IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Rickergate, CARLISLE, CA1 9SA

A functional modern public building in Carlisle city centre.

The tall tower of Carlisle Civic Centre seen from the walls of the inner bailey of Carlisle Castle.

At the end of the 19th Century, Rickergate boasted at least 14 pubs. However, only 8 survived to the State Management era and 7 of these were closed by the Board between 1916 and 1919. The sole survivor is the former “Malt Shovel Inn” – see: Image] . Pictured above, Carlisle’s “Civic Centre” is an architectural monstrosity dating from 1964, which has the distinction of being Carlisle's only "tower block". It was built on the site of four State owned pubs, the "Drove Inn”, the "Fox & Hounds", the “Bay Horse” and the “Three Crowns”. At the far north end of this site opposite Corporation Road, the "Drove Inn" appears to have been a substantial brick-built, two-storey end-terrace property probably built between 1842 and 1844. It was acquired by the State Management Scheme on 23 August 1916 and closed in April 1919. The history of the building between 1919 and 1961 is not known. Opposite the “Scotch Arms Hotel”, the ”Fox & Hounds” was a narrow, three-storey brick building with a single storey annex to the south. Believed to date from 1722, it closed in 1960 and was pulled-down in 1961. A 1960 view of the "Fox & Hounds" can be seen: http://www.closedpubs.co.uk/cumberland/carlisle_foxhounds.html The” Bay Horse” was two blocks to the south of the “Fox & Hounds”, between Durham Ox Lane and Bay Horse Lane. Nothing is known of this pub, which was closed by the State on 19 October 1916. Two blocks south from the “Bay Horse”, the “Three Crowns” was at the junction of Rickergate and Laughran’s Lane. Again, nothing is known of this pub other than its closure by the State on 18 April 1916.

Headquarters of the city council and built in 1964. The building was badly damaged by floods in 2015.

Millions of pounds were invested in flood defence measures after Carlisle was inundated in January 2005 - we did not expect to see a scene like this again in our lifetime.

The best that can be said about this is that it isn't dwarfing any traditional buildings next to it. I suppose any such were demolished to make way for the concrete-and-glass tower.

On Rickergate, Carlisle. There are plans to demolish the iconic octagonal annexe, where the existing city council chamber is housed, which was extensively damaged by flooding due to Storm Desmond in December 2015.