Cumberland Inn

Public house on Botchergate, Carlisle. Designed in 1928 and constructed between 1929 and 1930 by Harry Redfern for the Carlisle & District State Management Scheme. Built in Tudor Gothic style with late 20th-century alterations.

The building is constructed of buff coursed ashlar sandstone with ashlar dressings, coped gables, tall ashlar gable chimneys, and a slate roof. The symmetrical three-bay front elevation is three storeys tall with a central attic storey. At ground floor level are two doorways with four-centred arched heads and moulded surrounds, each below a four-light traceried overlight. Between the doorways sits a five-light mullioned and transomed window beneath a continuous string course. The first floor features a central canted oriel window with mullioned and transomed lights below carved traceried panels, flanked by narrow transomed lights and tall two-light mullioned and transomed windows in the outer bays. The second floor contains a wide five-light mullioned window with hood mould to the centre, with flanking two-light windows to the outer bays. Above rises a tall steeply-pitched coped gable with a lozenge-shaped attic window. The hopper heads are dated 1929, and the downpipes feature delicately detailed chain patterns.

The interior plan comprises three ground floor bars arranged behind one another, and two first floor bars accessed by a separate entrance and stair from the street. Interior detailing throughout creates an 'Old English' style. All rooms retain hearths with sub-Tudor detailing and tiled panels, large cased spine beams, and rectangular fielded panelling to two-thirds height. A panelled corridor with bell pushes and doors leads to the front bar. The servery hatch was enlarged in the late 20th century. Behind this lies a large Public Bar with two large square piers in front of the servery, which was itself brought forward and extended to the north in the late 20th century. A further bar, originally planned as a weekend-only room, lies beyond. Both first floor bars retain contemporary bar counters and rear shelving. The rear bar hearth is dated 1930 and of superior quality to the ground floor examples. The front bar contains two hearths, one dated 1930 and matching the rear bar example. Both fireplaces carry texts in gold letters: the south wall displays a quotation from Omar Khayyam, while the north wall carries quotations by Robert Burns and G.K. Chesterton, all praising alcoholic drink. Above the panelling are painted cartouches with vine motifs, and jugs and glasses depicted over the fireplaces.

This is the least altered of the surviving public houses designed by Harry Redfern for the Carlisle State Management Scheme and displays high quality and carefully executed interior design characteristics through which the scheme sought to demonstrate the civilized and decent nature of its new premises.