What to see on your visit

East Window

Voted the Nation’s Favourite Cathedral Stained Glass Window in 2026!

The East Window is one of the largest and most complex examples of flowing decorated Gothic tracery in England. The medieval upper lights date back to the 1350s as part of lengthy rebuilding works following a fire in 1292.

The lower lights were re-glazed in 1861 by Hardman & Co. of Birmingham, depicting scenes in vivid colours from the Life of Christ.

Cathedral Ceiling

Our world-famous ceiling, with its gilded stars and angels, was designed by Owen Jones (1809-74), the most influential design theorist of the 19th century.

Each blue panel contains 16 gold stars and a central aureate sun, except for one panel. Can you spot the missing star?

Brougham Triptych

Dating back to c.1515, the Brougham Triptych is one of Cumbria’s greatest treasures. It originates from Antwerp and bears the trademark of the Antwerp Guild of Woodcarvers.

The altarpiece portrays the birth and Passion of Christ in intimate detail.

Medieval Painted Panels

Four sets of painted 15th-century panels on the back of the choir stalls are a remarkable survival depicting the Apostles and lives of St Anthony, St Augustine and St Cuthbert.

The Regimental Chapel

The Border Regiment has had a long relationship with the Cathedral, and the truncated nave serves as a chapel for the regiment. Military standards date back to 1745 and memorial books of the First and Second World Wars onwards are on display.

Salkeld Screen

The Salkeld Screen is so-called because it bears the initials of Lancelot Salkeld, the last prior of the Augustinian priory and the first Dean of the new foundation. The screen stands out in style as distinctly Renaissance in a predominantly Romanesque and Gothic building. It appears to celebrate the birth of Prince Edward, Henry VIII’s long-awaiting heir.

Runic Inscriptions

Two rare Anglo-Saxon runic inscriptions on stone survive within the Cathedral and highlight Carlisle’s turbulent past. One, bearing the name ‘Reginald’, is in Triforium (not accessible to the public). The other is just inside the main entrance and has been translated as ‘Dolfin wrote these runes on this stone’.

The Treasury

The Cathedral has long been a repository of the treasures of the Diocese, showcased in the Treasury alongside coins and artefacts discovered during archaeological work inside the precinct. Highlights include a 13th-century jet cross, a Tudor helmet and Cartmel Fell’s pre-Reformation figure of Christ.

The Cathedral Library

The Cathedral Library was re-founded after the Restoration, following the sacking of the earlier library collections at the Dissolution and again during the Commonwealth. The present collection contains over 8,000 volumes and is based on three distinctive 17th-century private collections. As such, the collection has at its heart private reading and private devotion – two themes that have continued with the development of the collections since the early 18th century. Among English cathedral libraries, only Canterbury and York have larger holdings of published works in English for the period 1641-1700.

The majority of the book collection is stored in the Fratry Hall, assessed via the Cathedral Café. Please note that the Fratry Hall is sometimes closed for private or ticketed events.

Click here to find out more about the Cathedral’s books, archives and collections.