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32 C O N T E X T 1 7 9 : M A R C H 2 0 2 4 with new public realms at The Citadel and English Street. This will create a fitting setting for the Grade I, Grade II* and Grade II listed buildings which form the townscape here. To the neglected west, the new car park, taxi and bus facilities interface with the Grade II Carlisle Turkish Baths, unfortunately isolated since the demolition of the 1970s main pools and reconstruction on a new site to the north. Listed in 2010 as the Turkish Suite, the 1909 baths are a rare Edwardian example of these once-common urban facilities. While the relocation of the main baths to a new site delivered a £20 million-plus attractive pool and performance venue, it had the unfortunate effect of marooning the Turkish Suite without the 1970s baths that had sustained its use these last 50 years. The Friends of Carlisle Turkish Baths now seeks to secure sustainable re- occupancy. It is hoped that the Friends group, now assisted by an Architectural Heritage Fund development grant, can develop an offer that complements the station and the interchange. Two remnant Victorian pools survive and offer potential for re-use or reinvention along the model of Newcastle City Baths 55 miles to the east, where a partnership with a leisure provider and the replacement of a large pool with a gym has saved the Newcastle baths from closure in economically uncertain times. A more tangible success can be seen at Carlisle’s 1133 cathedral at the Grade I Fratry. This building survived the reformation with only the loss of its cloisters and was refurbished by Sir Robert Smirke in 1809–11. Over a lengthy gestation from 2014–20, the architect Feilden Fowles delivered a striking £2.5 mil- lion extension to the building, winning the RIBA Regional North West Award 2022 and the RIBA National Award 2022, among other accolades. Briefed to resolve unsatisfactory access issues, the scheme relocated undercroft cafe facilities (accessible only by a narrow wind- ing stone stair) to a new, purpose-built surface extension, and resolved access issues to both the basement undercroft and the Fratry main hall a storey above. The scheme has led to the animation of the formerly unused sward framed by the remnant cloisters, with the extension address- ing a hoggin-covered quad which, at the first glimpse of sunshine, finds is outdoor tables occupied. This has transformed a neglected and unloved space into a new and vibrant part of the cathedral offer. The undercroft is now an educational facility supporting the cathedral’s mission. The contemporary interpretation of gothic forms looks set to make this a much- loved and timeless addition in this most sensi- tive of locations. With many of the same officers, consult- ants and elected members having worked on Gillespie’s 2009 Urban Design Guide, it is gratifying to see the realisation of key parts of the vision. The lengthy gestation is partly due to the post-2010 economic malaise and by Carlisle’s relative isolation from the more intense regeneration and commercial interests, which have driven larger northern conurbations such as Leeds, Manchester and Newcastle. The breathing space of slower change has afforded time for reflection and finessing. It is hoped that the regeneration projects now coming online in Carlisle will follow the Fratry example in terms of quality, attention to detail and long- term sustainability. Roger Higgins is conservation and urban design officer at Cumberland Council and acting chair of IHBC North. Court Square, site of the proposed public realm transformation, with the Grade II Citadel Station and with the Grade I Carlisle Citadels in the foreground (Photo: D&H Photography)