlisle district.
The parish of Carlisle developed from 1904 after merger of a number of various civil parishes.
1974 ring road built
New library built in 1986.
The city centre was pedestrianised in 1989.
2005 severe flooding 3 people were killed.
2001 census population approx 100,000.
The “curse of Carlisle” originally from the 16th century first invoked by Archbishop Dunbar of Glasgow in 1525 against cross border families then known as Border Reivers who lived by stealing cattle and general pillaging.
In 2000 a granite artwork was inscribed with all of the 1069 words of the curse.

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Equally we recommend that should you need or want to find out more you should conduct more detailed independant research.