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History of Rickergate > History
of Rickergate Pubs | Changing
the Face of Carlisle: The Life and Times of Percy Dalton City Engineer
and Surveyor, 1926-1949, Marie K. Dickens
RICKERGATE
[ A report on the origins and architectural development
of the area bounded by Rickergate, West Tower Street, and Corporation
Road with particular emphasis on the extant buildings ] Ian Caruana
March 2007
Click here to download
report
 George
Smith's 1752 Map of the Soccage Lands of Carlisle calls the area
which is today Corporation Road, Warwick Street and Dixon St Battle
Holm and Hangmans Close. No houses are marked on Hangmans Close
or Battle Holm The name Battle Holm is apparently meant to indicate
battle in a judicial sense.
A published map of 1815 of Carlisle shows an unnamed road extending
from the southern end of the new Eden bridges, built 1812 - 1815,
connecting to Finkle Street and so through Annetwell Street, Caldewgate
and all points west.
Woods 1821 Map of Carlisle shows this road and names it the 'New
Road'. It was built across Corporation land, hence the later name.
The 1821 map marks the land to the north of the New Road' as 'Properties
of the Corporation'; that to the south of the road being owned by
the Duke of Devonshire. An area around here is still called 'Hangmans
Close' on the 1821 map. The 1844 Directory map still calls it The
New Road and there are no buildings shown on it except at the elbow
with Rickergate. By the time of the 1851 census the New Road has
become Corporation Road.
Peter Dixon had the Shaddongate Cotton Mill. Dixon expanded his
textile works in 1849 and built additional works in the West Tower
Street area. New streets were laid out. Warwick Street was laid
out in 1855 [Dixon's had a cotton factory at Warwick on Eden]. His
name is remembered in the adjoining Peter Street, first noted on
the 1861 census and Dixon Street, first noted in the Carlisle directory
of 1858.
The buildings on Warwick Street were demolished in 1939 to make
way for the new fire and police stations which were opened on 16.08.1940
and 17.04.1941 respectively. On the south side of Warwick Street,
opposite the fire station, were built attractive cottages for permanent
members of the fire brigade. The main contractor for the two new
stations was John Laing. The buildings are faced in Greenlaw stone
from Northumberland and the architect was Percy Dalton.
In 1964 some of the houses in this area were declared unfit for
human habitation, the Cumberland News of 08.05.1964 saying that
inspectors had found some houses in the area were without internal
water and inside toilets. There was a public inquiry and the Cumberland
News in September 1964 reported that an appeal by property owners
against demolition had been rejected by the Ministry of Housing
and Local Government and a total of 95 properties on Corporation
Road, Dixon St, Dacre St, Solway Terrace and Clifford St were to
be demolished.
Castleway, part of stage two of the inner ring road, officially
opened on 27.03.1974. The construction of the road was over parts
of the west end of Corporation Road as well as what was Solway Street,
Solway Terrace and Dacre Street. Dixon Street and Clifford although
still there in name today lie under Castleway.
This information was kindly provided by Stephen White of the
Carlisle Library. Thanks also to Denis Perriam for his help. Images
courtesy of www.cumbriaimagebank.co.uk
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