Carlisle is a place I would consider when looking for a refreshing countryside experience. It is conveniently close to Scotland and the house prices are pretty reasonable, leaving plenty to spend on leisure activities.
Culturally, I found Carlisle to be a little hushed, so I would drive to Newcastle, which is only an a hour and twenty minutes from the town. The surrounding villages (Wetheral, Houghton, Linstock and Dalston) are beautiful and quaint, and make excellent places to buy property.
Is Carlisle A Good Place To Live?
The town boasts a rich history that dates back during the Roman period. It has recently embarked on a journey that seeks to exploit its potential fully; one that can place it as the capital of Cumbria.
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The quality of its rural and urban environments and physical infrastructure exceed that of neighbouring towns. It has excellent north-south connections to the road through the M6 and benefits from the west-east rail and road links. What’s more, the West Coast Main Line train station means that people commuting to and from London can do so hassle-free. The town’s council is pretty active in the development projects, as there are plans to develop Carlisle as a regional gateway that will create jobs for the locals and the wider region.
Is Carlisle a good place to Live?
Best Neighbourhoods
The town has positive rating in regards to raising a family. It is home to many successful brands and its skilled workforce, coupled with location advantages, have fostered the growth of manufacturing, engineering and logistics industries as is evidenced by the legendary Eddie Stobart brand, McVities and Pirelli companies. Here are more reasons why Carlisle is good place to live:
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If moving to Carlisle permanently, look for the best neighbourhoods in the city. New Kingstone suburban, located in the North-western region of Carlisle, is home to the town’s management professionals. It is also home to Middlesex Elementary School and the neighbouring schools from Mechanicsburg. Boiling Springs is another great neighbourhood that is located in Carlisle’s metropolitan area. The region is specially designed for locals looking to rent large homes and retirees looking for quiet places to retire. I found Ritner Highway area particularly useful for single expats. The area has small, studio medium-sized or two-bedroom homes and a few large homes. Most of the properties here were constructed before 1939.
Crime levels
Crime rates are essential factors to consider when moving to the UK. Carlisle has relatively high rates compared to other states at 101%. Violent crime takes up the largest percentage at 32.5% (9.9k reported cases), and the number is likely to increase every year. Boiling Springs is said to have the lowest crime level in Carlisle.
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Schools and Universities
Families moving to Carlisle to settle down will find a good mix of universities, colleges, secondary and elementary schools. Queen Elizabeth Grammar School Penrith is said to be the best school in the region followed by Austrian Friars and The Nelson Thomlinson School. Trinity Schools is the best secondary school in Carlisle, though there are other secondary schools in the wider region, namely William Howard School, and Caldew School.
Carlisle is home to the University of Cumbria, which has four campuses in the region– on Brampton Road, Fusehill Street, Newcastle Street and Paternoster Row. It encourages innovative learning through its wide range of degree courses. They include Information Technology, Law, Social Work, Media, Business, Art and Teacher Education. The continued growth in student population ensures the city has access to a group of skilled workforce. The town is also home to Carlisle College based in town.
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Transportation
The beauty of Carlisle town is that it is well connected. It is accessible via three junctions off the M6, which has become a growth hub in the city. The North Eastern and Newcastle regions are easily accessible via the A69 while A74 and A7 routes provide access to Scotland. The rail links are excellent: there is one going to the North Eastern region through the West Coast main line, another to Glasgow and another to London. The airport system continues to develop because currently, it can accommodate commercial and prearranged private flights. The town’s council intends to set up a regional gateway in the region that will benefit Carlisle and the wider region. In-town transportation is mainly provided through Carlisle bus station managed by Stagecoach Cumbria & North Lancashire. It has seven bus stops in the city.
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Is Carlise a Good Place to Work?
