Relocating to Cumbria (Carlisle)

[VS2332]

Hi everyone!

New to mumsnet but have been looking through threads for a while and decided to join.

I was wondering if there is anyone that lives in Cumbria, more specifically Carlisle, that could tell me about the area please?

Partner and I are looking at moving there from South West as the house prices are super cheap and are now wondering about the quality of life. We can both work from home so jobs aren't an issue.

I am specifically looking for information about things to do, i.e, any good gyms/clubs like David Lloyd or equivalent, good food/pubs/bars, activities, shopping facilities and the general demographic etc. If you can recommend any parks or even areas to live in (no need for school catchment areas as we are planning a child free life), that would be fantastic.

To give you an idea, the place we are living in at the moment, although we have a great home, the area leaves a lot to be desired. The town centre is unsafe with high levels of homelessness and stabbings and this is specifically what we are trying to avoid.

Thanks in advance!

Hi op,
I live in Carlisle, in my opinion it’s a nice place to live!

In regard to which area to live, I'd recommend north Carlisle, stanwix/Lowry hill area. However there are nice areas all over Carlisle.

There is a main park in the city centre called Bitts park which is easily accessible and quite a number of smaller parks scattered around different areas of Carlisle.

We don't have a David Lloyd gym but there are other gyms, Everlast has a nice pool/sauna as well as the gym and offers a range of fitness classes. There are other gyms but the only other one with a pool is at the Sands Centre - I can't comment on what the gym/pool is like there as I’ve never been.

There are plenty of lovely bars/restaurants in the city centre, one of the main streets in Carlisle - Botchergate has many pubs, a lot of the younger ones head to botchergate on a weekend! There are some nice cocktail bars that aren't on botchergate but are still in the city centre if you wanted something a bit quieter! If you're into live music then The sands Centre and The Old Fire Station are excellent for a night out and The Sands centre has had some quite big names perform there over the years.

Shopping wise, there isn't all that much anymore as a lot of shops have closed down unfortunately.
We do have a primark, new look, Next, M&S, House of Fraser and some others. However it doesn't take too long to get over to Newcastle where the shopping is much better!

One of the main things I like about Carlisle is that there are so many lovely walks and open spaces just outside of the city so it's easy to escape to the countryside. Also the added bonus of that you can be in the Lake District in half an hour

I've lived here 18 years now and I honestly say that I've never felt unsafe when out and about, even on a nighttime.
Hope this helps a little, feel free to ask any questions!

Hmm I knew some one who relocated to Carlisle and only lasted a year, she may have been particularly unlucky but she said she found it to be an insular place . Cant tell you what area she lived in though, but I do remember she was once set upon on a night out in the city centre.

Shame the big stores have gone. I loved Bullough’s.

I’m not from Carlisle but I know it well. People very friendly, but there are real very social problems in part as there are some quite deprived areas and ASB amongst kids is not unusual. Pubs and restaurants are fine, fun but not refined at all if that’s what you care about. Proximity to the lakes and Scotland, plus mainline station are real bonuses.

I like Carlisle. A good way to get a feel for the place is to listen to 'Mark Steel's In Town' Carlisle edition, a comedy program (Radio 4) which is available to listen to on BBC Sounds.

Thanks everyone for your input - definitely helpful. I guess what we're really after is a quieter life and being more outdoorsy, we both grew up on the South Coast and around London and we're just fed up with it all. We've only ever stopped at Carlisle to grab fuel before heading to Scotland and we had good first impressions and it was relatively easy to understand the locals despite the accent change. Absolutely agree re train travel - I have already looked into this and managed to find £6 return ticket to Newcastle, I'm amazed at how affordable it can be!

My mother in law is in Carlisle so I have been up quite a lot of times now. She’s based in Houghton which is a little village and seems nice.

We always walk the dogs in talkin tarn country park (big lake to walk round) or Rickerby which is on the outskirts of the town centre and both nice big parks. Brampton is a nice village with a few different pubs etc.

For shopping you have the Gretna Green gateway just across the border which is an outlet centre and has lots of sports stuff and cheaper designer gear.

I wouldn’t suggest moving there until you’ve spent some time there as very different to London and south coast but it seems a nice enough place. I guess my overall impression is it’s more like a town with lots of villages around it. Be warned it really does rain a lot in that part of the world (hence the Lake District on its door step) it is a big change from the south coast in that way.

Have you thought about Kendal?

You couldn't pay me to live in Carlisle!

Go and have a holiday there before you decide

I'd be very interested to hear your thoughts please, would you please elaborate?

I live about 25 miles away from Carlisle , it's ok , a small city , and like everywhere the shops have been effected by covid / cost of living / people buying online etc.
Some areas are nice , as a previous poster said Houghton is ok , likewise some estates . It depends on what your after .
You say you want a quieter lifestyle , so why choose a city ?
I've mentioned before , Penrith is nice , likewise villages in the Eden valley , more West , you have Cockermouth , again nice.

Carlisle's OK, although it's certainly a bit ragged around the edges and a lot more run down compared to what it was 10 or 15 years ago. Very good transport links. Stanwix is a very nice neighbourhood. I find Lowry Hill a bit 'Stepford Wives'.

However... I'd choose Kendal or Penrith, especially if you like an outdoor life. In those two towns it's all on your doorstep. Kendal's a bit more lively and 'younger' than Penrith. They're both on mainline stations. Both have decent town centres with a good number of independent shops. Kendal is a bit prettier than Penrith.

Brampton's also worth a look if you're in the Carlisle area. Very pleasant wee place with a bustling centre.

Cockermouth is absolutely lovely, but quite a drive from a station (or the M6).

Keswick is an absolute jewel of a town, with prices to match.

Armathwaite is a beautiful village with the huge advantage of being on the Settle-Carlisle line, as is Langwathby, just outside Penrith.

To be honest, the only places I wouldn't consider living are the bleak and remote larger coastal towns like Maryport, Barrow, Whitehaven or Workington, and a few of their satellites like Egremont, Aspatria and Wigton. An outlier is Ravenglass, which is absolutely charming.

And yes, it rains a lot. But there is a reason why the lakes are full of water and the landscape is so lush and green - and quite honestly heartbreakingly beautiful in all weathers.

I live in the Eden Valley. I absolutely adore it. The people are the friendliest anywhere. Cost of living is relatively cheap. Glorious countryside everywhere - not just Cumbria but the Yorkshire Dales, Scotland and Northumberland and the Lancashire Coast - all within easy reach. Big cities (3 hours of so to London, which we do frequently) easy to get to by train.

@luceb84 north of the river (stanwix/lowry hill) have Bannatynes gym which has a pool

What did you decide on in the end @VS2332 ?

I’ve gone from Carlisle to the South. I love visiting but I’m happier down south. My favourite past time is seeing what huge house I could buy for the price of my pokey southern house!