Carlisle is the only city in Cumbria, consequently, it has become the centre of the arts, entertainment and shopping for the north of the county and the local borders with Scotland. It's history since the Roman's has been bloody, mainly due to it's close proximity to Scotland.

It lies on the Roman wall above the river Eden, and has stood more sieges than almost any other English town. After the departure of the Romans, Carlisle was fought over by various local tribes and invaders, most notably the Danes who killed all of the town's inhabitants. Constantly devastated by the ravages of war, the town was subject to several Scots sieges, the black death and a fire in 1391.

Carlisle remained a centre of conflict particularly between the English and the Scots until the dawning if the industrial revolution in the mid 1700's. The textile industry was just one industry to benefit from the building of new roads to the local ports and railways followed in 1838. Carlisle is now the largest producer of manufactured food in Europe.

This historic town has museums, a Castle, a Cathederal and and even a Roman wall to visit. There are also cultural centres such as the Stanwix Arts Theatre, the Sands Theatre, great shopping facilities in the Lanes and the Victorian, Covered Market, as well as their own Football Club,Carlisle United.