Carlisle Swansea Train

Located in Cumbria, the city of Carlisle is the county town and administrative centre of Cumbria in north west England. The cities lies at the confluence of the rivers Eden, Caldew and Petteril and is roughly 10 miles to the south of the border with Scotland. The transformation brought about by the Industrial Revolution started the transformation of Carlisle into a densely populated mill town. Combined with its strategic location it led to the town becoming an important railway town.

Nicknamed the Great Border City, Carlisle today is the main cultural, commercial and industrial centre for north Cumbria and is home to the main campuses of the University of Cumbria and a variety of museums and heritage centres. Carlisle has a compact historic centre with 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 city centre is largely pedestrianised and The Lanes shopping centre is home to around 75 stores.

The University of Cumbria has a four campuses in Carlisle on Fusehill Street, Brampton Road, Paternoster Row and Newcastle Street. The university provides a wide range of degree courses in higher education such as Applied Computing, Applied Psychology, Art, Business, Law, Media, Social Work and Teacher Education.

The city of Swansea, located in South Wales, has a sweeping waterfront that leads to Mumbles and then on to the beautiful Gower Peninsular. Visitors to the city will find many attractions ranging from galleries and museums, waterparks and beautiful countryside. The City Centre is a vibrant hub with over 230 shops and a fabulous market that’s home to all sorts of local delicacies. There are loads of places to visit including the Dylan Thomas Centre, Swansea Museum and the National Waterfront Museum to name but a few. One of Swansea’s museums is Wales’ newest and the other is Wales’ oldest – Dylan Thomas even described it as a “museum that belongs in a museum.” For outdoor activities why not explore some of Swansea’s many parks and gardens – 5 of them (Clyne Gardens, Singleton Botanical Gardens, Victoria Park, Cwmdonkin Park and Brynmill Park) have a Green Flag Award and are great places to go with the family. Venturing slightly further afield, take a trip to Mumbles If you feel the urge for a bit of retail therapy. There is a range of high end shops, independent boutiques and quirky galleries, you can really spoil yourself when you visit Mumbles. You will find everything from designer labels, handmade crafts or surfing gear.