location
Steeped in British history, the city of Carlisle is the main shopping, commercial and industrial centre of North Cumbria. Surrounded by parkland, Carlisle has a population of approximately 70,000 and is a major railway junction, with routes to Scotland, London, Newcastle, West Cumbria and the famous Settle-Carlisle Railway. It is also conveniently situated for road links with the Northeast of England (A69), the Scottish Borders (M74) and for the Lake District (M6).

history and places of interest
The city and surrounding area have a wealth of local facilities and tourist attractions including the 900 year-old castle, the Cathedral dating back to 1122 and Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery which chronicles Carlisle’s turbulent history as a border town and also displays traditional and modern art and exhibitions.

Hadrian’s Wall, found to the north of the city, is the most important monument built by the Romans in Britain. It stretches seventy-three miles and stands today as a reminder of the past glories of one of the world's greatest empires. Within Cumbria there are several milecastles and a fort at Birdoswald.

sports, leisure & entertainment
The Sands Centre is Carlisle's venue for arts, events, entertainment, conferences, exhibitions and meetings, health and fitness, sport and recreation. The centre offers a wide range of sporting and recreational activities as well as a programme of orchestras, theatre companies, opera and ballet groups, international recording artists and popular musicians.

Carlisle Racecourse, set in open countryside, provides high quality racing every month of the year staging eleven national hunt meetings from September to April and nine flat meetings between April and August. The Racecourse and Conference Centre also offer excellent facilities for conferences, meetings, seminars and exhibitions.


In addition Carlisle is home to The Pools Swimming and Health Centre, The Sheepmount Athletics Track and Playing Fields and Bitts Park Recreation Area.

 A full list of sporting clubs can be found at:
 http://www.carlisle.gov.uk/carlislecc/main.asp?page=1656

For evening entertainment, Carlisle has a 5-screen cinema as well as many bars and restaurants to suit all tastes.

shopping
Carlisle offers one of the most compact, level and visitor friendly city centres in the country. The Lanes shopping centre and the pedestrianised main high street contain high street favourites such as Debenhams, Next, Marks and Spencer, Hoopers as well as a range of smaller independents. Carlisle also boasts a market Hall that is now one of the few remaining covered Victorian Markets in the country and there are regular Farmers’ and Continental Markets in the city centre, which bring in specialist produce from both the local area and further a field.