History of The Citadel

History of The Citadel

1541 1611 1745 1810 1827 1845 1862 1900

1541

“.... such a fortress and to be made within it a small citadele that if the towne were attacked wone none shall ever remayne within be the same...�

S

tefan von Haschenperg was a German military engineer who is responsible for the first design on the Carlisle southern gate. The southern gate, Known as Botcher Gate was the weakest point of defence along the city walls.

This was in a time when Carlisle was a fortified town and had walls which surrounded the entire city in order to protect its inhabitants. Th fortress was re-designed in 1541 as part of the nation defence system, deemed necessary because of the national uproar caused by Henry VIII’s dissolution of the monasteries.

The southern gate of Carlisle would come to see great wars and battles within its time. It is not a place where conflict was scarce, battles and sieges reigned on creating a bloody site for the future generation.

1611

“ESCA In 1611 the city of Carlisle was forced to move the prisoners to

a more secure location. The old county gaol had become dilapidated and fell into serious disrepair. Therefore it then became possible for 28 out of the 33 prisoners being held there to escape.

Therefore all the prisoners were moved the citadel which was to become the county jail for a large period of time when it then became outdated and a new one was built.

APED”

1745 In November 1745 Prince Charles Edward

Stuart and his loyal followers mounted a siege on Carlisle. When Stuart arrived in Hexham General Wade left Newcastle with an army to blockade Carlisle. Stuart waited two days for Wade to arrive in battle. This left several options. Either the Jacobite could return to Scotland, march on Newcastle or leave half of the army on Brampton and have the rest of the army siege on Carlisle. The Jacobite stopped all contact from reaching Carlisle and they used both muskets and cannon on the town.

On the 16th November Carlisle castle gave up and gave Stuart the declaration of surrender. However Stuart retreated back to Scotland due to inadequate means. As can be seen Carlisle has been attacked a number of times. The city seems to be a nest for battles and for a clear reason, being the border city it is in the prime location for an attack from both Scotland and England as to mount an attack on each other.

Therefore the conflicts numerous and the life of Carlisle did not become easier with time as the horror grew into various different forms across the centuries.

1810

In 1810 to 1811 the city of Carlisle demolished the old

fort which dominated the southern gate. In its place a new design was to be constructed. The original responsibility for the design went to Thomas Telford a very famous and popular architect. However when this became too costly the leading authority on the design then went to Sir Robert Smirke . He designed an elaborate tribunal archway to greet travellers into the city, however the city soon ran out of funding once again. This lead to Smirke being dismissed as architect and hence forth the design was never completed. The magnificent archway was never to be created whilst the two towers which still stand today were built upon the foundations of the old 16th century foundations, some of which can still be seen today.

1827 After several complaints and fines the county was forced to build a new prison structure. It was deemed that the prison was unsuitable to new standards. After the new law was passed certifying that prisoners were now required to have separate cell blocks the prison had to be demolished and rebuilt. The new prison was much more elaborate and featured many more special features. The new prison was hexagonal in shape. It centred around the governors house

which was central to the design allowing the to see what was happening within each cell block. There were now two cell blocks dedicated to women and separate cells for debaters, misdemeanour’s and hard labour. There were also workshops and a treadmill used by the hard labour prisoners as to pump water. There was also a stone yard where prisoners were required to smash large rocks into small stones. As well as the conventional dinning hall, hospital wing, cook house and even a secluded area for those sentenced to death named the condemned cell. A place where hey would stay in their last nights on earth. The prison was also attached to the Citadel where the grand jury would decide their fate as well as the crown court. It was not just adults which were held within the grounds as there was also children within sentenced to hard

The prisons of Carlisle where not a pleasant place to be, a poem written by a prisoner in 1688 shows this as it was lowerd down onto the street. “A prisoner i have been a while within the city of Carlisle where i am brought to low degree as to ask charity�

Water Tank

Lodge Cook House/ Hospital

Debtors Womens Block Petty Sessions Misdemeanors

Workshop

Grand Jury

Dining Hall Crown Court Treadmill Stone Yard

Burial Ground Hard Labour

Governor Workshop Chapel

1845

1845

1862 For those sentenced to death Carlisle prison was a place filled

with horror. Those sentenced would spend their last nights on earth within the condemned cell when they would then be marched up the steps and hung at the gallows. The gallows were situated on the walls on the gaol. Public executions were well attended by many people who would all fight to see the event. The last public hanging took place on March 15th 1862.

The prisoner hung was a William Charlton, a murderer who befriended an elderly woman with money stashed away. He murdered the woman for her money and was then the last person to be publicly hung in Carlisle. After this time those sentenced to death were hung within the prison walls and later buried within the grounds as-well. It was a popular event to witness the hanging of criminals and many people attended to see justice being served even in this rather gruesome way.

1900 T

he city may have once seen its hardships and had a gruesome and horrific past but the modern day has changed this. After the demolition of the prison in the early half of the 20th century the city became a much quieter place. Within its early years the town saw battles and sieges and later on the city became a town so tainted with blood lust that a great area of the city became lawless. To a point where the safest way to deal with an argument or dispute within the area was to use a shot gun. However this has dramatically changed over the past few decades.

The city has now become one of the happiest places in the British Isles as well as being a city with a shockingly low crime rate.

The citadel absorbed the brute attack upon the city a number of times but now it sits in peace and is able to be but a landmark upon the town. After experiencing prisons and battles the Citadel has now become home to the court houses.

Now the home of lawyers who commence within their own modern day battles fighting for what is right. Still a home of battles but a more reserved and peaceful tower to stand upon. It has seen the battles of the past but now the battles of the modern day will still continue on.

By Deanna Carey & Rhian Wood