ABSTRACT
During the twelfth century, the Norman impact throughout Britain was revolutionary in both scale and long-term effects. In the political sphere, Cumbria was transformed from being an Anglo-Scottish frontier buffer zone into an English border territory. The Normans affected all aspects of life, political, economic, social, religious and military, but in physical terms, the events of the twelfth century also determined the shape and appearance of the city for centuries to come. One of the most visible manifestations of power in the twelfth and thirteenth century was the Castle. For the Normans, royal castles were not just military strongpoints; they were also the centres of administration, and in some cases royal residences. In Carlisle, it was a centre of military operations, as when David was preoccupied with Galloway. In the first half of the twelfth century, a stone keep was added and a stone gatehouse at the south-eastern corner of the enceinte.
