Description

CARLISLE

NY4055NW ENGLISH STREET
671-1/12/135 (West side)
01/06/49 Crown Court, adjoining offices and
gate arch
(Formerly Listed as:
Assize Courts (or the Citadel))

GV I

Formerly known as: The Citadel.
Crown Court and Court Offices on the site of the 1542 Citadel.
1810-17 (interior not completed until 1822) by Sir Robert
Smirke. Red sandstone ashlar on chamfered plinth with string
courses, machicolated cornice (in part) and battlemented
parapets. Hipped lead roofs.
Rounded tall tower is completely C19, on the site of the
demolished western tower of the Citadel (of the same
dimensions); clasping the NW side is a lower 2-storey office
block of 6 bays, with mock gate projection into English
Street; all in Gothic style and almost a mirror image of the
Nisi Prius Court range opposite, with which it forms a pair.
Tower has tall 2-light windows in rounded deeply-recessed
chamfered arch, over small lancets.
Office block has right double plank doors in pointed Gothic
arch; similar off-centre doorway projects in a battlemented
porch, now fitted with a casement window. Ground-floor stone
mullioned windows in double chamfered surrounds. Larger
2-light Gothic windows above with central trefoil heads in
pointed arches.
Gate projection was formerly a passageway to the court; ends
in 2 octagonal turrets flanking central arch under a cross
vent; the side walls have been pierced by 2 pointed arches
created in 1929 (formerly the pavement went around the
turrets).
INTERIOR of court retains its original galleried seating of
panelled oak. The offices are internally divided on ground
floor. Members' room has late C19 monogrammed carved oak
fireplace with tiled and engraved slate fireback. Upper floor
No.2 Courtroom has plain stone fireplace, pointed archways,
dado panelling along one wall and rib-panelled plaster
ceiling.
In an outer corridor the removal of a false ceiling has
revealed the earlier painting of the panelled ceiling. Marble
statue of Major Aglionby by Musgrave Lewthwaite Watson, 1844,
has been moved from the main entrance and temporarily boxed in
to prevent damage during renovation work. Staircase has ribbed
and traceried wooden ceiling with flat central skylight (void
above). Grand Jury Room has dado oak panelling; pointed
arches, one an alcove and rib-vaulted plaster ceiling. Some
original panelled doors. For further details see J Hughes
CWAAS, Trans.NS LXX, Perriam CWAAS, Trans.NS LXXVIII.
(Cumb. & West. Antiquarian & Archaeological Soc., New Series:
Hughes J: LXX: The building of the Courts, Carlisle 1807-22:
205-20; Cumb. & West. Antiquarian & Archaeological Soc., New
Series: Perriam DR: LXXVIII: The dating of the County Goal:
129-140).

Listing NGR: NY4021255619

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Crown Court, Adjoining Offices And Gate Arch at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q17530506

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Worcestershire Revised Edition (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Bristol (Pevsner Architectural Guides: City Guides)
• 
  Hertfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  London 1: The City of London: City of London v. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Northumberland (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Cork: City and County (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)