Carlisle has a low unemployment rate of 3.5% thanks to a range of SMEs and industrial estates which have provide steady source of employment for locals. It makes a pretty great place to start off a career if moving to the UK permanently. The town’s strategic location has led to some of the country’s leading companies to set base here. Kingmoor Park Enterprise Zone is one such company. It is set on a vast 162-hectare landscape and has permits to set up a warehouse, industrial, office and distribution space. Kingstown estate is another industrial building known to provide more than 2000 people. A range of businesses are represented here, including national and international companies. Townfoot Industrial Estate is conveniently built three miles away from Carlisle Airport. Other industrial estates that have set base in Carlisle include Rosehill, Durranhill, St. Nicholas and Stephenson, among others.
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Is Carlisle a Good Place to Buy a House?
Carlisle is a great place to invest if looking to buy a permanent home. The public sector, education and business sectors share an ambitious view to see the growth of the town evidenced by the new Carlisle District Local Plan of 2015-2030. It explains the steady growth of housing prices over the years.
The average price of property in Carlisle stands at £75,000-£80,379 for one bedroom houses. Three bedroom houses have an average price of £139,726 while five bedroom apartments cost £315,891. Three bedroom houses have a larger market than one bedroom houses owing to the fact that there are more young families and professionals settling in Carlise. New Kingston suburban, Boiling Springs and Dickson College areas make the best places to buy property.
If are looking to rent, the Borough Centre offers the most affordable rates in Carlisle. York Road, High Street and College Street areas also provide reasonable rental rates as the majority of the population here consist of young singles. The rental rates for one bedroom apartments cost an average of £356 pcm, while that for three bedroom units range from £451 pcm-£470 and five bedroom spaces cost £390 pcm.
Is Carlisle a good place to Retire?
The ageing population makes up the smallest percentage in Carlisle. However, there are decent home-care facilities that enable retirees to carry out their day-to-day activities in Carlisle.
They are available in different forms:
• Assisted Living facilities: These kinds offer housing to seniors who need help bathing, eating and dressing but don’t need intensive nursing care offered in nursing homes. Heysham Garden and the Burnside Court in Carlise make excellent facilities for this kind of care.
• Nursing home: This kind offer round-the-clock care. There are up to seven nursing homes in Carlisle with the best being Applegarth Nursing home. Others include Blackwell Vale Nursing Home, Lancaster house care, Kingstone Court care home, Pettril house and Pennine Lodge.
• Residential care homes: Most retirees in Carlisle prefer residential care homes to other facilities. There are up to 21 such facilities for seniors to choose from.
• Retirement homes: These are great for seniors looking for homes away from their primary home. Carlisle has up to 34 facilities of this kind.
Is Carlisle a Good Place to Visit?
Owing to its beautiful, rural setting, there are plenty of places to visit in Carlisle. Most of them include historic monuments that immerse the traveler into Carlisle’s tempestuous past. Next is a look at some of the places I visited.
The Carlisle Castle
The castle was established at the end of the 11th century by the Normans. It experienced conflict for the next 650 years, the most memorable being the uprising against King George the second. Apart from its intriguing history, I loved wading through its spiral stairways and tour passageways.
Hadrian’s Wall
Remnants of the 73-mile long border that was constructed on the neck of Northern England remain to this day. I set out on a day’s journey to cover the full stretch and it was exciting. For day trips starting from Carlisle town, it is easier to start the journey at Banks Turrents, then the Willowford Bridge onwards to Birdoswald Fort.
The Cathedral
It was set apart as an Augustinian priory during the 12th century and is the second smallest in England. This is because a significant part of the nave was destroyed during the English Civil War. I loved its rugged gothic architecture that dates back to the 13th and 14th centuries. The first thing I noted when I arrived at the scene was the East Window, which was built using fascinating workmanship and medieval glass. There are also mesmersizing images, including the twelve disciples, St Cuthbert and St Augistine.
Bildoswald Fort
My next stop after the long stroll on Hadrian Wall was Bildowald Fort, uniquely located over the Irthing Gorge river. It encapsulates the vastness of the wall and provides a vivid view of the ruins of the fort. Visitors have a chance to explore the excavated wreck of the fort and the clues about the Roman engineering used by locals 2,000 years ago.
