Shopping in Carlisle

If you’re in the market for something other than the local produce, then The Lanes Shopping Centre has all your high street favourites under one roof. A half-hour walk from our Carlisle Central North hotel, The Lanes is an all-weather destination thanks to its glass roof, which is a welcome addition in the winter while retaining the natural light of an outdoor shopping precinct. Inside you’ll find over 70 shops, including big names such as Debenhams, Primark, H&M and Next, as well as a number of smaller, independent retailers.

For an entirely different shopping experience, head to Houghton Hall Garden Centre. Spread over three levels, the Garden Centre is a destination in itself, where you’ll find everything from a nursery to gardening supplies and outdoor living accessories, a gift shop, a food hall and two eateries selling hearty local produce. Open from 9am every day and 10.30am on Sunday, the garden centre is just 1.5 miles from our Carlisle M6 Jct44 hotel and serves as the perfect stop-off point if you’re heading back from a day in the hills.

For a city at the edge of the Lake District, it should come as little surprise that Carlisle does farmers’ markets well. Held on the first Friday of the month in the bustling city centre, the market draws traders from within 50 miles of the city, selling goods as wide-reaching as free-range meat and eggs, home-baked bread, freshly harvested vegetables, and preserves. A true farm-to-fork experience, the stallholders are a friendly and knowledgeable bunch who often have years of experience in the trade, so don’t be shy to ask them about their ingredients and how best to cook them – you’ll be learning from the best.

Away from the big-name stores, Carlisle has a handful of independent shops selling a well-curated variety of brands. These include menswear stores Casanova, Room 26, and S4, which specialises in high-quality skateboard fashion, and streetwear retailer, dedicated country wear shop Country House Outdoor (CHO) which stocks stylish lifestyle brands such as Barbour, Fjallraven, Timberland, and Canada Goose to help you gear up for the great Cumbrian outdoors.