Carlisle Guildhall facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Carlisle Guildhall |
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Viewed from Greenmarket
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| General information | |
| Status | Grade I listed |
| Location | Carlisle, Cumbria grid reference NY 400 560 |
| Coordinates | 54°53′41.6″N 2°56′11.2″W / 54.894889°N 2.936444°W |
| Completed | 1407 |
The Carlisle Guildhall is a very old and important building in Carlisle, Cumbria. You can find it right in the middle of the city, where Fisher Street and Greenmarket meet. This special building is officially recognized as a Grade I listed building. This means it's one of the most important historic buildings in England! Today, the top floors of the Guildhall are home to a fun museum.
Contents
History of the Guildhall
The Guildhall was built a very long time ago, between the years 1396 and 1407. A person named Richard de Redness helped build it. People think it was built after a big fire in 1391. That fire destroyed many buildings in Carlisle.
What the Guildhall Looks Like
The building is shaped like the letter "L" and is made with a special kind of construction called timber-framed. This means its main structure is made from strong wooden beams. If you look at the roof inside, you can see its open wooden structure. Scientists have studied the wood in the roof. They used a method called dendrochronology, which looks at tree rings to find out how old the wood is. This study showed that all the roof timbers are from when the building was first built!
The part of the roof over Fisher Street is held up by four special wooden posts called crown posts. This part of the roof is built a little differently from the part over Greenmarket.
How the Guildhall Was Used
The ground floor of the Guildhall was likely an open space when it was first built. Over hundreds of years, this area was used for trading. People would come here to buy and sell goods.
The Guildhall Museum Today
The upper floors of the Guildhall now have a museum. This museum first opened its doors in 1978. The things you can see in the museum tell the story of the guilds of Carlisle. Guilds were like clubs or groups for people who did the same kind of work, like bakers or shoemakers. They helped each other and made sure their work was good.
More Historic Buildings
- Grade I listed buildings in Cumbria
- Listed buildings in Carlisle, Cumbria
