Industrial Era

From the 1750s onwards, Carlisle's population burgeoned, largely due to the boom in textile manufacturing. Cotton mills were established at Holme Head, Shaddongate and at Warwick Bridge, and by the early 19th century Carlisle was a highly important centre for cloth manufacture in Britain.

In 1823 a canal was dug to facilitate the import of cotton and other raw materials by boat. But the venture was short-lived, as by the mid-1830s the first railways were being laid, which quickly took freight traffic away from the canal. With seven different railway companies converging on Carlisle, the Citadel Station was built in 1847 to serve as the rail transport hub for the region. Rail transport stimulated the growth of many other industries, so that by the end of the Victorian period, Carlisle emerges as a prosperous centre with a strong manufacturing base.

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