Carlisle - Crown and Mitre Hotel

The first settlement to be established in the area was a Celtic town, which developed into the Roman city of Luguvalium in the 2nd century. Excavations undertaken in the 1970s dated the Roman timber fort constructed at the site of present Carlisle Castle to the winter of AD 73. It protected a strategic location on the Roman road to the north and overlooking the confluence of the Caldew and Eden rivers.

By the time of the Norman Conquest of England, Carlisle was in the possession of the Scots. This changed in 1092, when William the Conqueror's son William Rufus invaded the region and incorporated Carlisle into England. The construction of Carlisle Castle began in 1093 on the site of the Roman fort. Carlisle Cathedral was founded as an Augustinian priory and became a cathedral in 1133. In 1157, Carlisle became the seat of a new county that in 1177 was named Cumberland.

The conquest of Cumberland was the beginning of a war between Scotland and England which saw the region centred around Carlisle change hands a number of times. During the wars, the livelihood of the people on the borders was devastated by armies from both sides. Even when the countries were not at war, tension remained high. Groups named "Border Reivers" were raiders along the Anglo-Scottish border from the late 13th century to the beginning of the 17th century.


The Edwardian Crown and Mitre Hotel was built in 1905 on the site of the original Crown and Mitre coffee house which had a long and colorful history dating back to before the Jacobite Rebellion. The landlord of the day supported Bonnie Prince Charlie and he gave shelter to the rebels once they entered the city following the Jacobite siege of 1745.