Tullie House Museum

The award-winning Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery in Carlisle City Centre boasts outstanding collections of art and Roman artefacts and is where to head to discover the social, natural and archaeological history of ancient Carlisle and North Cumbria. The art collection at Tullie House includes an impressive collection of Pre-Raphaelite artwork and work by the most famous in the Arts and Crafts Movement from William Morris to Edward Burne-Jones and Ford Maddox-Brown.

Take a tour up to The Lookout at Tullie House for panoramic views of Carlisle Castle and the city centre. View the internationally acclaimed collection of Roman artefacts at Tullie House, a rich collection unearthed in and around Carlisle, the great former western Roman gateway to Hadrian’s Wall. Conference and wedding facilities at Tullie House are also available.

Galleries

Tullie House is a great starting point for your tour of Carlisle history. Galleries here focus on key themes including the Roman Frontier, occupation, natural history and the stories of Carlisle people through the ages.

Galleries within Tullie House include the fantastic Carlisle Life Gallery which takes visitors on a journey through the social history of Carlisle focusing on themes including home, work and leisure.

Two galleries sit within the Grade I listed Jacobean Old Tullie House dating from 1689 and displays in these include Tullie House’s premier collection of artwork by the Pre-Raphaelites featuring work by Rossetti and arts and crafts gems by William Morris, Edward Burne-Jones and Ford Madox Brown. 20th century treasures by Paul Nash, Peter Blake and Stanley Spencer are also on display.

Other highlights here include the fine collection of North Cumbrian artists and their depictions of local Carlisle and North Cumbria scenes from the 18th century to the present. Collections at Tullie House are strong for Decorative Art ranging from ceramics, metalwork and textiles to furniture dating from 1564 to the present.

Don’t miss a tour of the costume and textiles collection with dresses on display dating as far back as 1750. One of the best views of historic Carlisle city centre with panoramic views of of the cathedral and castle can be seen from The Lookout rotunda viewing platform at Tullie House Museum & Art Gallery.

Collections

Carlisle’s unique position on the border of the Lakeland Fells, the Pennines and the Solway Firth has enriched the nature collections here in Tullie House on display in the Wildlife Gallery. Roman archaeological collections are also extensive, drawn from around the city of Carlisle called ‘Luguvalium Carvettiorium’ by the Romans.

Carlisle was a major western gateway at the end of Hadrian’s Wall and the internationally acclaimed Roman collection at Tullie House includes everything from Roman coins to Roman writing tablets, military and domestic items and statues of Roman gods and Celtic deities is internationally renowned.

The Guildhall

Medieval gem the Guildhall, today a museum, was built around 1397 by a local merchant. This breathtaking medieval timber-framed building was the meeting place of the medieval trade guilds and sits around Greenmarket in the heart of the city centre. Standing as the oldest building in the city, the upper floors of the medieval Guildhall are a free entry museum featuring exhibits in the civic and guild history of Carlisle.