Tile Tower and section of West City Walls

A section of the West City Walls in Carlisle, including Tile Tower, runs from Carlisle Castle to todays Castle Way road. The walls date from the 12th century and incorporate some reused Roman stone. The tower was rebuilt in c.1483 for the Duke of Gloucester (Richard III) with repairs in the 19th and 20th centuries. The inside of the wall had its facing stones removed in 1745 and this was replaced in brick in the 1830s. Inside the tower, 15th century fireplaces can still be seen. The tower formerly guarded Caldew Gate (the 'Irish Gate'), but demolition of the gate in 1811 left this isolated part of the West Walls. Houses were built against part of the walls in the early 19th century and joist holes for floors can be seen cut into the Tile Tower and wall - the last of these houses were demolished in 1952.[1] The West City Walls and Tile Tower are Grade I listed on the National Heritage List for England. Devonshire Walk runs parallel with the West City Walls. The modern Irish Gate footbridge, connects this section of the wall to West Walls (road), which follows the line of the rest of the West City Walls.