C O N T E X T 1 3 1 : S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 3 25 S IHBC Annual School Annual School 2012 School 2013 IHBC An 2011 IHBC Annual IHBC Annual School School 2013 IHBC IHBC Annual Scho to the altar. St Cuthbert’s church hall nearby, built as a tithe barn for an Augustinian priory and restored in the 1970s, is supported by some fantastic medieval timber work. It was a highlight of the trip. On next to the cathedral precincts, where we were privileged to be granted access to the Prior’s tower, originally built as a fortified tower house, which retains its symbolic medieval painted ceiling and vaulted undercroft. Innerdale’s tour of the cathedral itself was enlightening, not least because he discussed some of its continuing conservation issues relating to the decay of the ornamental carvings. As the heavens opened we had a whistle-stop tour of Georgian Abbey Street andTullie House, before taking shelter in the remarkable Guildhall Museum, Carlisle’s last traditional wooden-framed building. Dating back to 1396, this was a real gem, rich with uneven floors, decayed wattle-and-daub and atmosphere. Pausing here, it was sobering to learn of the devastation caused by Carlisle’s flooding and the subsequent clean-up, and to wonder just how many historic interiors have been lost as a result. The final leg of the tour took us down English Street via the newly-restored town hall, whose much-altered current incarnation dates from 1669. Stopping to see the site of Bonnie Prince Charlie’s headquarters during his occupation of the city, we finished the tour at the Citadel, a pair of round buildings rebuilt in 1811, which mark the main entrance into the city walls. A reminder of the lasting role that Carlisle’s medieval history plays in its modern identity, this seemed a fitting point for us to return to the Crown and Mitre for a well-deserved lunch, and to dry out and mull over what we had seen. My only regret is that we did not have longer, in particular to explore the castle and some of the industrial developments surrounding the medieval core. It was a greatly enjoyable experience that has left me with a strong parting impression of the city. Tom Hunter Clay buildings of the Solway Plain: vernacular architecture in a local, regional and national context Peter Messenger, former conservation officer at Carlisle City Council, and an inhabitant of a clay dabbin (an earth-built building) himself, was the ideally qualified guide for this tour. First impressions on visiting the Solway Plain are that it is a region of brick buildings of the 18th and 19th centuries, but little else. Less immediately apparent is that the indigenous tradition was once one of clay building. Surveys by specialists in vernacular building, such as Ronald Brunskill and Nina Jennings, have brought many forgotten examples to light. Peter Messenger’s research is bringing overdue attention to practical matters of repair. The much greater survival rate of dabbins on the English side of the Solway is attributed partly to the tenants’ rights. The tenants were in effect freeholders, but modest incomes gave little incentive to improve A model of the historic structure outside Carlisle Cathedral The barn at Cross Farm, Burgh by Sands (Photo: Stewart Ramsdale)
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