In ad 78/80 the Romans under Agricola established a base near the Solway Firth and called it Luguvalium. From that distant beginning it grew to become England's largest city, stretching to Scotland in the north, the Solway Firth in the west, the north Pennines in the east, and almost to the Lake District in the south. At Cold Fell (2014 feet) it has the largest point of any English city. Carlisle played an important part in being at the centre of the border troubles, and it was the last place in England to know peace. This lavishly illustrated book shows the extraordinary changes that have taken place in this fair city down the centuries and provides a striking account of the changes that have altered Carlisle's appearance. The book acknowledges the transformation that has taken place in Carlisle and celebrates the character and energy of the local people as they move confidently into the twenty-first century.