Things To Do In Carlisle a Historic Dog-Friendly City

Carlisle is a pretty and interesting city in Cumbria with lots of things to do and places to visit. It is also a dog-friendly place to visit, with pubs, restaurants and visitor attractions that welcome dogs.

Carlisle is on the England/Scotland border near to Gretna Green, where I got married just before my visit.

Things to Do in Carlisle

There are lots of interesting things to do in Carlisle and the rest of Cumbria. Some must-see tourist attractions include Carlisle Castle and the Cathedral.

Carlisle Castle: A Dog-Friendly Tourist Attraction

Carlisle Castle is the city’s centrepiece attraction. It is visually stunning and has a fascinating backstory. The castle is the most besieged in Britain, and when you visit, you will learn about these sieges and more.

The castle is dog friendly, and Henry was welcome in all areas of the castle except in the Cumbria Museum of Military Life building. They are to be kept on a lead at all times. The castle also had water bowls dotted around the site. The helpful staff pointed these out on entering.

Cumbria’s Museum of Military Life

They include the entry to the museum with the price of the castle tickets. It is a rather interesting museum and covers the history of the regiments of Cumbria. There are many exhibits, including weaponry, uniforms, medals, and musical instruments.

Cumbria’s Museum of Military Life tells the 300-year story of the county’s infantry regiment and its soldiers, past and present. Dogs are allowed inside the museum; however, they are not in its cafe.

Carlisle Cathedral

Carlisle Cathedral is a lovely place to mooch around, both inside and out. Sadly, they don’t allow dogs inside; however, the cafe by the entrance is pet-friendly and serves delicious food. Originally, the cathedral was an Augustinian priory and was later designated a cathedral in 1133. This is the second smallest of England’s ancient cathedrals.

St Cuthbert’s Church

St Cuthbert’s site has been used for religious purposes since the 7th century; however, the current building was built in 1778. They consider it an excellent example of a Georgian town church. The building contains some medieval features, including a 14th-century window.

Tullie House Museum & Art Gallery

We saw the Roman and Viking sections of Tullie House, and they were rather fascinating. The sections had artefacts, artwork, and interactive features to bring history to life.

See Some Glorious Sunsets

I love sunsets and sunrises, and found the city fantastic in the late-evening sun.

The castle, seen from the green at the entrance, is a rather special sight. Historical buildings and late sun make for magnificent views.

The cathedral also makes a good backdrop for the sunset, especially from the side on the road.

If you are staying at the Crown and Mitre Hotel, some of the windows face the cathedral. These lend themselves to some interesting sunset views.

The Citadel

The Citadel sets the tone for the city when arriving by train. There are some handy seats to sit on out the front in its landscaped garden near the two bastions. There are also some ornamental cannons to see.

The two bastions made up the southern gate of the city. They call this the English Gate. Both towers are Grade I-listed buildings, and Henry VIII commissioned them to replace the Botchers Gate.

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Hiking in the Lake District

The Lake District in Cumbria is a top-drawer place for hiking and outdoor adventures. Sadly, on this trip I didn’t have the chance to hike there; however, on previous visits I have found it to be fun. You can see the impressive hills and mountains from parts of Carlisle. There are various tour options for the area, including the lakes, on the GetYourGuide website.

Tourist Information Centre

The Tourist Information Centre is in the Old Town Hall in the Old Market Square. It is near all the shops and the principal tourist attractions.

Enjoy a walk along the River Eden

The parkland between the castle and the River Eden is fantastic for a walk. You can see various views of the castle and the Eden Bridge as you stroll.

The park also contains a garden of memories with colourful flowers. There are plenty of places to sit on a sunny day, and some fun things for children to do.

The park is also home to interesting statues and sculptures, including a statue of Queen Victoria and unique armchair art. For a longer walk, you can join the Hadrian’s Wall Path in either direction.

Dog-Friendly Hotels Carlisle

There are options for dog-friendly accommodation in and near to Carlisle, including the ever-reliable Travelodge. We opted to spend the night in the Crown & Mitre Hotel. There are other options using the ‘pets allowed’ filter on Booking.com.

Crown & Mitre Hotel

The Crown & Mitre Hotel is in the centre of Carlisle and handy for all the city’s tourist attractions and the train station. You can book a stay at The Crown & Mitre painlessly through Booking.com.

The reception area is very grand, as is most of the main building, with nice furniture and very smart. The other shared areas include the bar, a breakfast room and a ballroom.

The rooms at the hotel were a throwback to the 70s. They were spotless and well-maintained despite being dated. The rooms at the back where we stayed were in a separate wing of the main building, but very handy and quiet, which is ideal for the dog to rest between sightseeing. For some light bedtime reading, I looked into whether the hotel is haunted. I found some information, but nothing that stopped me sleeping.

Breakfast is optional if required. We opted for breakfast, which was served in a dining hall. Both the full English breakfast and continental options were self-service. However, they served hot drinks at the table. The full English breakfast was delicious and had bacon, sausage, black pudding, beans, and mushrooms. Their croissants and pain au chocolat were tasty too and filled us up for the day ahead.

Dog-Friendly Pubs & Restaurants in Carlisle

There are many options for drinking or dining out with a dog in Carlisle.

The Howard Arms Pub

The Howard Arms was my favourite, as they combined a nice-looking pub with good food and had a beer garden. I had a few beers here and enjoyed the local delicacy of Cumberland sausage.

They welcomed the dog throughout the venue and even provided water.

Cathedral Cafe

At the site of a former medieval cloister, Carlisle Cathedral has the Cathedral Cafe. The cafe is good for lunch out or a drink with the dog. We enjoyed sitting out on their patio on a warm summer day.

They serve homemade food, cakes and a variety of drinks, including coffee and beer. On my visit, I enjoyed a coronation chicken sandwich with a bottle of local beer from the Carlisle Brewing Co. Overall, a pleasant place to dine out with good views of the cathedral.

The Boardroom Pub

Another dog-friendly pub we visited in Carlisle was The Boardroom. The Boardroom is between the city’s two top attractions, the cathedral and the castle. They are a friendly pub with comfy seating and a wonderful selection of drinks, including real ales. They also serve food, which you need to order at the bar.

The King’s Head

Another dog-friendly pub in the centre of Carlisle is the King’s Head. They have a lovely venue with exposed timber beams in an old building. This is the oldest pub in Carlisle, and the current building dates from the 17th century.

They specialise in serving real ale beers. Note that a few reviews mention they are not so pet-friendly on busy weekends.

Travel To Carlisle

We arrived in Carlisle by train with the dog, and it’s a pretty busy station on the route connecting England and Scotland. Pets are allowed on the trains in the UK for free, so it’s a great way to travel.

Carlisle station is rather pretty and a Grade II-listed building dating from 1847. Another nice touch for pets was the water bowl available at the railway station.

Is Carlisle Worth Visiting With A Dog?

We really enjoyed visiting Carlisle with a dog and would have without too. The town has lots of interesting things to do, including visiting the epic castle, museums and the cathedral. The pubs and restaurants we visited were good, and it was easy to find dog-friendly options. We also found accommodation easy to find. If we returned, we’d use Carlisle as a base camp to see Hadrian’s Wall and explore the Lake District.