The city of Carlisle, around 8 miles south of the border with Scotland, has had a turbulent and often bloody history and Carlisle Castle bore the brunt of the frequent attacks on the city as the Scots and the English battled over this important strategic area.

King William II built the first stronghold in 1093, initially an earth and wood construction, quick to put up and cheap to build. The Castle was rebuilt by Henry I, but fell into Scots hands in 1135. In 1157 when Henry II reclaimed Cumberland the Castle was rebuilt in stone and remained the property of the Crown until 1216 when the Scottish King Alexander II once again led the Scots forces across the border to take control.

On the first floor level a chilling legend is revealed in the 'licking stones'. The room was utilised as the dungeon during the Jacobite Rising and, suffering from a lack of water, the prisoners used to lick the stones in an effort to obtain enough moisture to stay alive. The imprint of the captives tongues is clearly visible in the damp sandstone walls.

Queen Mary's Tower, in which Mary Queen of Scots was imprisoned, was one of the oldest parts of the castle. Records show that it was the original Norman entrance into the castle. It was blocked when the outer gatehouse and Captain's Tower were built.