Carlisle Norwich Train

Carlisle is the only city in Cumbria and its compact city centre is largely pedestrianised and The Lanes shopping centre is home to around 75 stores. Carlisle's historic centre has a castle, museum, cathedral and semi-intact city walls. The former law courts or citadel towers which now serve as offices for Cumbria County Council were designed by Thomas Telford. The first Citadel building was a Tudor fortification replacing the medieval Englishgate, designed by the Moravian military engineer Stefan von Haschenperg in 1541.

The city has a nickname of the "Great Border City" due to its proximity with the English border with Scotland and is the county town of Cumbria in the north west of England. The city's fortunes were transformed during the Industrial Revolution where milling became an important industry in the town. The city is also home to the University of Cumbria where it has four campuses in the city.

Carlisle is a principal railway station on the West Coast Main Line and is also on other lines that go to Newcastle along the Tyne Valley Line, Leeds along the Settle and Carlisle Line, Glasgow Central via Dumfries along the Glasgow South Western Line which connects Ayr and Stranraer for the Stena Line ferry to Port of Belfast or P&O Ferries to Larne Harbour, and west Cumbria along the Cumbrian Coast Line to Whitehaven, Barrow-in-Furness and Lancaster.

Located in the county of Norfolk, the city of Norwich was England's second city from medieval times through to the Industrial Revolution. Norman invaders gave the city its castle and the Anglican cathedral and as the city grew so did its defensive wall and medieval street layout, which remains intact. Like any great city its centre is easy to walk around and has a river at its heart. Notable landmarks and attractions in the city, the "Norwich 12" include the Edwardian Surrey House, the Georgian grandeur of the Assembly House, St James Mill, The Forum and the Millennium Building. Norwich is a great city to explore on foot. Why not take a stroll from the thirteenth century Adam and Eve public house (the oldest in the city) around the river Wensum, past the unique Cow Tower, to Pulls Ferry, one of the original entrance gates to the Cathedral precinct. A canal was built through this gate to ferry the stone brought from Caen in France, which was used to build the Castle and Cathedral. If you want a great view of the city go up Mousehold Heath to the north-east, close to the nineteenth century prison. From there you will see many of the city's most historic buildings.