Fragment Of North City Walls Adjoining South East Angle

This is a fragment of the north city walls of Carlisle, dating from the 12th century, with extensive repairs carried out at various times up to 1973. The walls are constructed from squared blocks of red sandstone, with some calciferous sandstone and re-used Roman stone. They are partly built on a chamfered plinth and feature a flagged parapet walk with rounded coping. The high, thick wall follows a zig-zag pattern down the slope and is partly stepped. At a sharp angle, there is a 12th-century sallyport with a rounded arch, which has been blocked with materials similar to those used in the wall at an early date. Further along, there is a projecting oriel turret from the 15th or 16th century, now supported by a 19th-century buttress. Towards the demolished end of the wall, the height has been reduced and some stone was replaced in 1973 to fill a previous gap. Part of the parapet walk over the Castle moat has been cut away, likely in 1819, and in other areas, the paving has been removed. The wall served as a retaining wall for gardens on Finkle Street, and the build-up of soil caused a large crack that is still visible; soil was removed in 1972. The remainder of the north walls was demolished between 1811 and 1815. The surviving remains stand over 2 meters high beneath the street level of West Tower Street, which was excavated in 1973. For further details, refer to McCarthy et al (1990).