Tullie House
Alex SaintLying under the shadow of the nearby Carlisle Castle, this beautifully converted Jacobean mansion is home to an impressive collection of fine art, local history and Roman artefacts. With Hadrian’s Wall passing virtually by the doorstep, it’s right that the gallery should include a nationally important study of the Roman Frontier, with impressive objects on loan from the British Museum. If it’s art you’re after then the permanent collections pay especial homage to the Pre-Raphaelites, with sumptuous 19th century paintings by Rossetti, Morris and Ford Madox Brown. Outdoors, the courtyard is a real suntrap and the café’s terrace overlooking the gardens is ideal for alfresco dining.