Carlisle Public Markets

Carlisle Public Markets

A covered market built 1887-9 for Carlisle Corporation by architects Cawstone and Graham, with ironwork manufactured by Cowans, Sheldon & Co, Engineers of Carlisle. An extension was added 1900-1. The building is constructed in coursed red sandstone with ashlar dressings, and features an internal and roof structure of cast- and wrought-iron and glass. The design is in Renaissance style.

The market comprises a stone screen wall surrounding an iron structure of three parallel spans, with the central span being larger and featuring a centred projection to the south west. The building has full street frontages to Fisher Street, Market Street and West Tower Street, with an entrance arcade and smaller entrance on Scotch Street.

The Fisher Street elevation forms the main entrance facade. Due to the restriction of the site, the centre span comes forward behind a gable. This facade has three bays with an additional bay formerly used as the Fish Market to the left, articulated by rusticated pilasters. The central entrance is set within Corinthian columns in antis with animal-head capitals depicting sheep, chicken on one side and cow, pig on the other. A circular panel bearing the city arms sits above. Flanking small mezzanine windows are present. The elevation features a large cornice, panelled parapet and pediment gable. The Fish Market entrance is to the left; both entrances have 20th-century glazed doors in heavy panelled screens.

The Market Street elevation has eleven bays, with the ground level falling away to the left. An additional projecting bay at the right forms part of the Fish Market. The main doorway is at the right, with two further doorways positioned two bays apart. These feature large panelled screens with 20th-century modifications to the doors and Corinthian columns in antis. High triple casement windows divided by pilasters run along the elevation. The left bay has a pedimented lower window. The Fish Market section has a large central pedimented doorway with flanking side lights and roundels. A ramp providing access to the left doors was removed in 1989.

The West Tower Street elevation is two storeys of eight bays, with a single-storey projection of seven bays. The original entrance, formerly at the left-hand side, is now covered by a new single-storey bay added to the Poultry Market (itself an extension of 1900-1). The Corinthian columns from the original entrance now support a central pediment over the new market entrance on this elevation. Paired casement windows divided by pilasters are present, with 3-light casements behind and above. The 3-arched roof span sits directly behind a parapet. A foundation stone dated 20 December 1887 is set into the angle at the right. A postcard photograph taken before 1900 shows that there was originally a projecting columned loading bay on this side.

The Scotch Street elevation includes Nos 1-6 (consecutive) Market Arcade, an arcade of six shops (three on each side) with a manager's office and former caretaker's house above. This section is dated 1888 and was designed by Cawstone and Graham, with carved detail by Richard Nelson of Carlisle and a portrait head over the arch by Mr Beale of Newcastle. It is constructed in red sandstone ashlar with pilasters, a sill band, dentilled eaves cornice and solid parapet (a shaped pediment has been removed). The roof is of slate with projecting gable ashlar chimney stacks.

The arcade is three storeys with three bays and three shops in depth in plan. A central large through round covered arch has as its keystone a portrait head of Mayor JR Creighton. Flanking glazed shop windows sit within original rusticated pilasters, continuing along the returns of the arch. Casement windows above feature upper glazing bars in kneed architraves, with the central window having flanking blind panels. The additional Scotch Street entrance, approached along Old Blue Bell Lane, retains original scrolled wrought-iron folding gates lettered and dated CARLISLE MARKET 1854 with an additional 1889 date and names of Mayors.

The interior was altered 1990-1. Behind the Fisher Street facade is the pediment and inscription for the Butter and Egg market of 1854, beneath which is an inscription dated 2nd October 1889 marking completion and rebuilding. A round archway to the former cafe on the Scotch Street elevation retains carved stone lettering of 1889 reading COFFEE TAVERN.

The site has been in use since 1799 for the butchers' market. It was extended in 1854 by a butter and egg market (fish stalls were incorporated into the butchers' shambles), with further extensions in 1879. The present building represents a complete rebuilding, incorporating a separate fish market. The building was refurbished and altered 1989-91.